Dark Web Access for Investigations
How Can I Access the Dark Web?
The dark web can be accessed through the onion router, or Tor, which is a network that routes your internet traffic through a series of proxy servers, adding a layer of encryption each time. You may be wondering how to access this network. Fortunately, Tor is a free software package available for download with a single Google search. The proxy servers are run by thousands of volunteers worldwide that can enable or disable their servers at will. This anonymity network provides equal security and privacy to all users as well as dark web site owners and publishers. Because of its complex, fragile network of relays, or nodes, the user experience while browsing the dark web is slow and unpredictable.
Dark website URLs end with “.onion,” and can’t be accessed by regular browsers like Chrome and Firefox. They are not crawled by search engines, and user information is hidden while surfing the dark web. Its content is not regulated or controlled and the forum enables unidentifiable and untraceable financial transactions using Bitcoin, an independent digital currency.
Tor Vulnerabilities
Despite its reputation, Tor is not as secure and impenetrable as publicly claimed. As law enforcement seeks to de-anonymize Tor, several vulnerabilities have been discovered that revealed users’ true digital fingerprints. By compromising poorly configured servers, hackers can reveal their locations, as well as expose and further attack users. Additionally, hackers can set up a major relay and stage a man-in-the-middle attack with unrestricted access to all traffic routed through that server.
It is widely known that it’s critical to adopt additional protection when using Tor, like a VPN connection and trusted security software that is kept up to date. However, when Tor nodes are compromised by professional hackers, these precautions are minor interferences that can easily be exploited.
Conducting Criminal Investigations on the Dark Web
As our lives and transactions have increasingly moved online, so have criminal activities like fentanyl sales, identity theft, weapon sales, hacking, and human trafficking. More than ever, online criminals are relying on the dark web’s encryption and node network to evade law enforcement since the clear web leaves an attributable trail of data.
The dark web consequently makes it difficult for investigators to identify the major players in illegal activity and establish an accurate story of evidence due to misinformation campaigns and flawed undercover practices. Law enforcement is constantly threatened by the potential for exposure and retaliation by malicious actors when using unreliable government resources or simply a VPN connection and security software to access the dark web.
Today’s law enforcement needs differentiated tools and techniques to conceal their identities. Ntrepid prepares law enforcement on all levels to better address the challenges of cybercrime through a scalable, user-friendly managed attribution platform, technical and operational dark web training courses, and dedicated account management and mission support.
Read more about Nfusion’s protection for undercover dark web operations.
