An Introduction to the Dark Web

This chapter covers a wide range of topics about the Dark Web. It starts with an introduction to the history of the Dark Web, as well as how this hidden part of the internet evolved throughout the years. Subsequently, this chapter describes in detail the three most used tools for accessing the Dark Web, which are The Onion Router (TOR) network, the Invisible Internet Project (I2P), and the Freenet software. Finally, this chapter concludes with a description of cryptocurrencies and how they are used to conduct criminal activities on the Dark Web. The main objective of this chapter is to give an overview of how the Dark Web works and how regular people can access it. Additionally, it helps to understand how the combination of Dark Web accessing tools along with the use of cryptocurrencies allows criminals to expand their activities on the internet. Specifically, this chapter covers the following topics:

• History of the Dark Web
• The TOR browser...

History of the Dark Web

The internet has changed significantly since the 1990s when it first became widely available. The growth of the so-called Dark Web is one of the most divisive shifts. Though some people may think that the Dark Web is a discovery of the 21st century, its history dates back much further. The idea of an anonymous secure network stretches all the way back to the 1960s. In that decade, the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) was created. This experimental network was the beginning of the internet and, after a few years, the Dark Web. ARPANET started as a platform for academic use, but it quickly became a valuable tool for the military of the US (Featherly, 2021).

The term Darknet was introduced in the 1970s to designate networks isolated from ARPANET (that period’s internet). In simple words, a Darknet is a set of interconnected networks wherein all network traffic is hidden. Thus, anyone can browse a Darknet, leaving little to no traces...

The TOR browser and other Dark Web technologies

The overall concept of Dark Web technologies is about routing users’ data through several intermediate servers (nodes). Only a following server on the path, which leads to the exit server, is capable of decrypting the transmitted data. This type of technology ensures anonymity and protects the users’ identities. This section covers the three main Dark Web technologies, which are the TOR network, IP2, and the Freenet software.

How the TOR network works

The TOR browser is a low-latency circuit-based anonymous communication platform. As with other low-latency anonymity networks, TOR aims to make it difficult for attackers to correlate communication patterns or correlate multiple connections to or from a single user. It works on the internet, requires no special modifications or kernel privileges, requires little coordination or synchronization between nodes, and provides a reasonable trade-off between efficiency, anonymity...

The use of cryptocurrencies on the Dark Web

An anonymous digital currency has been a concept since at least 2008. The domain name bitcoin.org was registered on August 18, 2008. An article titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System appeared later that year, on October 31, posted to a cryptography mailing list. A P2P network can be used to construct a system for electronic transactions without depending on a central authority, according to a paper written by a person using the supposed pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. The first Bitcoins were mined by Nakamoto on January 3, 2009, giving rise to the Bitcoin (BTC) technology (Bernard and Kay, 2021).

Introduction to cryptocurrencies

One of the most lasting mysteries of Bitcoin is the real identity of its founder. Over the years, several people have said that it is Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoin’s founder remains unknown until this day, and little is known about him. It is believed that his last email communication was in April...

Summary

A variety of subjects were covered in this chapter. Discovering the node path and layer-by-layer data encryption is almost difficult due to the intricate processes used by Dark Web technologies. Websites are unable to trace the geolocation and IP of their users, and users are unable to obtain this information about the host site due to the exceptionally high level of encryption and security. With the usage of cryptocurrencies, users’ Darknet communication becomes highly secure, enabling users to communicate, see plenty of material, and share files in confidence. The next chapter makes an introduction to the major crimes that take place on the Dark Web. Specifically, it covers drug markets and how criminals disseminate illegal substances by using the Dark Web.