MSSPs report a surge in customer demand for dark web intelligence

Dark web intelligence continues to be a hot topic among MSSPs, with the latest research revealing a rapid increase in demand from customers in the US and UK.

According to the data, around two thirds (65%) of MSSPs said their customers had requested intelligence from the dark web and, among those, 74% said their customers' interest was increasing.

This demand is being driven by customers looking to identify vulnerabilities affecting their organisation (39%), to find out whether they are currently being targeted on the dark web (38%), and to gather intelligence on threat groups such as ransomware gangs (38%).

With interest on the rise, a majority of MSSPs have moved to address this customer demand, with more than half (56%) of those surveyed now undertaking dark web monitoring.

The findings are from dark web security firm Searchlight Cyber, which surveyed more than 500 MSSPs across the US and UK to detail if and how they leverage dark web intelligence.

Ben Jones, CEO and co-founder of the company, praised MSSPs for capitalising on the “rapidly increasing demand” from customers.

“We see a huge opportunity for MSSPs that are able to integrate dark web intelligence into their services,” he said. “As this topic grows in prominence, those that have started to build out their capabilities, data sources, and understanding will be able to benefit as more customers look for guidance on the dark web, giving them an advantage in the competitive market of managed security services.”

In terms of its benefits, 37% of surveyed MSSPs said dark web intelligence helps them identify customer details on the dark web, while 35% said it gives them new products and services to sell to customers. 33% revealed that it makes their current services more efficient.

However, 35% said the main barrier to its adoption was the perceived complexity, while 29% believe it isn’t relevant to their service offering. 18% did not believe they can sell it.

The findings reinforce data unearthed from Datto’s Global State of the MSP Report in October 2022, which found that dark web monitoring was top of the list of MSP’s next biggest investments, being planned by 30% of respondents.

Commenting on this latest survey, Matt Hull, global head of threat intelligence at NCC Group, highlighted the importance of understanding how attackers target their victims.

“As threat actors increasingly publicise and claim responsibility for ransomware attacks, leak breach data, and target executives on hidden sites and forums, there is an increased requirement from organisations to understand how they may be exposed and what they can do to mitigate risk,” he said.

“Effective and safe research across the dark web requires a degree of skill that is not often present within your average organisation and as such, they are turning to us for help in understanding the threats emanating from the dark web.”