The internet is made of millions of websites accessible to users all over the world. Familiar internet sites include Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. Beyond regular sites and other sites available via search engines, another platform that offers anonymity is the dark web. The dark web is a section of the internet that offers anonymity and is accessible using special browsers (Weiman, 2016). The anonymity of the dark web has created an online platform where users can do almost anything. A larger percentage of crimes are committed on the dark web as users are assured about their privacy. The dark web, accessible by a special Tor browser software, has been leveraged by criminals, hackers, and governments where criminals and hackers conduct illegal activities while the government uses the platform for surveillance.
The dark web is primarily used to conduct illegal online activities. One can buy credit card information, counterfeit money, drugs, guns, and stolen subscription credentials. Faizan and Khan (2019) analyzed about 25,742 hidden services on the platform. The study showed that a larger percentage of hidden sites on the dark web provide illegal content with most of them being scam sites. The study revealed that about 5.1% of the sites are used for buying drugs, 4.7% for the distribution of adult content, and about 14.4% used for Bitcoin transactions (Faizan & Khan, 2019). The dark web is also used to conduct legitimate services such as having a chess club or book club where users prefer anonymity. Journalists who work in authoritarian regimes also use the site to smuggle important information while maintaining their privacy.
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The primary tool used to access the Dark Web is The Onion Router, also referred to as the Tor browser. The platform relies on a network of computers that redirect web traffic ensuring anonymity. A TOR-enabled browser can access any site without revealing the users’ identity (Weimann, 2016). The platform features hidden places where one cannot easily find services through a search engine. Instead, one must know the URL of a site to access it. While search engines have been developed, they have limited use.
Hackers and government agencies use the dark web. Hackers primarily use the platform to conduct various activities anonymously and to provide multiple hacking services. Hackers can undertake a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on a website in a dark web group where they steal users' credentials. For instance, in 2011, a hacktivist group known as Anonymous used a DDoS attack on Freedom Hosting, a web hosting service known as Freedom Hosting, where they stole thousands of credentials from a child abuse website and leaked the information online (Chertoff, 2017). The government also makes use of the dark web to conduct intelligence services and covert operations. The US Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) performs operations where it de-anonymizes Tor servers. However, the dark web remains a challenge for the government as thousands of illegal activities occur anonymously.
In conclusion, the dark web is a platform that offers anonymity for illegal online activities, hacking, and government surveillance. The platform is accessible through a Tor browser that hides and redirects the IP address of its users. The dark web is used to conduct illegal activities such as buying and selling credit card information, guns, drugs, and online subscription services. Hackers use it to conduct various malicious undertakings. The government has leveraged on the platform to conduct surveillance on various illegal internet organizations. The dark web still presents a big challenge for the government as many illegal activities go unnoticed. There is a need for policies that regulate and ensure the dark web's proper use to reduce crime on the platform.
References
Chertoff, M. (2017). A public policy perspective of the Dark Web. Journal of Cyber Policy , 2 (1), 26-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/23738871.2017.1298643
Faizan, M., & Khan, R. A. (2019). Exploring and analyzing the dark Web: A new alchemy. First Monday , 24 (5). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v24i5.9473
Weimann, G. (2016). Terrorist migration to the dark web. Perspectives on Terrorism , 10 (3), 40-44. https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/perspectives-on-terrorism/2016/issue-3/306-terrorist-migration-to-the-dark-web-by-gabriel-weimann.pdf
