Dark Web Search Engines

The dark web is the part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines, and one that you can’t access with a traditional browser. It’s also a hub for cybercriminal activity; threat actors use it to buy and sell stolen data and to plan attacks. How can you see their activities? You need to use specialized dark web search engines.

Dark Web Search Engines and Flare

Do you need dark web search engines to monitor the dark web?

Your team should absolutely be monitoring the dark web, but this doesn’t mean they need to be searching it themselves. Tools like Flare empower your team to conduct reconnaissance on the dark web, scanning for stolen data and other information that might jeopardize your systems and networks. 

How does Flare monitor the dark web? 

Flare monitors thousands of channels across sources as diverse as Telegram, the dark web and I2P. The platform automatically collects, analyzes, and contextualizes dark web data to provide your team with information relevant to your organization. 

What are the key features of Flare’s dark web monitoring solution? 

• Automation: Your analysts can’t manually search the dark web constantly. Flare automates the process to give you 24/7 coverage, freeing up your team for higher order tasks. 
• A proactive security stance: By actively seeking stolen data out, you can catch a breach early and take steps to protect your data.
• Visibility into threats: Flare’s data theft monitoring solution scans the dark and clear web, as well as illicit Telegram channels, to find leaks before an attack happens. 
• Immediate alerts: Flare cuts through the noise, sending only relevant alerts to your team, so you will know as soon as information appears on the dark web or a paste and dump site.

Understanding Dark Web Search Engines

What are dark web search engines? 

Dark web search engines are specialized tools that allow you to access the dark web, portions of the deep web that aren’t indexed by traditional search engines. The dark web is hidden from regular browsers and search engines thanks to its registry operator, which differs from the infrastructure used by the clear web. The most well known browser is Tor, which stands for The Onion Project.

What search engines can access the dark web? 

There are a variety of search engines available that will allow you and your team to access the dark web. These include tools like: 

• Torch
• Ahmia
• Haystack
• DuckDuckGo
• Candle
• Not Evil
• Dark Search
• Onion Search

Is the dark web available on Google? 

Unlike the deep web, which is accessible on regular browsers if you have the correct web address, you can’t access the dark web from standard browsers like Google or Bing. To gain access, you need a special browser such as Tor, and a search engine designed specifically for the dark web.

Why Do You Need to Understand Dark Web Search Engines? 

Why search the dark web if you aren’t a criminal?

The dark web isn’t all bad; there are perfectly legitimate parts of the dark web. However, it also serves as a hub and a marketplace for criminals.  Stolen and leaked data is bought and sold in parts of the dark web, as is malware as a service that can be used to attack your networks. By searching and monitoring the dark web, you can catch threats and stolen data before your assets are exploited by attackers. 

What is the impact of criminal activity on the dark web? 

Criminals refine their techniques on the dark web, form gangs, and sell each other tools that help them steal your data. The impact of this activity is evident in the numbers: in 2023, there were 3,205 publicly reported data breaches, a 72% increase over 2021 which held the previous record for the highest number of publicly reported data breaches on record. Because malware is being shared among criminals, even those who can’t code, are able to launch attacks. 

What is the impact of an attack? 

Cyber attacks cause many problems, from lack of trust in your brand to the interruption of business operations. The consequences are also financial: the average cost of a data breach peaked in 2023 at  $4.45 million. Such costs include legal fees, regulatory sanctions, the cost of finding and remediating vulnerabilities, and other related costs. 

Dark Web Search Engines and Flare

Flare provides the leading Threat Exposure Management (TEM) solution for organizations. Our technology constantly scans the online world, including the clear & dark web, to discover unknown events, automatically prioritize risks, and deliver actionable intelligence you can use instantly to improve security. By monitoring dark web activity, you can keep your organization’s data and networks safe from attackers. 

Our solution integrates into your security program in 30 minutes to provide your team with actionable intelligence and automated remediation for high-risk exposure. See it yourself with our free trial.