The Dark Web: Anomaly Boon OR Anonymity Bane
- Achzah An Abraham
- Jul 9, 2021
- 3 min read
The dark web is part of the internet that isn't indexed by search engines and entails the use of an anonymizing browser called Tor to be accessed. Dark Web with its nature of its shady environments entertain lot of illegal activities and trade, like cyber-crime, hacktivism, drugs distribution, terrorism and much more. Cybercriminals pay off this space to build proprietary malware, engage in illicit trade, and exploit the vulnerabilities of public and commercial organizations.
Technology in this era had everything coming to its way, like the layers of the Internet now go far beyond the surface content that many can easily access in their daily searches.
Many may possibly intend the Internet and World Wide Web to be synonymous; well they are not. Rather, the web is one portion of the Internet, and a medium through which information may be accessed. In abstracting the web, many of us view it as consisting solely of the websites accessible through a search engine like Google or plainly the “Surface Web”—which makes only one portion of the web. The Deep Web forms the major part and refers to “a class of content on the Internet that, for various technical reasons, is not indexed by search engines,” and thus would not be accessible through a traditional search engine.
Information on the Deep Web includes content on private intranets (internal networks such as those at corporations, government agencies, or universities), commercial databases like credit card numbers, and all manner of drugs, guns, counterfeit money, stolen subscription credentials, hacked Netflix accounts and software that helps you break into other people’s computers. The dark web refers to encrypted online content that is not indexed by conventional search engines. Sometimes, the dark web is also called the dark net. The dark web is a part of the deep web, which just refers to websites that do not appear on search engines.
In 2020 from India, Cyber criminals have posted personal data of 2.9 crore job-seeking Indians on dark web for free in one of the hacking forums, according to online intelligence firm Cyble. The company had recently revealed hacking of Facebook and Sequoia-funded Indian education technology firm Unacademy. Read more at: https://cybercrime-data-leak
Each day, Billions of people access the Internet around the world for work or pleasure. What most users don’t realize is that there exists an exponentially larger, hidden “Deep Web” which has become an online hub of misconduct and illicit markets. According to researchers, the Deep Web is up to 500 times larger than the “surface web”. It is hidden from view because it requires special browsing software, called Tor, which provides users anonymity by masking their identity and location. Much of the Deep Web is harmless, with unremarkable items such as company and government databases, reading clubs, dictionaries and academic material. Other Deep Web sites provide forums in which dissidents in authoritarian countries and whistle-blowers can exchange information anonymously to each other or with news outlets.
But inside the Deep Web also exists a thriving den of criminal activity. Drugs, child pornography, weapons, explosives, military manuals, counterfeit currency, false documents, hacking-for-hire services — even freelance assassins — are among the items listed for sale, according to experts.
The anonymity of the Dark Web is not just for cybercriminals, but also for the law enforcement, military, and intelligence communities. They may, for example, use it to conduct online surveillance and sting operations and to maintain anonymous tip lines. Anonymity in the Dark Web can be used to shield officials from identification and hacking by adversaries. It can also be used to conduct a clandestine or covert computer network operation such as taking down a website or a denial of service attack, or to intercept communications. Reportedly, officials are continuously working on expanding techniques to deanonymize activity on the Dark Web and identify malicious actors online.
One can use factors of Dark Web Artificial Intelligence as a powerful way to track the threat and identify instances of fraud that can affect the security of your group.
· Gain a better understanding of the tactics, techniques, and actions (TTPs) used by threat actors.
Continually monitor your confidential information on millions of dark web pages.
Keeps your high profile information, clients and personnel from being exploited on the dark web.
Stay guarded of non-compliance fines, loss of business, and virtual theft.
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