To achieve this goal, we used modularity, a measure of the structure of networks designed to gauge the quality of the division of a network into modules. A good subdivision of a network has high modularity; within modules, the nodes have dense connections, but these connections become sparse between nodes in different modules. We used the Louvain method, an algorithm capable of handling large, weighted networks in a short computation time with excellent accuracy, to calculate the modularity of our network. Based on the full post history of the selected dark web members, we constructed a weighted, undirected graph comprised of a set of around 1,000 vertices joined by more than 200,000 edges. The weight of each edge is proportional to the number of sources where the two threat actors that are the endpoints of the edge are both seen as an author.
- AlphaBay was another large market on the Dark Web used for selling illegal drugs, personal information, malware, and counterfeit goods; it was shut down in 2017.
- In its encrypted recesses, it houses marketplaces for illegal goods, including drugs, firearms, and, notably for our discussion, tools and services related to cybercrime.
- “Some partial restore will happen in some days or weeks,” said one user.
- Now, Let’s cover some of the most common chatrooms, forums and Chans/imageboards that you’ll come across if you are found in one on the darkweb.
The dark web is a notorious corner of the internet, shrouded in mystery and often associated with illegal activities. While it’s true that the dark web can be a dangerous place, it’s also home to a variety of communities and forums that can be of interest to researchers, journalists, and activists. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at dark web forums and what they have to offer.
Who And What Are Dark Web Forums (DWFs)?
Its founder, Ross Ulbricht, was arrested by the FBI in 2013 and convicted of engaging in a criminal enterprise. He is serving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Tor is the most widely used Dark Web browser and counted two million active users in 2022, according to the Tor Project. There are websites that are only accessible on Tor, adds Jack Rhysider, host of the investigative podcast Darknet Diaries, which chronicles true stories about cybercrimes on the “dark side of the Internet.” Law enforcement crackdowns targeting the dark web have increased and generated substantial wins in the last year.
What are Dark Web Forums?
Dark web forums are online communities that exist on the dark web, a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and requires special software to access. These forums are often used for discussions that are considered taboo or illegal on the surface web. They can range from forums dedicated to hacking and cybercrime to forums for political dissidents and whistleblowers.
Hunters, Busybodies And The Knowledge Network Building Associated With Deprivation Curiosity
Topics in higher tiers are considered very sensitive where the most well-regarded actors coordinate, including potential nation state actors/groups. This forum is more collaborative with regard to the development of malicious tools, initial access actors, and ransomware actors, but the majority of this communication takes place off-forum in various encrypted chat services. Fewer data and malicious tools sales than XSS, but contains probably the most sophisticated group of threat actors on the planet.
Why are Dark Web Forums Important?
How To Locate Dark Web Hacker Forums For Security Research
Dark web forums can be important for a number of reasons. For researchers and journalists, they can provide valuable insights into the motivations and activities of different groups and individuals. For activists and whistleblowers, they can offer a safe space to share information and organize without fear of retribution. And for law enforcement, they can be a valuable source of intelligence in the fight against cybercrime.
How to Access Dark Web Forums
The deep web is about 90% of the internet, while the dark web makes up about 5%. A large portion of deepweb links are sites hidden behind security firewalls or authentication forms, such as banking sites or any of the billions of web pages that are password protected. Unlike regular deep web sites such as your email account, the dark web is inaccessible unless you have special tools or software like the Tor browser. Some even say that the real dark web requires an invitation to participate. In more technical terms, the dark web is the part of the web where sites are hosted on so-called darknets — computer networks overlaid on other networks.
Accessing dark web forums requires the use of a special browser called Tor. Tor, which stands for “The Onion Router,” encrypts and anonymizes internet traffic by routing it through a series of servers around the world. This makes it difficult for anyone to track your online activity or determine your location.
To access a dark web forum, you’ll first need to download and install the Tor browser. Once you have Tor installed, you can use it to navigate to the forum’s onion address (a special web address that ends in “.onion” instead of “.com” or “.org”). Keep in mind that many dark web forums require registration and may have strict rules about what you can and cannot post.
Among those still operating are the prominent Russian-language marketplace Exploit.in, the “carding” forum Joker’s Stash and Hackforums, which offers guidance on how to become a hacker. Exploit, in particular, has gained nearly 1,000 new accounts over the past six weeks, with current membership at 44,433 user accounts as of May 13, according to research conducted by Digital Shadows exclusively for CyberScoop. The URL is xss.is, but to really get in you’ll have to access the page via Tor. You can use Google Translate to see what’s going on, just like with exploit.in.
Conclusion
Dark web forums can be a valuable resource for researchers, journalists, and activists, but they can also be a dangerous place. It’s important to approach these forums with caution and to always be mindful of the risks involved. By following best practices and using a reputable VPN service, you can help protect yourself and your information while exploring the depths of the dark web.
