Cybercrime, drugs and stolen credit cards can be found on the dark web. However, we also hear time and again that there are legitimate uses for the darknet. What really happens on the dark web?
Data leaks from ransomware incidents
One of the biggest concerns for companies: Cyber criminals steal company data, encrypt the servers and threaten to publish the data. If the victim company does not pay the ransom, this actually happens. Dozens of “leak blogs” by ransomware actors can be found on the darknet.
On the leak blogs, the companies attacked are usually listed in a kind of “hall of shame” with a company logo and brief description. If you are interested in the data as a consumer of these websites on the Darknet, all you have to do is click on “Read more” and you can download terabytes of company data. Of course, this is not legal, even as a consumer of this data (this is not legal advice).
What data is leaked on the dark web?
All data that you have to deal with on a daily basis in your day-to-day business. For example, stolen copies of ID cards, e.g. from an application process, can be found on the leak blogs. Internal correspondence, invoices and construction plans are also frequently found there.
Stolen credit card data
Stolen credit card data is also still being offered for sale on the darknet. Due to the security measures (two-stage verification, e.g. via an app) taken by the credit institutions, these are a little less interesting today than they were a few years ago. Nevertheless, there are still websites on which goods can be ordered without these security measures. And depending on the type of credit card data offered, it is still possible to transfer it to a blank card and make purchases “offline” at the owner’s expense.
Legitimate purposes
There are countries in which access to the Internet is massively restricted and/or monitored. This makes access to information extremely difficult in some cases. International news portals are sometimes inaccessible in these countries. The Dark Web can help here.
For example, the BBC website is also accessible on the Darknet (press release). The DW website (press release), the New York Times (press release) and The Guardian (press release) are also on the Darknet, along with a few others.
The dark web is also an opportunity for journalists reporting from such countries to communicate with their colleagues from other countries.