Breachsense vs ZeroFox: Dark Web Monitoring Compared

Learn which dark web monitoring platform fits your security team’s needs.

ZeroFox and Breachsense both monitor the dark web. But they take different approaches to what they prioritize and how they surface threats.

30% of attacks start with stolen credentials according to IBM X-Force. The platform you choose depends on whether you need broad external threat coverage or deep credential intelligence.

ZeroFox offers broad digital risk protection covering brand abuse and social media threats. Breachsense goes deep on credentials and leaked documents. It also monitors criminal forums where attackers discuss selling network access.

This comparison breaks down what each platform actually does so you can pick the right fit.

What Does ZeroFox Do?

ZeroFox is a digital risk protection platform that monitors external threats across social media and the dark web.

The company went public in August 2022 and has expanded through acquisitions including Vigilante (dark web intelligence) and LookingGlass (attack surface management). ZeroFox serves large enterprises that need broad external threat coverage.

ZeroFox’s platform covers several threat categories beyond dark web monitoring:

• Brand protection against counterfeit listings and brand abuse
• Social media monitoring for impersonation and targeted attacks
• Executive protection against deepfakes and online-to-physical threats
• Domain protection to identify lookalike domains used for phishing
• Dark web monitoring for credentials and data leaks

ZeroFox Social Media Coverage

A key ZeroFox differentiator is their social media monitoring and takedown capability. Their Global Disruption Network handles brand abuse removal across social platforms in addition to malicious domains.

For organizations where social media impersonation creates business risk, this matters. ZeroFox monitors platforms that credential-focused tools don’t cover.

What Does Breachsense Do?

Breachsense monitors credentials and leaked documents. It also tracks criminal forum discussions. Rather than broad digital risk protection, it focuses on stolen credentials and the forums where attackers sell network access.

Since 30% of attacks begin with stolen credentials, this focused approach addresses a major attack vector directly.

Breachsense monitors infostealer channels where malware like RedLine and Vidar dump harvested credentials. The platform tracks ransomware gang leak sites and indexes the actual files attackers publish.

Breachsense Key Features

Full-text search on leaked files. Breachsense indexes documents from ransomware attacks and third-party breaches. You can search for your company name or customer data. If a vendor gets breached and your data is in there, you can find it.

Forum chatter monitoring. Breachsense monitors criminal forums where attackers discuss targets and sell network access. You can catch threats beyond credentials, like someone selling VPN access to your network.

API-first architecture. The dark web API provides access to all platform capabilities programmatically. Webhooks push alerts to your existing tools. Teams building products that embed credential intelligence use Breachsense as their data layer.

Session token detection. Beyond credentials, Breachsense detects session tokens that let attackers bypass MFA entirely. When malware harvests an active session cookie, the attacker doesn’t need the password at all.

Breachsense Implementation

Breachsense was built API-first. Integration with existing SIEM or ticketing systems takes hours rather than months.

Teams without dedicated threat intelligence analysts can still extract value because the platform delivers specific, actionable alerts rather than raw intelligence requiring interpretation.

How Do ZeroFox and Breachsense Compare for Dark Web Monitoring?

The platforms serve different purposes. ZeroFox provides broad digital risk protection. Breachsense goes deep on credentials and leaked documents.

Dark Web Coverage

Both platforms monitor dark web sources. The difference is depth versus breadth.

ZeroFox monitors TOR hidden services and paste sites. They also cover messaging platforms like Telegram and Discord. They use AI-driven analysis and human operatives to identify threats. The focus is detecting a wide range of risks across the digital attack surface.

Breachsense monitors infostealer channels and ransomware leak sites. It also covers criminal forums and paste sites. The focus is specifically on credentials and leaked data with deep coverage of stealer log sources.

ZeroFox covers more threat categories. Breachsense focuses specifically on credentials and leaked data.

Full-Text Search on Leaked Documents

This is where the platforms diverge.

ZeroFox detects data leaks and alerts you when your organization appears in breach data. Their platform focuses on detection and remediation workflows.

Breachsense indexes the actual documents from ransomware attacks. You can search for your company name or customer data in leaked files. This matters for third-party risk. When a vendor gets hit with ransomware, your contracts might be in that dump.

Takedown Capabilities

ZeroFox handles takedowns for malicious domains and social media brand abuse.

Breachsense handles takedowns for phishing domains and sites hosting leaked data.

Who Uses Each Platform?

The platforms attract different buyers based on organizational needs.

Typical ZeroFox Customers

Large enterprises with brand exposure. Companies where brand impersonation or social media attacks create business risk. ZeroFox’s broad coverage addresses these threats.

Organizations needing social media takedowns. When brand abuse on social platforms requires removal, ZeroFox handles this in-house. Companies facing ongoing impersonation campaigns on social media benefit from integrated takedowns.

Security teams protecting executives. ZeroFox monitors for executive impersonation and deepfakes. Verizon’s DBIR shows social engineering remains a top attack vector.

Companies with dedicated SOC teams. ZeroFox provides analyst-vetted alerts designed for security operations workflows. Organizations with full-time SOC staff can act on the intelligence effectively.

Typical Breachsense Customers

Security teams focused on credential-based attacks. Organizations where account takeover and unauthorized access represent the primary threat vector. Breachsense addresses this directly.

Companies monitoring third-party risk. When vendor breaches could expose your data, full-text search on leaked documents lets you find your company in ransomware dumps.

MSSPs and security vendors. The API-first architecture lets providers embed credential intelligence into their own products and client dashboards.

Organizations without dedicated SOC teams. Teams that need actionable alerts rather than raw intelligence requiring interpretation. Breachsense delivers specific findings that security teams can act on directly.

When Should You Choose ZeroFox?

ZeroFox fits when:

You need brand protection and social media monitoring. If brand impersonation or social media attacks create business risk, ZeroFox covers these threat categories. Breachsense doesn’t monitor social media.

Social media takedowns are critical. When brand abuse on social platforms needs removal, ZeroFox handles this in-house. Their Global Disruption Network covers social media in addition to malicious domains.

You’re protecting executives from online threats. ZeroFox monitors for executive impersonation and deepfakes. This specialized protection isn’t part of credential monitoring platforms.

You want broad digital risk coverage. ZeroFox aggregates signals across social media and the dark web. The breadth is the value proposition.

When Should You Choose Breachsense?

Breachsense fits when:

You need to search leaked documents, not just detect them. When a vendor gets breached and your data is in those files, you can search for it. This matters for third-party risk monitoring.

You want real-time stealer log monitoring. Breachsense monitors infostealer channels where credentials are dumped. Session tokens that bypass MFA are detected alongside passwords.

You want early warning from forum chatter. Attackers discuss targets and sell network access before launching attacks. Catching these discussions gives you time to respond.

Credential exposure is your primary attack vector. If stolen credentials represent your biggest risk, Breachsense addresses that problem directly with focused monitoring.

You’re building a product that embeds credential intelligence. The REST API lets you pipe data directly into your product or workflows.

Can You Use Both Platforms Together?

Yes. The platforms serve different purposes with limited overlap.

A practical combination:

• ZeroFox for brand protection and social media monitoring
• Breachsense for deep credential monitoring and leaked document search

This approach provides broad external threat coverage through ZeroFox and focused credential intelligence from Breachsense.

The question is whether the combined cost and complexity justify the value. For organizations facing both brand threats and credential-based attacks, the combination makes sense. For teams primarily concerned with one threat category or the other, a single focused platform may be sufficient.

Conclusion

ZeroFox and Breachsense serve different purposes in the broader external threat monitoring market.

Key differences:

• ZeroFox provides broad digital risk protection including brand and social media monitoring
• Breachsense goes deep on credentials and leaked documents with full-text search capability
• ZeroFox includes social media takedowns through their Global Disruption Network
• Breachsense is API-first with real-time stealer log monitoring

Choose ZeroFox if you need brand protection or social media monitoring. It works best for organizations facing impersonation campaigns on social platforms.

Choose Breachsense if you need to search leaked documents or want focused credential intelligence.

Want to see what’s exposed? Check your dark web exposure or book a demo to see how Breachsense’s full-text search works.