Dark Web thrives despite Operation Onymous

There is a part of the web that is still hidden from the majority of the Internet users, a so-called dark web that cannot be found by conventional search engines or accessed by standard browsers.

Parts of the dark web reside on the Tor network, which, thanks to its nigh untraceable user anonymity, is a fertile breeding ground for cyber-criminals and illicit dealings. It is the ideal environment for an online illegal goods black market that sells everything from drugs and weapons to hitmen and hacking attacks for hire.

The dark web is a section of the Internet that is not indexed by search engines such as Google and not easily navigated to using a standard web browser.

Accessing the dark web requires specialised knowledge and software tools. An example of this is content that only accessible by using the Tor software and anonymity network, which while protecting privacy, can be associated with illicit activities.

These specialised black markets are flourishing in this nefarious corner of the Internet; criminals are developing points of aggregation where buyers and sellers can operate in anonymity and benefit from escrow services offered by the operators.

Names such as Silk Road (and its successor, Silk Road 2.0), BlueSky Marketplace, Pandora Marketplace, Tor Bazaar Alpha and Cannabis Road have become hugely popular in the criminal ecosystem.

Law enforcement and judicial agencies worldwide have coordinated their efforts against illicit dark web markets on the Tor network. An impressive FBI bust on 5 and 6 November, dubbed Operation Onymous, saw the closure of hundreds of websites operating on the Tor network. Its key achievement was the seizure of the black market Silk Road 2.0 and the arrest of its alleged manager, Blake Benthall.

Operation Onymous certainly had a significant impact, with well-known sites shut and levels of online illicit deals decreasing. However, security experts observed a rapid response from the criminal underground to the pressure exerted by law enforcement.

Data provided by the non-profit Digital Citizens Alliance Security suggests Onymous shifted the balance in favour of new and surviving black markets, which have now gained market share.
The criminal underground is also demonstrating significant capability to restore illegal activities by building new services. Through its monitoring, Digital Citizens claims it was tracking 18 dark networks at the time of the Onymous crackdown. That number was reduced to seven after Onymous but since then, five new sites have popped up to fill the void.

There are more threats to contend with than just the black markets. The dark web is an ideal environment for the spread of child porn and harbours botnets designed to steal credit card data.

Anonymising networks, and in particular the Tor network, are a powerful instrument in the arsenal of cyber-criminals to conduct illegal activities, such as the takeover of bank accounts. A US Treasury Department report states that the majority of bank account takeovers by cyber-criminals affecting organisations over the past decade exploited the anonymising Tor network.

Bad actors will explore even more the dark web to hide their identity and increase their business opportunities. This requires a significant effort from enforcers and private security firms: hacking techniques used to de-anonymise users have to be integrated with meticulous intelligence activities to infiltrate the principal criminal crews and identify their main operators on the dark web.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/guns-drugs-hitmen-child-porn-dark-web-thrives

« FBI briefed on alternate Sony hack theory
Sony has a $60 million Cyber Insurance policy »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Check Point

Directory of Suppliers

TÜV SÜD Academy UK

TÜV SÜD Academy UK

TÜV SÜD offers expert-led cybersecurity training to help organisations safeguard their operations and data.

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout enables cyber security professionals to reduce cyber risk to their organization with proactive security solutions, providing immediate improvement in security posture and ROI.

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

Alvacomm

Alvacomm

Alvacomm offers holistic VIP cybersecurity services, providing comprehensive protection against cyber threats. Our solutions include risk assessment, threat detection, incident response.

NordLayer

NordLayer

NordLayer is an adaptive network access security solution for modern businesses — from the world’s most trusted cybersecurity brand, Nord Security. 

Identiv

Identiv

Identiv is a global security technology company that establishes trust in the connected world, including premises, information and everyday items.

National Cyber Directorate Israel

National Cyber Directorate Israel

The Israeli National Cyber Directorate provides incident handling services for civilian entities and critical infrastructures and works to increase national resilience against cyber threats.

Khipu Networks

Khipu Networks

Khipu Networks is an award winning Cyber Security Company delivering a wide range of network, wireless and security solutions, technologies and services across multiple sectors.

Riverside Research

Riverside Research

Riverside Research is a not-for-profit organization chartered to advance scientific research in areas including Trusted & Resilient Systems.

miniOrange

miniOrange

miniOrange is a cloud and on-premise based identity and access management (IAM) solution provider.

Department of Justice - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS)

Department of Justice - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS)

The Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) is responsible for implementing the Department's national strategies in combating computer and intellectual property crimes worldwide.

InnoValor

InnoValor

InnoValor realises value from digital innovation for organisations and government. We provide advisory services and develop innovative software solutions, based on our background in research.

Asia Data Destruction (ADD)

Asia Data Destruction (ADD)

ADD is the leading IT Assets Disposal and Data Destruction Company in Thailand.

Vigilant Technology Solutions

Vigilant Technology Solutions

Vigilant is a global cyber security technology company offering solutions to manage entire IT & cyber security lifecycles.

Control System Cyber Security Association International (CS2AI)

Control System Cyber Security Association International (CS2AI)

CS2AI is the premier global not for profit workforce development organization supporting professionals of all levels charged with securing control systems.

Sourcepass

Sourcepass

Sourcepass is an IT consulting company that focuses on providing expert IT services, cloud computing solutions, cybersecurity services, website, and application development.

Censinet

Censinet

Censinet provides the first and only third-party risk management platform for healthcare organizations to manage the threats to patient care that exist within an expanding ecosystem.

Sitehop

Sitehop

Sitehop is a cybersecurity technology company developing and supplying FPGA hardware-enforced cyber security solutions for networks.

Circle Security

Circle Security

Circle’s breakthrough security API unifies solutions for identity and data security into one architecture and empowers organizations to secure their identity, data and privacy in their applications.

Cyviation

Cyviation

Cyviation's mission is to mitigate ever-growing and menacing Cyber Security threats, focusing on aircraft, airlines and airports.

Cynch Security

Cynch Security

Cynch Security are passionate about building a world where every business is resilient to cybersecurity risks, no matter what their size.