The dark web is a place on the internet where any person can be anyone they want. It is a place of pure anonymity, one that the most secure systems can’t rival in the world. It is a place where even good can exist, but sadly most people abuse this power.
It is undeniable that the dark web has its own share of good things going for it. For example, journalists who try to fight for the truth or spread the truth of a corrupted regime can find comfort in the dark web’s anonymity. Unfortunately, however, this is the same reason why many exploit the dark web for their own selfish goals.
The Dark Web Offers Pure Anonymity
It’s hard to keep track of what is going on on the dark web. However, no government entity can breach it as people who use it have their tracks covered by supreme systems that govern the dark web. This is both a good thing and a bad thing.
Studies have shown that anonymity plays a big role in cybercrime. It is both a safety net and a reinforcer of the behavior. It creates a feedback loop for people who use it, and its implementation is more than just for safety. It’s for equality in the dark web.
The main reinforcer of this anonymity is that no person is traceable. However, it’s not the only reason. There is also the lack of shame and guilt, two essential emotions that stops people from doing criminal activities. Furthermore, anonymity means that criminal communities can exist in harmony simply because anonymity comes in both ways.
Unregulated Transactions
If we talk about the laws regulating transactions on the dark web, there aren’t any. It can certainly be tough to track and find the bad guys who do things, simply because the rules on the internet don’t exist in the dark web. For example, FCA record-keeping rules are important in keeping businesses transactions regulated on the internet. However, the dark web does not follow such rules.
Unregulated transactions create an ecosystem where people can sell and buy unregulated products. The products can be hard to trace, and it will be near impossible to find the supplier. However, some people have ethical considerations that they follow. These people are few and far between, but they do exist on the dark web.
Taking Down the Bad Guys
Most criminal activities on the dark web are unregulated and untraceable, so how do they exactly catch the bad guys? Well, the ways may shock you since they aren’t ethical in any shape or form.
Ethical Hacking
Ethical hacking is one way law enforcement track certain business transactions on the dark web. People who might sell harmful drugs or weaponry still have a presence on the dark web. It’s just that presence is limited and protected by layers upon layers of advanced security. Hackers can then access that needed information during that limited amount of time if they are experienced enough. Hackers who help law enforcement and companies to increase their security or find hackers that might be causing harm on the internet.
The process of ethical hacking can catch a couple of bad guys on the dark web. However, it isn’t enough.
Moles
Undercover agents are the widely used tactic by law enforcement to physically catch criminals on the dark web. It’s effective but not as efficient as ethical hacking. Some undercover agents can pose as buyers, while some can join a criminal group on the dark web. The payoff for this tactic requires a lot of time, but it can take down certain criminal groups from top to bottom when done properly.
Information-Sharing
Last on this list is information sharing. As we have stated earlier, good and ethical people on the dark web want to make an honest living. Some of these people are willing to share information regarding criminal organizations that have been harassing them. In addition, some outstanding citizens infiltrate these criminal groups so that they can report them to the authorities.
Some YouTubers do this, and their process can be explained in the videos they produce on their channel. But, ultimately, what they do is provide the necessary information to catch the bad guys, and it’s up to the authorities to make their move.
The dark web is truly a dangerous place, but it is also a place that helps people. When it is good, there will always be bad. It’s all about maintaining a balance that will be conducive to all persons involved.
