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Are you aware about the Dark Web?

One aspect of the Internet you might need to be aware of is the dark web. Published on September 18, 2023 by Ani Petrosyan. As of January 2023, 7 out of 10 adults in a few selected nations worldwide were unaware of how the dark web operated.

Because the dark web is so opaque, you may access stuff that conventional web browsers cannot display and that search engines have yet to begin indexing. Additionally, a Tor browser is the only way to access it.

Who then utilizes it?

Whistleblowers, the media, the intelligence community, and individuals looking for a guarantee that their Internet usage won’t be censored or tracked all utilize the dark web. But as the name suggests, there is a darker side to this more reclusive Internet area, full of threats and illicit behavior.

In this blog post, we’ll examine patterns and data from the dark web to understand better what happens there. We’ll also explore the kinds of illegal activities it attracts and discuss ways to guard your information and yourself from breaches and other dark web threats.

 

Facts about the dark web

Let us examine some of the most important figures and patterns that depict the current state of the dark web, including its growth rate and the nations where most of its activity occurs.

Although the dark web is thought to make up a significantly lesser portion than the deep web, it makes up 96% of the Internet.

• In 2023, the dark web had an average of around 2.5 million daily visits. However, the number increased as time passed, reaching an average of 2.7 million daily users in April 2023.
• Germany surpassed the United States in daily Tor users in 2023 for the first time in many years. The United States is ranked second, behind Finland, India, and Russia.
• As of 2020, the dark web had content linked to narcotics, violent platforms, extremist websites, illicit markets, and forums for cybercrime, making up about 57% of its unlawful content.
• As of April 2023, the most profitable illicit digital goods that can be purchased on the dark web are e-wallets, online banking, and cryptocurrency accounts.
• With an average cost of $9.44 million per data breach, the United States presently holds the top spot.
• On the dark web, there is a booming market for DDoS and virus assaults. For $1,800, a cyberthief may purchase 1,000 threat installations.
• The amount of money lost to ransomware-related cryptocurrency crimes on the dark web increased by around $176 million in 2023 compared to 2022.
• The number of worldwide cyberattacks increased by 38% in 2022 over 2021.

 

Dark Web user demographics

Accessing user data on the dark net might be challenging due to its inherent nature. Nonetheless, a Cornell University poll from 2019 produced some intriguing data:

• Just 9.4% of dark web users identify as female, compared to 84.7% of male users.
• Of the users, 23.5 percent were between the ages of 36 and 45, 11.8 percent were between the ages of 18 and 25, and 5.9 percent were between the ages of 46 and 55.

The sorts of individuals it draws, as well as the dark web, are continually changing. These evil-doers, ID Agent claims, were recently seen prowling the dark web corridors.

• Malicious workers handling confidential data, including passwords.
• Ransomware organizations are examples of cybercrime gangs that enlist new members into their networks.
• Hacktivists release information from institutions or governments that they disagree with politically or ethically.
• First-access brokers offer access to hacked networks for sale.
• Organizations classified as Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) and Nation-State threat actors carry out actions to damage other nations or provide funding for them.

Dark web marketplaces

Eight thousand four hundred active dark web domains were discovered by Recorded Future in 2019. Daily, dozens of goods and services are sold on dark web forums. The following are a few of the most well-liked offerings:

Accounts validated by cryptocurrency: These Bitcoin accounts are frequently used for illegal operations, including money laundering.

Bulk credit card numbers: Bulk credit cards are frequently offered at a lower price. Cybercriminals want to use discounts to drive more traffic and attention, much like traditional marketers do. Cybercriminals may purchase credit card information with a $5,000 value for about $110 as of April 2023.

Employee login credentials: These stolen credentials include phone numbers, email addresses, employee numbers, addresses, and company names.

Details on the meeting and Zoom account: These connections, containing names, host keys, email addresses, passwords, and meeting IDs, are up for auction.

Passports and fake identities: Identity theft and fraud are committed by criminals using these counterfeit papers. The drug market on the dark web is well-known, offering a wide range of illegal drugs for sale.

Several prominent dark web markets have been shut down, such as Hydra Market (which shuttered in 2022), AlphaBay (which was taken down in 2017), and Silk Road (which collapsed in 2013). Law enforcement organizations try to shut down these illicit markets, but new ones keep appearing on the dark web. Popular dark web markets as of early 2024 are InTheBox, Genesis Market, and 2Easy. It is challenging for authorities to find the owners and operators of these websites due to the anonymity of the dark web.

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Examining dark web threats in detail

Hackers employ advanced approaches on the dark web to break security and compromise data.

1. Malware attacks: Any software intended to damage or abuse a computer system is known as malware. Dark web hackers frequently use malware, including trojan horses, ransomware, and keyloggers, to steal private data and inflict harm.
2. DDoS attacks: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks flood a target’s network or system with so much traffic that it becomes unavailable to users. Botnets are a standard tool dark web hackers use to launch DDoS assaults, which disrupt their targets and cost money.
3. Social engineering: Hackers use human weaknesses as an opening to coerce victims into disclosing personal information or provide them access to areas they shouldn’t be allowed. Dark web social engineering attack strategies include:

• Phishing emails
• Phone calls
• Pretexting
• Baiting
• Social media messages

Credential-Based Attacks: Credential-based attackers use faked or stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to systems and data. These assaults are especially risky because they may bypass many established security procedures, allowing attackers to pretend to be authorized users and take advantage of internal systems.

Dark Web Trend Outlook for 2024

The dark web is here to stay. Therefore, you should educate yourself on what to anticipate to protect yourself online. Today’s most dangerous cyber dangers are not the same as they were or will be in the Future.

 

The Future of the Dark Web

Cybercriminals have continued to develop their strategies throughout the years, even as dark web trends have experienced tremendous evolution. According to an HP Wolf Security research, the dark web is expected to face the following challenges in 2022:

• Hackers will launch more effective attacks: We’ve already begun to observe this. The dissection of cybercrime into recurring, sequential operations has increased prospects for enhanced automation and efficiency. Dark web hackers are expected to become more prevalent as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes available to automate post-exploration tasks like selecting targets from a victim’s contact list.
• More specialized and focused intrusions: Hackers will keep employing APT strategies, such as gaining persistent access to networks and extending their time spent on target surveys, to extract more value from incursions.
• Attacks could cause considerably more significant harm: As companies adopt digital transformation and incorporate IoT, assaults will probably take advantage of the increased attack surfaces that arise. In industries where IoT devices are essential, we can witness increased extortion tactics that use the fear of data loss.

Regrettably, hackers may network and work together on the dark web by exchanging strategies and information about data breaches and being inspired by one another. This may lead to the future development of more sophisticated assault techniques.

 

Individuals and businesses affected by dark web trend

As businesses depend increasingly on digital platforms, cybersecurity is crucial to every individual’s or company’s plan. Since the threat environment is constantly changing, people and companies must engage in approved cybersecurity procedures to identify vulnerabilities and data breaches early on and stop criminal actors from taking advantage of them.

 

Don’t become the following dark web statistic: Protect yourself.

If the statistics and trends about the dark web mentioned above have scared you off, there’s no reason to be concerned. However, that does not imply that you can do nothing about it. If you adhere to the advice and suggestions in this blog article, you’ll be in a considerably stronger position than most to protect yourself against dark web crimes.

Additionally, stay current on any new advice on defending yourself from cybercrime on the dark web. This will help you stay aware of the most popular methods hackers employ at any given time.

Use Protegent Total Security for enhanced security. Protegent will assist in securely removing your identity and digital assets from the dark web. The protection will cover all your devices, so you can browse and communicate without worrying about stolen data. Give your system the security it needs by utilizing Protegent Total Security.