The Dark Web

Out of sight of the general public and not found in Google, lies the Dark Web: a collection of networks that offer a form of anonymity and where hidden services, like communication channels, trading places, free havens and communities have emerged. Places where users can meet without having to reveal their identity.

It is no surprise that the Dark Web is attractive to criminals. We see forums where child sexual abuse material (CSAM) is shared on a large scale, marketplaces where weapons, drugs, leaked credentials and stolen personal information are traded, hacking communities that discuss the latest ransomware toolkits and extremism forums where the next terrorist attack is planned.

Creating a solid information position on the Dark Web is a challenge. Not only due to the anonymous nature of the underlaying networks (Darknets like Tor, Zeronet and I2P) and the level of operational security (OpSec) of some actors, but also because of the dynamics of the hidden services that are notoriously unstable and volatile, they move around to new locations and platforms, sometimes on a daily basis.

What’s more, the Dark Web is not an isolated part of the Web. It has its tentacles to other parts of the internet, for example: CSAM videos that are discussed on Dark Web forums, are hosted at clear web image hosting services, vendors that offer their drugs on Dark Web markets, advertise on Telegram and payments are made via the public Bitcoin blockchain.

Web-IQ created DarkCloud. The OSINT Solution for accessing and investigating Dark Web data safely and forensically.