Investigating the Dark Web 101
The internet is in a state of exponential growth, producing high volumes of content that is available for public scrutiny, whether for social means or, in the case of the intelligence community, for security purposes. In the shadows of our increasingly digital world, the dark web has grown and gained momentum. It has become a community where malicious actors thrive, building empires through stealing and selling IP, PII, attack methods, and more, including information that affects everyone from consumers and the general public to large enterprises and governments.
The dark web is full of extremely valuable information regarding national security and other criminal activity. This necessitates investigations by law enforcement and government agencies that aim to evaluate possible threats and expose criminals. However, the dark web is also home to exceptionally dangerous, hostile groups that are always on the lookout for anyone observing or trying to infiltrate them. For this reason, protecting and hiding the identities of researchers and analysts working on the dark web is critical to ensure that investigations are not interrupted and to avoid becoming the subject of retaliation attacks.
One mistake can enable hundreds of opportunities for the exposure of a researcher’s identity, associated organization, or investigation, with major repercussions. Between behavioral habits, human error, and the different ways our technology leaves fingerprints, remaining disguised online is very difficult. Even a small amount of data that is inadvertently leaked to a target could tip them off that they are being investigated. To successfully research dark web activity, organizations must utilize managed attribution tools and first-rate technology to protect their identities and reduce the risk of mission-threatening missteps.
To meet the specialized requirements of researchers who need the highest level of security and deception to conduct cyber investigations in dangerous environments like the dark web, Ntrepid offers unmatched control over online identities. Our all-in-one Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Nfusion, along with its integrated apps and utilities, allows analysts and researchers to perform stealthy cyber operations through misattributed browsing and security tools.
To learn more about Nfusion, or our other misattribution and investigative technologies, please click here.
