“A Dark Web Scan Was a No-Brainer for Me”

Why did Omnia Wonen start with dark web scanning?

I want to do everything reasonable to protect Omnia Wonen. For me, that means also looking at what's happening in the world before an attack occurs. Organizations only see what happens within or at the borders of their own organization, when an attack is already underway. If we can identify issues beforehand, we reduce the chances of a successful attack.

Moreover, I believe I have a duty of care to our colleagues, the 'Omnianen.' Much of the leaked information on the dark web is their information. If that information is misused, they are affected and become victims. Therefore, performing a dark web scan was a no-brainer for me.

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What was the most striking finding?

The most eye-catching finding was that one of our former suppliers had been hacked, resulting in data about our employees being exposed. This was not just any supplier: they conducted IT awareness tests for us. As a result, not only the names and email addresses of many of our employees were leaked, but also the tests they participated in and their scores. Attackers can easily see who had the lowest scores and target them with tailored phishing emails. It's really tragic.

"The most eye-catching finding was that one of our former suppliers had been hacked."

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What did you do with the findings?

For me, it was a reason to have a conversation with everyone whose information was leaked: did you know your information was leaked? Because it was very concrete, you notice that it really hits home with people. It boosts awareness. I received positive feedback from colleagues, appreciating that more is being done to keep Omnia Wonen and them safe. Where necessary, we also performed a password reset.

"I received positive feedback from colleagues, appreciating that more is being done to keep Omnia Wonen and them safe."

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How has your experience been using the platform so far?

I found it pleasant that the tool structures the data about employees very well, in the broadest sense. You can quickly filter which data has been leaked and take action accordingly.

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Do you have any advice for the readers?

Get yourself a dark web scan it’s really not an unnecessary luxury. You become much more aware of where that data is floating around. Better safe than sorry.