Step Into the Dark Web My Sweet
February 27, 2018
Parents tell their children, “If you do not go looking for trouble, it will not come looking for you.” How many of us would like to believe this is true? Sometimes, without even trying, trouble finds us and we can become entangled in illegal activities. One of the benefits of the Dark Web (if there are any) is that it is very hard to stumble upon and get in trouble. The Dark Web requires a special browser, then you need to search for the Web site addresses, and most of the time those do not work. If you do get embroiled in the Dark Web, merchants of illegal goods will do their best to earn your trust and your dollars. Natuilus explains how in the article, “How Darknet Sellers Built Trust.”
There is always a risk buying online, even from reputable places like eBay and Amazon. The Dark Web, however, has a very high buyer satisfaction rate and sellers are reputable. One would think that the Dark Web would be chock full of scammers, but it is not. Before the FBI shut down the Silk Road in 2013, an illegal drug marketplace, more than 100 of drug orders the agency placed tested for high purity levels.
Reputation is everything for Dark Web sellers and their selling profiles mirror eBay and Amazon. There are even discount programs, sales, and loyalty programs; even more amazing are the sellers that appeal to buyer’s ethics by selling “organic” and “conflict-free” drugs. While Dark Web sellers have a high approval rate, it is possible that the feedback is inflated.
Social pressure encourages us to leave high scores in public forums. If you have experienced an Uber driver saying at the end of a trip, “You give me five stars, I’ll give you five stars, ” that’s tit for tat or grade inflation in action. I know I’m reluctant to give a driver a rating lower than four stars even if I have sat white-knuckled during the ride as he whizzed through lights and cut corners. Drivers risk being kicked off the Uber platform if their ratings dip below 4.6 and I don’t want to be responsible for them losing, in some instances, their livelihood. Maybe they are just having a bad day. That, and the driver knows where I live. In other words, reviews spring from a complex web of fear and hope. Whether we are using our real name or a pseudonym, we fear retaliation and also hope our niceties will be reciprocated.
Despite the “inflation,” sellers and buyers are quite happy with their illegal marketplace. It takes the place of the street dealer and there is a chain of accountability in online discussion forums. The risk factor is also taken out. It is a lot safer to have drugs delivered to a mailbox than meeting someone in a dark alley.
The Dark Web marketplace is a white collar retail experience, except the products sold, are illegal. At least they offer discounts on multiple purchases and fewer stabbings.
Whitney Grace, February 27, 2018
DarkCyber, February 27, 2018, Now Available
February 27, 2018
The DarkCyber video news program about the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services is now available. The program can be viewed at http://www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/257348721 . The program features Stephen E Arnold, author of CyberOSINT and The Dark Web Notebook.
This week’s program covers research which explains why Dark Web vendors of controlled substances offer free samples. Unlike street dealers who use samples to “hook” new users, Dark Web merchants have another goal in mind. Dark Web drug buyers can leave reviews about the quality of product and the reliability of a Dark Web vendor. The free samples are designed to cause people who post an Amazon-style recommendation about a drug market that is positive.
What motivates an individual to use the Dark Web to locate and acquire child pornography? Researchers from Australia have offered a mathematical procedure to identifying specific characteristics which help answer this question. An analysis of Dark Web traffic combined with streamlined analytic techniques yield a partial answer. Not too surprisingly, greed and desire are the fuel which contribute to the behavior.
Stephen E Arnold said:
“The development of the Tor Use Motivation Module or TMM allows more precise and rapid analysis of hidden Web data. The benefit is that identification of bad actors now consumes fewer computational resources and generates results in minutes, not days.”
DarkCyber reports that open source software can be used to obtain information from multiple Dark Web sites or probe a specific Dark Web site for intelligence. A series of informative articles with code snippets allows a person with average programming skills to conduct a Dark Web intelligence operation.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, working with the US FBI uncovered and shut down a sex trafficking service in the Peach state. A human trafficking circuit operated between Atlanta and three other Georgia cites.
About Stephen E Arnold
Stephen E Arnold is the author of “Dark Web Notebook” and “CyberOSINT: Next Generation Information Access.” He lectures at the Telestrategies ISS conferences about Dark Web and lesser known Internet security threats. His training programs for law enforcement and intelligence professionals reach hundreds of operating personnel each year and influence agent instructional programs in the US and in other countries. He provides strategic information services to clients worldwide. His services include analysis, investigation support, and training to commercial organizations and government agencies. His daily blog Beyond Search is available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress.
Kenny Toth, February 27, 2018
DarkCyber for February 20, 2018, Now Available
February 20, 2018
The February 20, 2018, DarkCyber walks through the method for de-anonymizing Bitcoin transactions. The paper, written by researchers at Qatar University, highlights information leakage in the Bitcoin blockchain implementation. The video news program is available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/256283081 .
A Dark Web customer used multiple identities to purchase Class A controlled substances via the Dark Web. Investigators were able to trace one of the bad actor’s false identities to specific personal details and arrest the individual. Aliases combined with use of the Tor browser are vulnerable to the investigative methods used by British cybercrime investigators.
LmnTrix, an Australian cyber security firm, discovered a new ransomware service called GAndCrab. What makes the service unique is that the developers impose a terms of service agreement upon individuals wishing to extort money. One example of the deal is that clients of the ransomware software developer must agree to use the software outside of Russia and other members of the Commonwealth of Independent States or have their license for the ransomware revoked. MBA thinking now informs black hat hackers.
You can view the video at this link.
Kenny Toth, February 20, 2018
Dark Web Marketplaces Under Assault
February 16, 2018
It seems to be getting more difficult to operate on the Dark Web. We learn of a couple complications from the DarkWebNews post, “Popular Darknet Markets Back Online After DDoS Attacks.” A string of DDoS attacks has been keeping Dark Web marketplaces on the defense, with several suffering severe outages. We’re told the attacks have been especially hard on the comparatively long-lived and popular Dream Market, in operation since 2013. Citing a recent report from Europol, The Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment, writer Richard explains:
[These attacks] are implemented with ease on many of the darknet markets, even when such sites have put in place restrictive measures to protect them against DDoS attacks. However, with the recent cases, there seems to be a general increase in the longevity and severity of these attacks. After the collapse of several reputable sites such as Hansa and AlphaBay, there has been a general cloud of fear in the darknet market community, which is now apparently visible on various forums including Reddit. What’s more, the recent increase in DDoS attacks has not done any good to the darknet market industry, with numerous regular users now seeking to find other alternative options. Many of these users have now turned to visiting dedicated vendor shops with others even making use of peer-to-peer possibilities, both of which eradicate the likelihood of a central failure. Nonetheless, even with the future looking uncertain for some darknet markets like Dream, the crisis seems to have opened a way for the emergence of new alternative markets with the likes of OpenBazaar taking full advantage.
OpenBazaar, by the way, is a peer-to-peer proposition. On top of those accessibility issues, the recent Bitcoin craze has complicated Dark Web users’ lives. By its nature, cryptocurrency is susceptible to congestion as more and more users attempt to complete transactions. However, the rise of several alternative “coins” (or “altcoins”) may provide some relief for the Dark Web shopper. What to do about those DDoS attacks, though, is another matter.
Cynthia Murrell, February 16, 2018
DarkCyber for February 13, 2018, Now Available
February 13, 2018
The February 13,2018, DarkCyber reports on Ecuador’s country-wide surveillance system. A new story about a Dark Web criminal case sparks a surge of interest in the Dark Web. The publicity is similar to the attention directed at Random Darknet Shopper’s exhibition of contraband purchased by a software robot from hidden Internet contraband markets. Bitcoin’s anonymization is becoming less and less anonymous. The latest innovation is the use of ad tracking technology similar to that used by Google DoubleClick to unmask users of digital currency for Dark Web purchases. Ecuador has implemented a country-wide surveillance system developed jointly by Chinese and Ecuadorian engineers. The program is also available on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/255241891.
Kenny Toth, February 13, 2018
The Dark Web Pushes Social Boundaries
February 9, 2018
When the Silk Road, the infamous dark web drug, weapon, and other illegalities emporium, was broken up the general public peered into a frightening world. Everything is for sale for the right price, even things you didn’t know were out there, as we discovered in a recent Naked Security story, “Babies’ Data Being Sold to Tax Fraudsters on the Dark Web.”
According to the story:
“Terbium Labs says that for the “relatively high price” of $312, a buyer can purchase an infant’s name, Social Security number, date of birth, and mother’s maiden name. All a thief has to do is claim a child dependent that they don’t actually have, and presto: that $312 investment turns into the maximum child tax credit of $1,000 per child.”
That is frightening news. More unsettling still is the idea that we still have no hold on this underworld. Governments are currently hacking into the dark web to try to monitor it, but the web geniuses running it are likely to stay a step ahead. This is just a reinforcement that we all must stay diligent in analog forms, like checking credit scores and scouring credit card bills for anomalies. For now, this seems like the only way for individuals to respond to the cracks in social boundaries.
Patrick Roland, February 9, 2018
DarkCyber for February 6, 2018, Now Available
February 6, 2018
The Beyond Search DarkCyber video program for January 6, 2018, is now available. You can view the program on YouTube or on Vimeo. This week’s program reveals that the go-to system for purchasing military-grade weapons is Telegram, the messaging app. Lebanon’s surveillance program has been exposed. After years of covert operation, human error allowed researchers to characterize the operation. White hat and black hat techniques were used by the Middle Eastern country. Haven, a software app attributed to Edward Snowden, promises protection from third-party access to a mobile phone. Dark Cyber tested the app and found that it could transmit data back to the app’s creator. The program also reviews some of the investigative techniques used to locate the operator of a Dark Web pornography site. In addition to analysis of Dark Web traffic, investigators matched behavioral to Surface Web sources and examined linguistic behaviors to track down users. You can view the video from the Beyond Search main page at this link.
Kenny Toth, February 6, 2018
DarkCyber for January 30, 2018, Now Available
January 30, 2018
DarkCyber for January 30, 2018, is now available at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress and on Vimeo at www.vimeo.com at https://vimeo.com/253109084.
This week’s program looks at the 4iq discovery of more than one billion user names and passwords. The collection ups the ante for stolen data. The Dark Web database contains a search system and a “how to” manual for bad actors. 4iq, a cyber intelligence specialist, used its next-generation system to locate and analyze the database.
Stephen E Arnold said:
“The technology powering 4iq combines sophisticated data acquisition with intelligent analytics. What makes 4iq’s approach interesting is that the company integrates trained intelligence analysts in its next-generation approach. The discovery of the user credentials underscores the importance of 4iq’s method and the rapidly rising stakes in online access.”
DarkCyber discusses “reputation scores” for Dark Web contraband sites. The systems emulate the functionality of Amazon and eBay-style vendor report cards.
Researchers in Germany have demonstrated one way to compromise WhatsApp secure group chat sessions. With chat and alternative communication channels becoming more useful to bad actors than Dark Web forums and Web sites, law enforcement and intelligence professionals seek ways to gather evidence.
DarkCyber points to a series of Dark Web reviews. The sites can be difficult to locate using Dark Web search systems and postings on pastesites. One of the identified Dark Web sites makes use of a hosting service in Ukraine.
About DarkCyber
DarkCyber is one of the few video news programs which presents information about the Dark Web and lesser known Internet services. The information in the program comes from research conducted for the second edition of “Dark Web Notebook” and from the information published in Beyond Search, a free Web log focused on search and online services. The blog is now in its 10th year of publication, and the backfile consists of more than 15,000 stories.
Kenny Toth, January 30, 2018
DarkCyber, January 16, 2018, Now Available
January 16, 2018
This week’s DarkCyber examines the Experian Dark Web alerting service. Based on an examination of the Digital Shadows’ Web site, that company is working with Experian to provide the Experian consumer service. Digital Shadows appears to be moving from its law enforcement and intelligence focus into a broader business to business and consumer market.
The video is available on Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/250765019 The video can be accessed via Beyond Search at www.arnoldit.com/wordpress.
The program also takes a different approach to the changes in net neutrality. DarkCyber reports that law enforcement and intelligence agencies may have wider scope for action for certain data collection methods. Companies like FinFisher allow non US customers a way to gather information using higher levels of network access.
Stephen E Arnold, publisher of the Beyond Search blog and producer of HonkinNews DarkCyber, said:
“Outside of the US certain governments are able to use the capabilities of Tier 1 and Tier 2 network providers, aided by specialized software from companies like FinFisher. With a higher level of network access, placing special software on suspected bad actors computing devices is less complicated. Changes in net neutrality in the United States may facilitate a similar capability. In order to deal with the increasingly rapid changes in technology available to bad actors, access to higher level network access can pay significant dividends for law enforcement and intelligence authorities.”
Dark Web eCommerce vendors, Stephen E Arnold reports, are now showing more interest in digital currencies with more robust obfuscation. Monero and Zcash are two currencies gaining momentum in the Dark Web. Investigators’ ability to figure out who is conducting certain digital currency transactions continues to improve.
The final story takes a look at the alleged kidnapping of a British supermodel. The alleged wrongdoer is awaiting trial in Italy, but the publicity about the alleged auctioning of the supermodel as a Dark Web sex slave remains controversial.
Check out the video at this link.
Kenny Toth, January 16, 2018
Quote to Note: Digital Currencies and Old School Swiss Bank Accounts
January 13, 2018
I noticed “Bitcoin Shouldn’t Become the New Swiss Bank Account: Mnuchin.” In my DarkCyber video program, I have mentioned the efforts of authorities to put a dog harness on digital currencies. Now I have a quote to note:
Dominant digital currency bitcoin should not be allowed to become the Swiss bank account of the modern era used to hide illicit activity, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday.
One other factoid, assuming that the write up is accurate. Cooperative pressure on digital currencies is now a reality for fans of digital currencies. What countries are on Mr. Mnuchin’s team? The G20 countries. The list includes the European Union and others. I know this is almost 50 countries, but G20 has a bit of cachet.
That “follow the money” idea is tough for governments to shake.
Stephen E Arnold, January 13, 2018
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