You wouldn't believe the amount of data circulating on the Dark Web. — Photography baona/Getty Images/AFP Relaxnews
Any internet user might fear that their personal data might be stolen and end up not only on the web, but also on the Dark Web. The latter is home to all kinds of content from alternative networks, accessible via specific set-ups or protocols. Fortunately, there are online tools that can help you find out if your accounts are at risk.
The Dark Web may be a place of freedom of expression, but it's also a place where weapons, drugs of all kinds and personal data are traded and sold. Your Facebook account, social security number or credit card number can be worth tens of dollars on this illegal market.
There are tools you can use to find out if some of your data, starting with your email address, is circulating on the Dark Web. For example, you can visit the Have I Been Pwned website or a dedicated page of the antivirus publisher F-Secure. Both times, you enter your e-mail address, and the service lists all your accounts for which data has been reported stolen. But while this data is still in circulation, there is no proof that it has been used or sold in any way. Still, you should change the passwords linked to this email address and the accounts identified as soon as possible.
To avoid becoming a victim of data theft, there are simple things you can do, such as changing your passwords regularly, every three months, for example. This won't prevent your email address from circulating on the obscure corners of the internet, but it should help keep the contents of your accounts and associated data safe. – AFP Relaxnews
