Proton Mail has introduced a new interesting feature called Dark Web Monitoring for its paid users. The feature will alert Proton Mail paid users if their information has been posted on the dark web. The personal detail could be their name, email address, password, etc. Along with the alert, it will also recommend what users can do to mitigate the risk.
The feature can be found in the new Security Center in Proton Mail. You can also access it in the Security and Privacy settings.
The Dark Web Monitoring feature continuously scans the dark web and hacking forums for emails contained in data breaches. If it finds any email associated with a Proton Mail user, it will alert users about the breach with information like what data was compromised and the affected service.
Proton Mail already allows users to create aliases to hide the original email address. Users can receive email as normal through these aliases. In case an alias is exposed in a data breach, the user can delete the alias and create a new one. In this way, the real email address is never exposed.
With increasing digital infrastructure, data breaches are also increasing. If we only see the data of the US, a number of data breaches went from 1,802 in 2022 to 3,205 in 2023. In January 2024, researchers also found Mother of All Breaches exposing more than 26 billion records. So, it is really important for users to know if their data has been leaked on the dark web. This will help them take precautionary measures.
I recommend all users start using 2 Factor Authentication in all the services where it is available. This helps keep your account safe from hackers even if your password is exposed. Always use hard-to-guess complex passwords. If you find it hard to remember complex passwords, start using Password Manager.
