Google Shutting Down Dark Web Report Met with Mixed Reactions

Google’s decision this week to discontinue its dark web report tool is drawing mixed reactions, from some people saying it wasn’t very helpful to begin with to others who said it served a useful purpose even if it didn’t deliver everything people needed.The cloud giant released the tool in March 2023 to alert users when their information linked to their Google email was found on the dark web. The hope was that the report – which was expanded last year to include all account holders, not only Google One subscribers – would slow online identity scams by letting users know if their email address or other information like their name or Social Security number was available to bad actors.However, in a support notice, Google wrote that what they were hearing from users was that the dark web report wasn’t as helpful as hoped because it didn’t offer information on what steps users should take if they received an alert about their information being on the dark web.“We’re making this change to instead focus on tools that give you more clear, actionable steps to protect your information online,” Google wrote. “We’ll continue to track and defend you from online threats, including the dark web, and build tools that help protect you and your personal information.”According to the company, scans for new dark web breaches will stop on January 15. A month later, on February 16, the report will no longer be available and all data related to it will be deleted. Users can also delete the information about them on the dark web report themselves by following the instructions in the alert.There’s Value in KnowingThe report about Google’s plans to shut down the dark web report made the rounds on Reddit, with one user saying they were “disappointed at first, but then I realized it never actually informed me of several of the breaches my password manager discovered.”Another echoed the sentiment.“My understanding is they just told you that your info is on the dark web,” they wrote. “I think everyone just assumes all of your info is leaked everywhere. What we need is a decent identity theft insurance that doesn’t package in a bunch of nonsense that you don’t want/need.”Pieter Arntz, malware analyst for Malwarebytes, noted the early mixed reactions, writing in a blog post that “some users express disappointment and frustration, others seem largely indifferent because they already rely on alternatives, and a small group feels relieved that the worry‑inducing alerts will disappear.”Arntz added that “those sentiments are understandable. Knowing that someone found your information on the dark web does not automatically make you safer. You cannot simply log into a dark market forum and ask criminals to delete or return your data.”That said, there’s value in knowing if your information on the dark web, and tools like dark web report help because they allow people to respond to the situation before the problem grows.“They turn vague fear (‘Is my data out there?’) into specific risk (‘This email and password are in a breach.’),” he wrote. “The dark web is often portrayed as a shady corner of the internet where stolen data circulates endlessly, and to some extent, that’s accurate. Password dumps, personal records, social security numbers (SSNs), and credit card details are traded for profit. Once combined into massive credential and identity databases accessible to cybercriminals, this information can be used for account takeovers, phishing, and identity fraud. There are no tools to erase critical information that is circulating on dark web forums but that was never really the promise.”Google Points to Other ToolsGoogle said users could use other tools to harden their security and privacy, from its Security Checkup and Google Password Manager to Password Checkup and Results About You. They also can create a passkey to log into their Google accounts and use authentication tools to securely sign into Google Safety Center.“Without doubt, those tools help, but they work better when users understand why they matter,” Arntz wrote. “Discontinuing dark web report removes a simple visibility feature, but it also reminds users that cybersecurity awareness means staying careful on the open web and understanding what attackers might use against them.”Don’t Base Security on Single FeatureA Reddit user wrote that Google’s removal of the dark web report should encourage people not to build their strategy for dark web monitoring or anything else around a single – and free – vendor feature. For employees, businesses can document who was using the report, given them a vetted alternative or two, like Have I Been Pwned checks or identity theft services, and “bake it into security awareness so people understand that paste sites/markets are just one signal, not a panic button,” they wrote.Organizations should ensure that dark web intelligence should feed into existing processes like identity protections tools, phishing detection, and brand monitoring.“I’ve seen teams wire breach intel into their SOAR and data/API layer using stuff like Splunk, MISP [an open source platform], and even platforms like DreamFactory alongside their internal services, so hits actually trigger actions instead of just more scary emails.”

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AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

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