What is Dark Web Monitoring?

Dark Web Monitoring is a privacy feature that can inform you if your passwords have been leaked online in a data breach.

The exact functionality of Dark Web Monitoring varies according to your version of Avast One:

• The free version (Avast One Basic): If you provide an email address, Dark Web Monitoring will check if any of your online accounts associated with that email address have been involved in a data breach. However, Dark Web Monitoring does not continue to monitor for new data breaches. For this reason, we recommend running regular manual checks.
• The paid version (Avast One Silver Privacy or Avast One Gold): You can add up to 5 monitored email addresses. Dark Web Monitoring informs you about previous data breaches involving your monitored email addresses, and additionally continues to monitor in real-time for new data breaches. You are alerted immediately if any of your online accounts are breached.

How do I check for a data breach?

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Dark Web Monitoring.
2. Click Open Dark Web Monitoring, then select the Compromised passwords tab.
3. Enter an email used to sign in to online accounts, then click Check data breaches.
4. If you have the paid version of Avast One (Avast One Silver Privacy or Avast One Gold), optionally click Monitor for new breaches to continuously monitor your email account.

For more information about how to use Dark Web Monitoring, refer to the following article:

• Dark Web Monitoring - Getting Started

Does Dark Web Monitoring notify me if my passwords are compromised?

If you have the paid version of Avast One (Avast One Silver Privacy or Avast One Gold), you can set Dark Web Monitoring to continuously monitor for data breaches that contain your email address. When a data breach occurs, Dark Web Monitoring alerts you and prompts you to re-secure your accounts.

If you have the free version of Avast One (Avast Basic), Dark Web Monitoring does not monitor for data breaches. Therefore, we recommend running regular manual checks for any email address you suspect may be involved in a data breach.

How do I set up breach monitoring?

1. Open Avast One and go to Explore ▸ Dark Web Monitoring.
2. Click Open Dark Web Monitoring, then select the Breach monitoring tab.
3. Click + Add an email.
4. Enter an email used to sign in to online accounts, then click Monitor for data breaches.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm via your email inbox that the email address is really yours, then return to Avast One and click Email is verified ▸ Done.

How do I stop monitoring an email address?

1. Open Avast One, then select Explore ▸ Dark Web Monitoring ▸ Open Dark Web Monitoring.
2. Click Open Dark Web Monitoring, then select the Breach monitoring tab.
3. Click … (three dots) next to the relevant email address, then select Remove email.
4. Click Stop protecting to confirm.

How can I protect my passwords from theft?

To prevent compromised passwords:

• Use strong passwords, including capital letters, numbers, special characters, and phrases.
• Use a different password for every account. Email passwords are the most vulnerable to theft, so these should always be unique.
• Enable two-factor authentication where possible.
• Always keep Dark Web Monitoring enabled and set up Breach monitoring.

Further recommendations

For more information about Dark Web Monitoring, refer to the following article:

• Dark Web Monitoring - Getting Started