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What’s Your Digital Data Worth? Cyber-security Experts Say Less Than Rs 3,580

A darknet is an “Internet-based network” that is accessed through particular software. Markets running on darknets oftentimes offer illegal goods and services and facilitate payment almost exclusively through virtual currency. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York was darkweb marketplace successful in convicting Ross Ulbricht, the alleged creator and owner of the Silk Road (a darknet market), on a number of criminal charges (including money laundering). The Silk Road infamously sold everything from illegal drugs to fake identification documents and hacking services.

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Darknet Market News: What You Need to Know

Darknet markets, also known as cryptomarkets, are online marketplaces that operate on the dark web. These markets are used for the sale and purchase of illegal goods and services, including drugs, weapons, and stolen data. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of darknet markets, as well as the volume of transactions taking place on these platforms.

The advertising and discussion of cryptocurrency cashout services and mixers also increased significantly on Telegram, especially in late summer 2022 when the “war of marketplaces” seemed to peak. 2022 saw a decline in revenue from the previous year for darknet markets and fraud shops. Total darknet market revenue for 2022 ended at $1.5 billion, down from $3.1 billion in 2021. The Darknet Marketplace and Digital Currency Crimes Task Force’s goal is to provide increased collaboration, enhance resources, and disrupt and dismantle criminal organizations that use these new and emerging technologies.

On Friday the 13th of January, the WayAway team hacked Solaris, taking advantage of a weakness in its coding, and shut it down. Now those trying to access Solaris are redirected to its upstart rival, Kraken. Even in the occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian troops entering Mariupol were closely followed by Telegram bots offering hash, mephedrone and alpha-PVP, peddling their wares even before the ruined city had running water returned. It’s not established yet how the drugs were brought to occupied Ukraine but the dealing network likely has some connection with Russian soldiers or non-combat staff.

• Malvax ran a sophisticated operation, relying on mixers and other obfuscation techniques to protect his identity.
• The hacking claim may be true, as the alleged rogue employee posted vendors’ mnemonic sequences — random series of words vendors could enter to recover their passwords — which several vendors then confirmed were correct.
• Blackart could tell that they were obviously made by somebody without any proper graphic skills.
• Revenue at dark web illicit marketplaces plunged in 2022 following seizure by U.S. and German police last spring of what was then the world’s largest online bazaar for illegal goods and services.
• This trend reflects the lucrative nature of targeting digital financial assets, making crypto assets an attractive target for cybercriminals.

Recent Darknet Market Developments

DarkMarket also advertised itself as being the only such site administered exclusively by women. This was an intriguing boast—a prosecutor told me it was made to gain users’ trust—but it was untrue. DarkMarket’s thirty-four-year-old founder and administrator was apparently an Australian man, who was arrested last weekend near the German-Danish border.

Seizure of the Wall Street Market: In May 2019, German authorities announced the seizure of the Wall Street Market, one of the largest darknet markets at the time. The market was responsible for facilitating the sale of illegal goods and services, including drugs, stolen data, and malware. Three German nationals were arrested in connection with the seizure, and it is estimated that the market had facilitated transactions worth over $1.1 billion since its inception in 2016.

Operation Dark HunTor: In October 2021, the FBI announced the results of Operation Dark HunTor, a global law enforcement operation targeting darknet markets. The operation resulted in the seizure onion links of over 50 darknet markets and the arrest of over 150 individuals. The operation also resulted in the seizure of over $31 million in cash and virtual currency, as well as the seizure of over 20 tons of drugs.

FAQs

• What is a darknet market? A darknet market is an online marketplace that operates on the dark web and is used for the sale and purchase of illegal goods and services.
• How do darknet markets operate? Darknet markets operate using a combination of cryptocurrencies darknet access and anonymizing technologies, such as Tor, to protect the identity of buyers and sellers.
• Are darknet markets safe? Darknet markets are not safe. They are used for the sale and purchase of illegal goods and services, and there is a high risk of fraud and scams.