Dark Web flourishes despite recent crackdowns

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Michael Edgar

26 July 2023, 01.02pm

In just the past few months, marketplaces like Monopoly Market and Genesis have been shut down, leading to hundreds of arrests, millions seized in cash and crypto.

New research from Privacy Affairs’ Dark Web Price Index 2023 shows that this had little effect on the supply of illicit goods on the dark web. “New websites and forums were created nearly overnight and very quickly filled the gap left by the sites taken down by authorities,” they said.

They came to this conclusion by researching the supply and price of various goods over the past three years. The findings show that sales volume experienced no long-term decrease, while prices dropped significantly. For example, 50 hacked PayPal account logins cost $120 (£92), down £23 from last year.

This led to the conclusion that the supply chain was burgeoning in the midst of the dark web market takedowns.

The large market takedowns did shift the operations of the dark web. In 2020 to 2022, large markets like ToRReZ and the new AlphaBay led the underground. In the wake of their shutdowns, several smaller sites took their place.

This new strategy bodes well for cybercriminals as it helps them evade law enforcement by being able to operate without drawing too much attention, and the ability to wipe any evidence quickly. New sites are adversities on a number of discussion forums and Telegram channels.

Down in price across the board this year was malware, which can be used to hijacked computers, enabling bad actors to glean information to be later used as bargaining tools for ransom. The price of premium quality malware has fallen £774 in the past year, now worth only around £3,400.

The research also revealed the more popular items for dark web retailers, with particular interest around payment processing services. This is largely due to more people buying legitimate goods and services online, opening up their information to be breached.

The only category on the dark web that experienced significant increases in prices were cryptocurrency accounts. This is due to the stagnation in crypto prices over the past 12 months, resulting in less demand from mainstream buyers. Privacy affairs predicts that prices are expected to decrease if the price of crypto were to increase again.

“The increasing availability of personal information on the Dark Web results in lower costs—and consequently, a higher likelihood—that your accounts will be compromised,” reads the report.

Also down in prices are scans of documents like passports and driver’s license. For example, the price of a Minnesota driver’s license dropped from £116 to £17 in the last year. Criminals would use this to impersonate people on the internet and open online accounts in their names.

Forged documents, which are the most expensive item on the dark web, have also seen a small drop in price overall. Passports from Poland, Netherlands, Lithuania, France and the European Union have all dropped in price from last year, where most US state IDs have risen.

Protecting yourself

To deter intruders from accessing your private accounts and banking details, Privacy Affairs suggests the following action:

“By adopting a few straightforward rules and habits, you can make it more difficult for hackers to access your data and remove yourself from their line of sight,” writes Privacy Affairs CEO Miklos Zoltan in his blog post.

“This not only helps protect your identity but also contributes to your overall cybersecurity in the digital age.”

Michael Edgar

Staff Writer, DIGIT

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