Daniel J SaitNETGEAR has introduced Dark Web Monitoring to its Armor and Armor Plus security services, designed to alert households when their personal information is discovered on the dark web or in known data breaches.
Launched during Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the new feature is powered by Bitdefender and monitors for information including email addresses, phone numbers, financial details and National Insurance numbers.
According to NETGEAR, personal information can be exposed through breaches involving retailers, email providers and other online services, sometimes without users being aware that their data has been compromised. This can leave individuals more vulnerable to phishing, account takeover attempts and identity-related fraud.
When exposed information is detected, Dark Web Monitoring provides an alert explaining what has been found and where it appeared. Users are also given recommended actions, such as changing compromised or reused passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication.
The feature includes an Identity Protection Score, intended to give households an overview of their exposure and allow them to track improvements as recommended security measures are completed.
Dark Web Monitoring joins the existing security features offered through NETGEAR Armor, which provides protection for up to 50 devices at home and while away from the home network. Existing capabilities include malware protection, AI-powered anomaly detection, exploit prevention and intrusion detection, DDoS and brute-force protection, plus a VPN with ad blocking and anti-tracking features.
Jonathan Oakes, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NETGEAR’s Home Networking Division, says, “Most people think about network security as something that happens within their home. But your details can end up exposed somewhere else entirely, in a breach at a company you’ve never even dealt with directly. Dark Web Monitoring means finding out while there’s still time to act.”
Dark Web Monitoring is available now as part of NETGEAR Armor and Armor Plus, with both services purchased and managed through the Orbi or Nighthawk app.