Easily one of the most curious additions to a piece of security software, Norton 360’s latest inclusions aims to give you an understanding of knowing where you are online.
Security software is one of those things most of us know we need, but also not something we’ll actively pay attention to, though depending on how you’ve been affected by security in the past, you may think differently.
If you’ve had your passwords breached or you’ve seen an infection make a home for itself amongst your files in the past, there’s a good chance you think differently, and security holds a place on your computer in some form. Not always, but certainly some of the time.
The same goes for if your details are stolen, and your identity has become a bit of a bargaining chip for criminals keen on making money from your troubles. However we don’t always know about these situations until they happen.
While internet security solutions aim to prevent problems as the software notices them (and typically as they attempt to install), preventing identity theft can be a much more difficult situation.
How do you stop your details from being actioned by the wrong hands if they’ve found their way into those hands in the first place? Can security software make a dent if your details become a bargaining chip on the dark web?
Norton thinks it can, and has added “Dark Web Monitoring” to the Australian release of the latest edition of Norton 360. Available as part of both the Premium and Deluxe Norton 360 plans, Dark Web Monitoring aims to provide users of Norton’s security software with a scanner that looks through pages on the dark web to find information about the user in question, looking for over 120 pieces of personal information commonly associated with online identity, such as email, phone number, credit cards, bank account numbers, and even gamer tags.
Dark Web Monitoring joins some of the other features in Norton 360, including a firewall, password manager, parental controls, VPN, and a cloud backup, allowing important files to be stored off-site safely.
“Cyber attacks are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated. The dark web adds another dimension to the online threats impacting Australians. One of the biggest risks of personal data being sold or traded on the dark web is identity theft,” said Mark Gorrie, Senior Director, for NortonLifeLock in the Asia Pacific.
“That’s why we’re excited to launch Dark Web Monitoring in Australia and New Zealand to provide our customers with technology designed to help keep them protected against these more sophisticated threats,” he said.
Overseas, Norton’s Dark Web Monitoring, also called “cyber monitoring”, is something the company has run in the US for some time. At its initial run, NortonLifeLock says it runs a historical analysis on your details, looking back as far as 2008 to find out if information about you or related to you has been exposed, and then to run continuous checks once you’re a paid subscriber to the service. Information can’t be erased, and it’s not yet known if positive checks for the information could be provided to other services if they are leaked, such as a credit service or banks.
However NortonLifeLock says that if your information is detected, you may be advised to do things to remedy the situation, such as changing your password or switching to multi-factor authentication, as well as reviewing financial statements and going to paperless deliveries where available. Norton offers a list of tips on its website, as while it can’t remove information about you from dark web sources, the service aims to help you quell any issues before they pop up.
“The addition of Dark Web Monitoring Powered by LifeLock to our technology in identity protection expands on our cyber security offering to help our customers protect their information in all corners of the internet and limit damage that may occur,” said Gorrie.
Norton 360 with Dark Web Monitoring is available now in stores, and will be available online from September 1. Current subscribers to Norton 360’s Deluxe and Premium services will see Dark Web Monitoring added to their service at the next update, delivering that information to their subscription just like new customers.
