At Symbol Security, we believe in practicing what we preach. That's why we use our own Cyber Threat Surveillance service to monitor our company's digital footprint across the dark web and underground forums. Recently, that decision proved its worth in a way we never expected—by catching our own potential security incident through exposed credentials in a dark net forum.
Because we had real-time monitoring in place, we didn't discover this threat weeks or months after the fact—we found it within hours of it appearing in the darknet forum. This immediate visibility allowed us to move from discovery to full response mode faster than most organizations can even detect that a leak has occurred.
Our first priority was validating the potential impact. Were these leaked credentials still active? Could they be used to compromise our systems or client data?
The answer provided immediate relief: our off-boarding processes had worked exactly as designed. The email address associated with the leaked data had been properly deactivated when the employee departed. The service that was the source of the login credentials also had been deactivated. What looked like a possible tool for attackers to begin to social engineer Symbol Security was actually a dead end—the leaked credentials were essentially worthless.
But we didn't stop there. While Symbol Security was secure, we recognized that our former colleague was potentially at risk. The same leaked data that posed no threat to our corporate systems could still be used to target their personal accounts across other platforms based on the information we saw.
We reached out immediately, providing them with detailed information about our findings. This allowed them to see first hand what data had been leaked, and enabled additional security measures to protect themselves before attackers could exploit the leaked information.
This human element highlights something crucial about effective cybersecurity: it's not just about protecting systems—it's about protecting people.
This incident illuminated a reality that many organizations don't fully grasp: conversations about your company, your employees, and your vulnerabilities are happening in places you can't see. The dark web isn't just a marketplace for stolen credit cards and illegal goods—it's an intelligence hub where threat actors research targets, share reconnaissance, and plan attacks.
Without visibility into these channels, organizations are essentially flying blind. They're making security decisions based on incomplete information, unaware of the threats already mobilizing against them.
The difference between discovering a threat in real-time versus after the fact can't be overstated. Consider these two scenarios:
Breach occurs → Data circulates for weeks/months → Damage accumulates → Incident finally detected → Emergency response mode → Damage control and recovery
Breach occurs → Immediate detection → Rapid assessment → Proactive response → Threat neutralized before damage occurs
The first scenario is reactive and expensive. The second is proactive and preventative. The choice between them often comes down to whether you have eyes on the spaces where threats first emerge.
While this incident had a positive outcome for Symbol Security, it highlighted broader questions that every organization should consider:
How long would it take you to discover that your company's information is being discussed in underground forums?
Are your current security measures designed to detect threats before they impact your business, or only after damage has occurred?
If a former employee's credentials were compromised, would you know in hours or months?
This experience reinforced why Cyber Threat Surveillance isn't just a security tool—it's a competitive advantage. Organizations that can detect and respond to threats before they materialize don't just avoid damage; they maintain the trust of clients, partners, and stakeholders who rely on their security.
In today's threat landscape, the question isn't whether your organization will face cybersecurity challenges—it's whether you'll know about them in time to act effectively.
This incident reminded us why we built our Cyber Threat Surveillance service in the first place. The dark web and underground forums aren't going away, and neither are the threat actors who use them to target organizations like yours.
But with the right monitoring and rapid response capabilities, what could be a disaster becomes a security win. What could be months of damage control becomes hours of proactive protection.
Every organization deserves that advantage.
Symbol Security's Cyber Threat Surveillance service provides 24/7 monitoring of dark web forums, chat rooms, and underground marketplaces for mentions of your brand, executives, and critical assets. By delivering real-time threat intelligence, we help organizations stay ahead of cybercriminals and protect against attacks before they happen.
Ready to get eyes on the threats you can't see?
Contact Symbol Security to learn how Cyber Threat Surveillance can protect your organization.