The internet enables anonymity and layering between the surface web, which most users browse, and the dark web, which is less accessible. The latter enables various kinds of black-market trading, illegal selling and criminal activity via hidden websites and private networks.

The dark web can be found through The Onion Router (TOR), an open-source software that encrypts users’ data and provides a more private browsing route. Taking the name ‘onion’ from its multi-layered protection of data, TOR makes it harder to trace a users’ activity or location and can enable anonymous online communication.

The dark web is said to be considerably bigger than the mainstream web that most people use. Think of the web as an iceberg, with a huge amount of information above the water in plain sight, but even more hidden in the murky depths below. Yet, for the most part, it remains a mystery, even to law enforcement.

However, illegal operations running through the dark web have been revealed and shut down in the past. For instance, in January 2021, a worldwide illegal marketplace was found and its operations stopped. ‘DarkMarket’ was a selling place for various illegal merchandise, including drugs, malware and stolen credit card details. The marketplace was only available to dark web users for the purpose of ensuring identities remained hidden, but the efforts of international law enforcement agencies eventually were able to infiltrate it and take the site down.

Nevertheless, this hidden part of the internet is still at large, as criminals take advantage of law enforcement’s lack of knowledge surrounding it. As internet service providers cannot directly observe web traffic on the dark web, it is extremely difficult to locate its online criminals, as opposed to crime or fraud that takes place on the surface web.

Further examples of the illegal activity on the dark web include:

• Black markets selling weapons and drugs
• Gambling
• Illicit pornography
• Hacking groups and services
• Scams
• Malware and ransomware.

Users of the dark web have now started to exchange money using cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, meaning they can implement further anonymity when conducting purchases. However, the users are also unsafe to potential scams within the dark web itself. Some black markets are advertised using false URLs and users can expect to be exposed to malware including phishing (fraudulent messages that invite malware into a users’ device to steal their data), botnets (a chain of internet-connected devices that are infected with malware) and keylogging (covertly recording the strokes on a keyboard to hack the users’ device).

Some services are false, for instance the option to hire a hitman or buy a certain weapon might just be a scam. Phishing can lead to identity theft or extortion, which is difficult to protect yourself against unless browsing using fake information. Users often create throw-away accounts with fake emails, usernames and bank details in order to protect their identity. They might also install antivirus protection against malicious malware and avoid downloading files from the dark web, unless scanning software is in place to protect against infection.

A Case Study

In 2011, Silk Road was founded and put up on the dark web as an online marketplace that allowed users to obtain illegal drugs. Silk Road used Bitcoin and, being on the dark web, was able to remain undetected or face government regulations.

Silk Road enabled over 1 million transactions over a couple of years, but in October 2013, after international appeal and long-term investigation followed by infiltration, it was finally taken down.

The fact the site was operational for almost 3 years is owed to the anonymity of the dark web, where, it appears, you can say what you want and do what you want. The nature of its privacy and the restricted control of authorities over user behaviour makes it a safe space to speak out, increasing its popularity amongst civil liberties groups and activists that seek to shield their identity. Many journalists, aid workers and whistleblowers use it as a platform for free speech; communities form within the dark web, outside of its criminal activity networks. For people living in countries that deny them the right of free speech, the dark web is a platform that offers exactly that, with the security of knowing that they cannot be easily traced.

Law enforcement is able to infiltrate the dark web, however, as shown in the case of Silk Road. Authorities can often source the cause of security breaches or cyber fraud by conducting long-term investigations into the dark web, meaning that despite its anonymity, it is only a matter of time before online criminals are brought to justice. Other organisations, such as media companies, might also use it to browse for whistleblower activity for news stories.

This ‘dark’ side of the internet is a double-sided coin, enabling both positive and negative online activity, most of which would not be permitted on the parts of the internet the majority of us know.