Understanding the Dark Web: The Case of Internet Fraud (Part 1)
The internet is a multilayered system that serves several purposes. For instance, the top part, known as the Surface Web, comprises webpages that search engines like Google index. On the other side of it is the Deep Web. It includes unindexed online banking portals, private databases, and email accounts. Furthermore, the Dark Web—a section of the internet that is not open to the public, comes next. Only specialized software, such as the Tor browser, can access this part.
Because the dark web permits anonymous transactions, it serves as a refuge for cybercriminals. To better understand what the dark web is, consider the Dark Web to be an underground marketplace beneath the city. While the surface web is like the well-lit shopping malls and shops that everyone may visit, The Dark Web is like a hidden path where illegal transactions take place behind closed doors. Before entering this underground marketplace, there are no signs to direct people to the location, and admission is only allowed to those with a primary key or passcode and a guide who is familiar with the area. Once inside, you can discover anything from private clubs and rare books to illicit drugs, credit card theft, and even fake passports. This underground market or black market is comparable to the dark web in that both require the Tor browser as a means of access to engage in transactions. On the Dark Web, buyers and sellers utilize cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Monero, and Litecoin to make payments since they remain anonymous and hence make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to track their transactions.
Tor (The Onion Router) is a browser that hides online traffic by routing it through a global network of volunteer servers. Users use this browser in order to access the Dark web. By using this technique, the individual’s true IP address is hidden behind several servers, making it nearly impossible to track down and hence maintaining anonymity. In contrast to the Surface Web, which search engines like Google can index and search, Dark Web sites’ addresses end in “.onion”, making them inaccessible with ordinary browsers. Because these “.onion” websites are a part of a network that can only be accessed through Tor, they are hidden from common web crawlers and monitoring softwares.
Although the Dark Web is not generally unlawful, its private nature has both good and illegal uses. Whistleblowers, journalists, and activists use it to safely communicate under hostile governments, while cybercriminals use it for black market trading, fraud, and hacking. Silk Road and AlphaBay, two illegal darknets which have now been taken down, made it possible to sell drugs, stolen data, and hacking tools. These sites frequently used bitcoins to make transactions that were very difficult to track down.
AlphaBay is probably one of the most popular Dark Web markets, but also one of the most infamous for its illegal transactions of drug sales, arms sales, and selling of private data. It started operating in 2014 and subsequently closed in 2017. AlphaBay made between $600,000 and $800,000 every day by facilitating transactions including drugs, stolen data, and counterfeit goods on the Dark Web. Law enforcement’s efforts to track the website led to the arrest of the site’s founder, Alexandre Cazes. This shows that even the most unknown operations on the Dark Web can be broken down using tried and tested law enforcement techniques. Read the full story https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/pr/alphabay-largest-online-dark-market-shut-down.
In part two of this post, I delve into several cases of the dark web. By examining these cases, I aim to shed light on the methods employed by cybercriminals and the profound effects on individuals and the Society. In Conclusion, the hidden nature of the Dark Web creates an atmosphere that is conducive to the growth of several types of online fraud. These activities have a significant and broad impact, ranging from identity theft and data breaches to financial scams and fraudulent services.
It is important that, individuals and organizations, practice basic security measures such as using very strong passwords, updating their systems and softwares regularly and also desist from clicking unknown links on their computer or system. Most of such links contain malwares which can be used to reveal an individuals personal information and even corrupt a whole system by just a single click.
Understanding the Dark Web: The Case of Internet Fraud (Part 2).