Dark web monitoring is a strategy of monitoring and scanning the dark web for information that reveals clues about cybersecurity threats. A competent cyber intelligence provider will not stop at the dark web though. It will also monitor adjacent sites.

Adjacent sites can be very revealing. They can point threat intelligence experts to certain places on the dark web where chatter and activity can reveal what threat actors have in mind. Adjacent sites can also point experts to dark web locations where they can find sensitive company data, stolen information, and more.

The Dark Web and Adjacent Sites

DarkOwl, a dark web monitoring specialist, explains that the dark web is that collection of hidden and obscured sites that can’t be found using a standard web browser and shared IP address. It is a portion of the internet that acts as a home to criminals, terrorist organizations, and even rogue states harnessing the internet for undesirable purposes.

Adjacent sites occupy a digital no man’s land, so to speak. They are so named because, while they are not part of the dark web itself, they are closely associated with darknet activities through either direct or indirect associations.

Adjacent Site Scope and Examples

Dark web adjacent sites vary in terms of function and scope. As a general rule, they serve as either intermediaries or complementary platforms through which threat actors can:

• Share information.
• Discuss plans.
• Coordinate activities.

The interesting thing about adjacent sights is that they are part of the public internet. They are out in the open and are as easily accessed as any other public internet site. Here are some examples of the types of sites the act as dark web adjacent properties:

• Encrypted chat services.
• Online discussion forums.
• Online marketplaces.

Because adjacent sites do not require any special software or configuration to access, they can be a breeding ground for future threat actors who have not yet gotten on to the dark web. This is key to leveraging dark web monitoring for cybersecurity purposes.

Plenty of Intelligence to Gather

A primary goal of dark web monitoring is to produce relevant threat intelligence organizations can use to protect themselves. Needless to say, there is plenty of intelligence to gather on both the dark web and adjacent sites. Threat intelligence experts specifically monitor adjacent sites while looking into:

• Potential cyber threats.
• Disinformation campaigns.
• The dissemination of leaked data.

Many adjacent sites have the potential to reveal sensitive information including exposed credentials and vulnerabilities discovered by threat actors. By monitoring dark web adjacent sites, intelligence experts are able to compile raw data points that act as the fuel for actionable security intelligence.

Dark Web Monitoring and Risk Mitigation

It should be clear that dark web monitoring is a risk mitigation strategy. It is often compared to military reconnaissance. In a recon setting, personnel are looking to better understand what the enemy is doing so that decision makers can guarantee troops are better prepared on the battlefield. Dark web monitoring is the cybersecurity equivalent of military recon.

Dark Web Monitoring as a Service

Organizations wishing to take advantage of dark web monitoring can do it themselves or hire professionals to do it for them. Dark web monitoring as a service is well worth paying for because organizations have access to expert advice and assistance in addition to the service itself.

With the state of cybersecurity being what it is in the 2020s, dark web monitoring and threat intelligence are important tools every organization should consider. The reality is that cybercriminals are not going away. Organizations need to take the fight to them.