I never considered the dark web a real threat until one of my favorite services alerted me to a data breach. That wake-up call pushed me to dig deeper, and I tried a dark web monitoring service.

What Is Dark Web Monitoring?

Dark web monitoring refers to scanning the dark web for stolen or leaked information. The key motivation behind monitoring the dark web is to find out if your personal information has been leaked into the hidden parts of the internet. Sought-after information includes email addresses, phone numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and other sensitive data.

Dark web monitoring services do the heavy lifting on your behalf. They scan the dark web for your personal information, using your email address, phone number, address, or even your social security number, and will let you know if any of it has been found. If you’re interested in this, there are various free tools to check if your data is on the dark web.

However, not all of them offer a proactive approach. That’s why I chose a proactive monitoring service instead of just checking if my data was on the dark web. That way, the service alerts me if any of my data shows up in known breaches, shady forums, or marketplaces, so I can take action before it’s too late.

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What Are Dark Web Alerts? Know When Your Info Falls Into the Wrong Hands

The dark web gets its name because it’s private and secretive, but there are ways to know when your data’s going out to the highest bidder.

There are many dark web monitoring services on the web, and you can find them by searching online. However, I decided to try F-Secure’s Identity (ID) Protection service.

What Is F-Secure ID Protection?

F-Secure’s ID Protection is a digital security service designed to protect your identity by monitoring the dark web for leaked personal information. The service offers a whole suite of identity protection features, chief among them continuous online identity monitoring.

It alerts you if your email, credentials, or other sensitive data are found in known data breaches or illegal marketplaces. It also includes other tools, such as a secure password manager and a VPN.

However, it’s not a free service. F-Secure’s ID Protection will set you back $65 per year, and includes a password manager, dark web monitoring, breach alerts, and specific professional help should your data be leaked.

How I Set Up F-Secure’s ID Protection

Signing up and setting up dark web monitoring on F-Secure’s ID Protection service is pretty straightforward. First, you fill out the signup form with the necessary details, and you’re in. The initial setup process lets you choose which devices to protect because F-Secure offers device and ID protection services.

You can skip device protection (or set it up later) and select ID Monitoring in the top left. Next, accept the terms of use, and you’ll be ready to enable dark web monitoring. Click Add Monitored Item, then enter your email address.

Once submitted, the website sends a confirmation email to the entered email address. After confirmation, the service will scan the dark web for your personal information in past data leaks or dumps and provide instant results.

Did F-Secure’s ID Protection Find My Data On the Dark Web?

After email confirmation, it was time to determine whether my data was on the dark web. F-Secure quickly ran a scan and returned results almost instantly. As expected, the scan revealed that my data was on the dark web. I’d already used tools like F‑Secure Identity Theft Checker and had a clue that my data had been exposed.

However, the service displayed the results in a nice dashboard showing the total number of breaches where my data was found and a breakdown of each, with the dates of when the data was discovered. F-Secure’s breakdown is quite handy, with not just the dates and leaks but also a handy icon showing the severity of each.

I had several leaks marked as high severity, which was worrying. For context, a high-severity label means your password, credit card information, passport number, or social security number was exposed.

On F-Secure, you can click through each leak for further details, such as which information was leaked and what information was found. For example, if a password or your city of residence leaked, F-Secure shows you the compromised data.

But even more worrying was how recent some of the leaks were. For instance, the most recent leak where my data was found was in April 2025, but thankfully, that only exposed my X (formerly Twitter) email, username, and city. In 2024, my data was found in two breaches. As expected, I had to take action.

What I Did After Finding My Data on the Dark Web

Seeing several high-severity breaches tied to my data was unsettling, to say the least. But F-Secure doesn’t leave you hanging. It provides clear guidance on what to do next if your data is discovered on the dark web.

First, I reviewed each leak and immediately acted on the affected accounts. I set strong, unique passwords using secure password creation guidelines for all affected services. I also ensured that two-factor authentication support was turned on across all my accounts for extra security.

Is Dark Web Monitoring Worth the Money?

Seeing breaches tied to your email and the specific data exposed is valuable. These services also provide alerts once your data is found on the dark web, giving you a head start on changing passwords, freezing credit, or tightening security before someone else exploits your data.

However, you can get these alerts for free using tools like Have I Been Pwned. Whether you use a free or paid service, it won’t prevent your data from being leaked in the first place. The value of paid dark web monitoring tools lies in the extras. Some services offer credit card monitoring and coverage of up to $1 million to cover eligible losses and fees due to identity theft.

For such extras, paying for a dark web monitoring service is undoubtedly worth it, especially if you’re at a high risk of targeted attacks. However, free tools combined with good security hygiene can suffice for many individuals.