Dark Web Protection

Question

Web Protection is off and needs to be turned on. I have an alert that the Dark Web Protection is off. Please call me at Phone number removed by Moderator when you get a chance.

Answer 1

Hi Clarence, I think you might be referring to a 3rd-party program.

Please attach a screenshot.

To attach a screenshot, see below:

 

• Press Windows key + Shift + S together on the keyboard.
• The screen will dim and the Snipping Tool overlay will appear.
• Drag the cursor to capture the required area.
• The screenshot will be copied to the clipboard. Please press Ctrl+V in the editor to paste it, then confirm to attach the image.

 

Alternatively, you can press the PrtScn key on the keyboard, if it exists, to directly copy the Entire screen, which you can paste using CTRL+V.

 

I’m eager to hear back and work together to find a solution.

Answer 2

Calls cannot be made, but the alert can be addressed directly in Microsoft Defender.

Dark web protection (also called dark web monitoring or identity theft monitoring) is part of Microsoft Defender’s identity protection features. When it is off, Defender shows an alert so that monitoring for leaked personal data is not active.

To turn it back on, use Microsoft Defender on a supported device (Windows, Android, iOS, Mac, or Defender Online):

1. Open the Microsoft Defender app or go to the Defender dashboard where the alert appears.
2. Locate the alert or card indicating that Dark Web Protection or Identity Theft Monitoring is off.
3. Follow the on-screen steps to enable monitoring. Typically this includes:
   • Confirming or setting up the identity profile.
   • Providing at least the required details (email address, full name, and date of birth) so monitoring can start.
4. Save/confirm the settings. Once enabled, Defender will monitor the dark web and public breaches for the identity assets configured and will send alerts when data is found.

If web protection is also off on an Android device and the alert refers to web protection rather than identity theft monitoring, ensure the Defender app is allowed to run in the background and is not battery-optimized so protection stays on:

• Turn off battery optimization/adaptive battery for Microsoft Defender.
• Set Defender’s app battery usage to Unrestricted (or equivalent) and allow background activity.
• Reopen Microsoft Defender and turn Web protection back on from the Device protection or Web protection alert card.

After these steps, dark web/identity monitoring and web protection should remain active and continue to generate alerts and reports when issues are detected.

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References:

• Web protection keeps turning off on my Android device
• Web protection
• Dark web monitoring in Microsoft Defender FAQ
• Getting started with identity theft monitoring in Microsoft Defender