The Dark Web Report launched about 18 months ago with bold promises to protect users from identity theft by monitoring criminal marketplaces for leaked personal data. Originally exclusive to Google One subscribers, the company expanded access to all Gmail users in July 2024, positioning it as a comprehensive security solution.

Many companies buy monitoring because it feels responsible. The difference between theater and defense is the ability to act. Monitoring without enforcement creates noise. Real ROI arrives when monitoring, telecom partners, legal takedowns, and narrative control work in concert.

For most of us, when we think about website monitoring we think about the basics: how many people are visiting our site, social network activity, how many customers are buying our products and so on. While this basic information is important, it is just ...