Cybersecurity 
To find out if someone else is using your Social Security number (SSN), you should check your credit reports, review your mySocialSecurity account and be cautious
3 min read
Published on December 12, 2023
Dark web scans, also known as data breach scans, are scans that let you know if your personal information, such as your email and login credentials, is on the dark web. There are several free and paid dark web scans available online to use and each of them works differently.
Continue reading to learn what the dark web is, how dark web scans work and how to initiate a dark web scan.
What Is the Dark Web?
There are three layers to the internet: the surface web, deep web and dark web. The dark web is a subset of the deep web that can only be accessed using the Tor browser. The dark web provides its users with anonymity, which is the reason why many cybercriminals use it to carry out criminal activities like selling stolen personal information.
You won’t ever stumble upon the dark web by mistake; anyone who’s on the dark web gets there intentionally since you have to use specific tools to get on it.
How Dark Web Scans Work
Each dark web scan tool works differently, but generally, you have to enter your email into the dark web scanner. Some tools may require that you provide them with more information such as your Social Security number (SSN) and phone number. Once you’ve entered your email and other information (if applicable), the dark web scanner scans its database containing billions of breached credentials and other Personally Identifiable Information (PII) that were compromised due to public data breaches.
As mentioned, not all dark web scans work the same. Some dark web scanners may update their databases faster than others. This means if a breach occurs, the scanner that updates quicker will be able to notify its users of breached information before other scanners can.
How To Initiate a Dark Web Scan
Here’s how to initiate a dark web scan using an online dark web scanning tool.
- Find a dark web scanner: There are many dark web scanners available online. If you aren’t sure which scanner to use, we recommend using Keeper®’s free dark web scan tool. This scanner will scan its database for your breached credentials that are published on the dark web.
- Input your information: Most free dark web scanners only require you to enter your email address. If a dark web scanner asks you for more information such as your Social Security number, it’s because they scan for more breached personal information, not only breached credentials.
- Wait for your results: Your dark web scan results may appear instantly or be sent to you through email. It may take a few seconds or a few minutes to get your dark web scan results.
Once you’ve received your results, we recommend going through them to see which of your credentials or other personal information is compromised. If your dark web scan results show that one or multiple credentials have been breached, we recommend changing the passwords to those accounts immediately.
Should I Be Worried if My Information Is on the Dark Web?
While you should be worried that your information is on the dark web, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to protect your personal information.
Here’s what to do if your credentials are on the dark web:
- Go to each account with credentials that have been compromised.
- Change your password for each compromised account to one that is strong. To ensure each of your passwords is strong and unique, use a password generator to help you create them.
- Repeat as needed for each compromised credential.
- As an extra security precaution, enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for each account. MFA adds additional layers of protection to your accounts to prevent them from being compromised.
Here’s what to do if your credit card information is on the dark web:
- Immediately contact your credit card issuer to have them cancel your compromised credit card. Once you’ve canceled the compromised credit card, your credit card issuer will send you a new one with new numbers.
- Monitor your bank accounts for suspicious activity and transactions.
- Check your credit report to make sure no one has taken out loans or credit lines under your name.
- As an extra security precaution, place a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting one of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion or Equifax.
Here’s what to do if your Social Security number is on the dark web:
- Freeze your credit by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Freezing your credit blocks lenders from being able to access your credit report, preventing anyone from being able to apply for new credit under your name.
- Request an IRS Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) by visiting www.IRS.gov/getanippin. An IP PIN is a six-digit number that helps prevent the misuse of your Social Security number. Once you’ve enrolled for an IP PIN, there is no way to opt-out.
- Apply for a new Social Security card online by visiting the U.S. Social Security Administration website.
The sooner you notice that your information is on the dark web, the sooner you can take action to protect your accounts, money and identity.
Scan the Dark Web for Your Information With a Dark Web Monitoring Tool
Dark web scanning tools are great for checking if your personal information is on the dark web; however, they aren’t the best long-term solution. Rather than constantly checking manually through a dark web scanner if your credentials and other personal information are compromised, consider investing in a dark web monitoring solution that does it for you automatically.
A dark web monitoring tool continuously checks the dark web for your personal information and sends you dark web alerts when it detects your information on the dark web. For example, BreachWatch® is a dark web monitoring add-on that works with Keeper Password Manager. It constantly scans the dark web for breached credentials that match the ones stored in your password vault. When BreachWatch detects one of your credentials on the dark web, you’re notified in real-time so you can take action immediately by changing your password.
Don’t wait before it’s too late – use Keeper Password Manager and BreachWatch to detect your breached credentials on the dark web in real-time. Start a free 30-day trial today.
