The darknet provides privacy-minded users with access to a range of resources and tools; however, criminal elements have used it for illicit activities such as data breaches, ransomware distribution and hacking as a service.

Even with frequent law enforcement takedowns and exit scams, the darknet ecosystem remains active. Marketplaces provide products like drugs and chemicals as well as counterfeit documents, stolen credit card login credentials and hacking tools as well as hacking tools and malware for sale on darknet markets.

Anonymity

Darknet sites differ significantly from standard internet access in that they require special software to access. Darknet networks are encrypted, and URLs look more like strings of seemingly random letters rather than the more conventional “www.domainname.com” address used on the surface web.

Darknet users include criminals, hackers and ordinary individuals with an acute desire for privacy. By employing various techniques they engage in illicit transactions ranging from selling firearms and drugs, hacking passwords for credit card accounts, illegal images/videos of children or fake ID cards.

Some darknet marketplaces employ reputation and trust systems to monitor the quality of goods available; others don’t. Scams are common; buyers may encounter upsetting or disturbing content which causes emotional distress; these risks necessitate that cybersecurity teams understand how the darknet operates and develop effective strategies to mitigate its risks – for instance by training officers across departments and jurisdictions and sharing information between departments and jurisdictions.

Marketplaces

Illicit Darknet marketplaces resemble online stores in that they sell goods and services ranging from drugs and stolen identities, credit card data and cybercrime tools. Operating over Tor networks and typically paying with cryptocurrency, law enforcement has made significant strides toward shutting these marketplaces down; one notable success being Hydra Market’s takedown by German authorities with international support in 2023.

Fresh Tools Market, another prominent marketplace, sells tools and data threat actors can use to hack into different mobile devices and services, compromised account credentials, VPN services and illicit digital products such as VPN services and illicit VPN products. Accepting both Bitcoin and Monero cryptocurrency payments while operating over Tor network provides user-friendly interface, simple escrow purchasing and responsive customer support as well as up-to-date data sets making this marketplace attractive to hackers and offering robust search functionality to quickly locate items of interest.

Cryptocurrencies

Criminals using darknet marketplaces to purchase cryptocurrency offer themselves an extra level of anonymity with encrypted transactions, making it more difficult for law enforcement agencies to trace where funds originated from. Furthermore, cryptocurrency is decentralized and not subject to government regulations – an attractive feature for darknet markets.

Cryptocurrencies serve two functions for illicit transactions and proceeds of illegal activity – they facilitate illicit transactions as well as store them. Bitcoin is the favorite cryptocurrency used on many darknet markets and stolen passwords and compromised information like credit card details may also be sold there.

Monero has become popular on darknet marketplaces due to its enhanced anonymity by masking sender addresses and concealing transaction values. Although often associated with illicit activities such as drugs trafficking, arms trading, money laundering or activist-supported causes on its networks, darknet can also serve as an avenue for sharing work by activists living under oppressive regimes who use this channel for support and advocacy purposes.

Security

While the surface web consists of websites searchable through search engines, the dark net consists of layers designed to remain hidden from view. Users require special tools — such as Tor browser and the Invisible Internet Project (I2P) network — in order to gain entry.

Malicious actors utilize the dark web to commit data breaches and cyberattacks that result in stolen credentials, digital identity theft, ransomware infections, and other threats to IT professionals’ systems and company data. Therefore, IT professionals must develop a policy of regularly scanning dark web searches for leaked company data or breached credentials.

Threats against IT professionals also include phishing attacks and social engineering tactics designed to lure individuals into divulging confidential data. To combat such leakage, IT professionals can utilise SentinelOne’s agentless CNAPP for cloud workload telemetry recording as well as performing automated responses that mitigate vulnerabilities and minimize risk exposures.