Dark web
The part of the internet reachable only with special software, where anonymity enables markets for stolen credentials, malware and corporate access.
Full definition
The dark web is the portion of the internet accessible only through specialized software, such as the Tor browser, designed so that neither visitor nor site reveals its location. Anonymity itself is not criminal, and in fact protects journalists and dissidents, but it creates the environment where criminal markets flourish.
For a company, what matters is what is traded there: leaked credentials, infostealer logs with session cookies, corporate access sold by brokers, stolen databases and malware kits. When an organization's data shows up in those markets, the next attack is a matter of time.
Hence the value of dark web monitoring: learning about your own exposure before the attacker exploits it turns an invisible threat into an actionable alert.
Related terms
Dark web monitoring
Continuous surveillance of breaches and criminal markets to detect exposed company credentials or data, and react in hours instead of months.
Leaked credentials
Usernames and passwords exposed in breaches or stolen by malware, circulating on the dark web. They are the raw material of initial access to companies.
Infostealer
Malware that silently steals credentials, cookies and browser data, packaging them for sale on the dark web as stealer logs.
From definition to data: measure your company's human risk
Fensivo detects leaked credentials, simulates real attacks and validates with retests that behavior changed.