New 24/7 monitoring alerts businesses when information associated with their domain appears in known breach data and provides clear steps to reduce risk
Network Solutions, the world’s first domain registrar and a trusted provider helping millions of businesses name, build, protect and grow online, today launched Dark Web Monitoring, a new security capability that alerts small businesses when information associated with their domain appears in known breach data and provides clear steps they can take to reduce risk.
Stolen credentials and other information exposed in data breaches can circulate across dark web marketplaces, forums and other sources. For a small business, that exposure can lead to account takeovers, compromised email, impersonation and unauthorized access to sensitive business or financial information.
Why it matters now
Small businesses face many of the same cyber threats as larger organizations, often without dedicated security teams or resources to identify and respond to potential exposure.
According to Verizon’s 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, compromised credentials were involved in 31% of small business breaches, and credential abuse was a leading way attackers gained initial access.
Dark Web Monitoring is designed to give small businesses earlier visibility into potential exposure and clear steps to respond.
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How Dark Web Monitoring works
Dark Web Monitoring scans known breach and dark web sources 24/7 for information associated with a customer’s domain. When a new exposure is identified, customers receive an alert and can review details about the associated breach, understand the types of information that may have been exposed and follow recommended steps to reduce risk.
Depending on the breach, exposed data may include email addresses, passwords, names, usernames, IP addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses and other personal or business information. Recommended next steps may include changing affected passwords, enabling multi-factor authentication and monitoring accounts for suspicious activity.
Threat Score
The service provides a Threat Score from 0 to 100 to help customers understand the potential severity of known exposure. The score considers factors including the number of associated breaches and the sensitivity of the data involved. A higher score indicates greater potential risk, helping customers prioritize which exposures to address first.
The appearance of information in breach data does not necessarily mean a customer’s website has been compromised. Exposure may result from a breach at another company or service where a business email address or other information associated with the domain was used.
“For a small business, its domain is its digital identity and a foundation of its credibility. When credentials or other information tied to that business appear in breach data, the risk can remain invisible until that information is misused,” said Sachin Puri, CEO of Bluehost Group and Network Solutions Group.ย “Small businesses shouldn’t need a dedicated security team to understand when they may be exposed. Dark Web Monitoring gives them earlier visibility, makes the risk easier to understand and provides clear steps they can take to respond. Protecting the digital identities our customers entrust to Network Solutions is fundamental to the role we play.”
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