Darknet Report is about to be free for everyone, and yes, you should care. The title might make this feature sound like some unappealing podcast, but it’s actually a handy Google security tool that everyone should try.
Previously only available to those who paid for Google One – which was launched when Google suddenly told everyone their cloud storage was full – the Dark Web Report will launch this month Rolling out to (basically) all free Google account holders at some point (as of this writing). Meanwhile, a basic version of Dark Web Report is now available, which scans the dark web for past breaches to see if your credentials have been compromised.
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What is Google’s Dark Web Report?
Dark Web Report Scans the dark web (secret, unsearchable networks that can only be accessed using certain software) to obtain your personal information: name, physical address, phone number, email address, and social security number (if you In the U.S) .
When will Google’s Dark Web Report be available to everyone?
All the information Google has provided about the timeline for this change is in a sentence on the Google support page, which simply says that the change will occur in “Late July 2024.”
Who is eligible for Google’s Dark Web Report?
Most users with consumer Google accounts are eligible. Enterprise accounts (your work account instances) will not be included.
However, while most major internet-using countries are included in the eligibility list, there are a few notable omissions: Russia, China, South Africa and New Zealand, for example.
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How to use Dark Web Report
As of Mashable’s testing in early July, free users have access to a Google One page that enables dark web scanning as part of the full dark web reporting service. The page is titled “Check if your Gmail address is on the Dark Web.” Click the button that says “Run Scan” in the lower right corner.
Image source: Mashable screenshot from Google
If you’re unlucky (and if you’re like most people, you’ve been unlucky), you’ll get the following bad news:
Image source: Mashable screenshot from Google
The title will read “Your information was found on the dark web,” followed by the number of data breaches that included your email address. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your email address or Google Account credentials were compromised, just that they were included in the leak. That email address may have been compromised along with the credentials (possibly including the password) for another account on an entirely different website or service related to your email address.
Clicking “See all results” will provide you with a list of all violations for your information. The number is unlimited, especially if you’ve had your email address for a long time.
Image source: Mashable screenshot from Google
Currently, full dark web reporting still requires users to set up a paid Google One account. You probably shouldn’t sign up for Google One just for this reason, since the feature is about to be free, but if you do, you’ll be able to do the following:
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Set up your dark web monitoring profile, including your name, date of birth, and default Gmail address, with the option to add your physical address, additional email addresses, and phone numbers.
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Receive Google search results for matches related to all of this material in dark web leaks
What to do with your Dark Web report results
For leaked passwords:
For leaked email addresses:
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If a sensitive account (such as one related to your bank or profile) has been compromised, consider establishing a separate email address for sensitive use only. The existence of this address is kept secret.
For other leaked information (address, date of birth, etc.):
How to access a free version of the full Dark Web Report
Again, the information available is limited. In “late July,” when this becomes a free service, myaccount.google.com will likely reflect the change, and the dark web reporting feature will reportedly be integrated into Google’s “About You Results” section.
About You Results is a separate Google service designed to give people a degree of control over what information about them is searchable online. The dark web is by definition not searchable and was not previously included.
Mashable will update this page once we know more information.
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