Introduction
- The darknet refers to encrypted networks on the Internet that are not indexed by search engines such as, Yahoo, Google, or Bing. It is a layer of the Internet accessible only by using special software like I2P (Invisible Internet Project) or Tor (The Onion Router),
- These are networks that are only available to a selected group of people and not to the general Internet public, and it is only accessible via authorization, specific software, and configurations.
- This includes professional places such as corporate sites and academic databases, to areas with shadier subjects such as fetish communities, black markets, and piracy and hacking.
- The terms "dark web" and "dark net" are commonly used interchangeably but have subtle differences in their meaning. Dark net is a network built over the Internet and a dark web refers to websites on a darknet.
Dark Net, Deep Web and Surface Web
- "Dark net" is often confused with "deep web." The deep web refers to unindexed sites which are unsearchable, and mostly those sites are protected by passwords.
- Part of the WWW (World Wide Web) which is not indexed by a search engine like Yahoo, Google is Deep Web and it about 500 times larger than the surface web.
- Surface Web - It is also called the Indexed Web, Visible Web, Indexable Web, or Lightnet. It is that portion of the World Wide Web that is easily available to the public and can be searched with standard web search engines. It is the reverse of the deep web. It only constitutes 5-6% of the whole web.
Possible Uses of DarkNet
- To avoid Censorship: Individuals within closed circles and facing extreme censorship can use the dark net to communicate with others outside of the normal reach.
- Secrecy and Anonymity: Even individuals within open societies may have an interest in using the darknet, as concerns about government interference and data collection continue to grow worldwide.
- Useful for journalists and whistleblowers to maintain secrecy in communication and leaking and transferring information.
Concerns Regarding Darknet
- Facilitates Illegal Activities: A large portion of the activity that takes place on the dark net is illegal. The dark net offers a level of identity security that is not possible in the surface net.
- Dark net is virtually equivalent to a black market.
- Criminals who are trying to protect their identities in order to evade capture and detection are drawn to this aspect of the dark net. For that reason, it's unsurprising that a number of notable data breaches and hacks have been associated with the dark net in some way or another.
- The relative impermeability of dark net has made it a major haven for drug dealers, terrorists, financial offenders, arms traffickers, child pornography collectors, and other criminals involved in financial and physical crimes so much so that one can buy anything from prohibited wild animals to illegal weapons to any kind of narcotic substances, provided the potential buyer finds the right website on the dark net.
- One of the most popular examples of a dark network was the Silk Road marketplace. Silk Road was a website used for the selling and buying of a variety of illegal items, including weapons and recreational drugs. Although it was closed by government authorities way back in 2013, it has formed a number of copycat markets.
- Used by revolutionaries and Activists to organize themselves without fear of giving away their position to governments they oppose.
- Terrorists use dark net to provide information to other terrorists, to radicalize and recruit and, raise funds, spread propaganda, and to coordinate actions and attacks.
- Terrorists also utilize the dark net for the illegal purchase of weapons and explosives, using virtual currencies like Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies.
- Security experts are claiming that hackers and fraudsters have started offering access to ICS and SCADA systems through discussion forums on the dark web, which is compromising with vital infrastructure networks across the world.
- SCADA systems are used to run facilities like oil refineries, nuclear power stations, and chemical plants, so if cyber-criminals gained access to major networks, then the consequences could be harmful.
Future Possibilities
- As the importance of cryptocurrencies is increasing in the financial world, it is possible that dark nets will become more of a regular feature for Internet users in the future.
- They may also still continue to provide criminals with a means of eluding capture, although true anonymity is never guaranteed, even when using encryption of the type found in these networks.
- Governments across the world should strengthen their Framework of Cybersecurity Policies to deal with the possible threats posed by dark net. They must cooperate with each other regarding the security of Cyberspaces worldwide through information, intelligence, technology, and expertise sharing.
- India should invest enough in training, research and development, and capacity building of personnel in the field of Cybersecurity.
- Kerala Police Department has established, Cyberdome, a cyber facility dedicated to prevent cybercrime and mitigate cybersecurity threats to the State’s strategic information infrastructure. It is a step in the right direction, and other concerned authorities across the nation can learn from it.
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