Are Darknet Take-Downs Effective?

guest · May 29, 2019

Are Darknet Take-Downs Effective?
May 29, 2019
https://blog.radware.com/security/2019/05/are-darknet-take-downs-effective/

Raids and take-downs have become standard on the Darknet as agents across the world continue to step up enforcement. While these take-downs are generally digital perp walks meant to remind the public that agents are doing their job, we have to ask, are they actually solving the problem?

In reality, Darknet take-downs are only temporarily impacting, but do not prevent overall illicit activity.

For example, when you look at the sale of stolen data online you will find several major vendors that have sold databases throughout a variety of darknet marketplaces over the years. But databases containing PII and credentials are also sold on well-known Clearnet sites like Exploit, which is indexed by major search engines and has not been taken down to this day.
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Like low-level hackers, law enforcement is going for the low hanging fruit, and while it provides for great headlines and temporary impacts, it doesn’t truly solve anything and only creates more problems down range.
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guest · May 29, 2019

The Deep Implications of Dark Web Takedowns
May 21, 2019
https://www.flashpoint-intel.com/blog/the-deep-implications-of-dark-web-takedowns/

The dark web is known for volatility, but within the past month, several planned shutdowns, exit scams, law enforcement takedowns, extortion attempts, and distributed denial-of-service attacks may have potentially changed the methods and venues by which cybercriminals conduct illicit activity.

It is premature to accurately assess the long-term impact of prolonged dark web marketplace unavailability. It is likely threat actors will change their behavior in terms of the markets they visit, and the tools they use to access new markets. Since 2017, more sophisticated cybercriminal operations began using blockchain DNS to host web shops. Encrypted chat communication applications have also been growing in popularity, as they provide security by default and are more convenient than Tor or other alternatives.

The dark web has previously been known for its elasticity by rapidly recovering from major takedowns and arrests with new markets, new customers, and newer technology. However, the current threats to the dark web ecosystem question its long-term viability for fraud.
As cybercriminals are continually prevented from dark web activity from internal and external forces, it becomes more likely that newer technology, such as encrypted chat applications, or blockchain DNS, may become suitable substitutes.
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guest · May 30, 2019

I2P network proposed as the next hiding spot for criminal operations
At least one criminal market has moved from Tor to I2P. Others asked to do so as well
May 30, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/i2p-network-proposed-as-the-next-hiding-spot-for-criminal-operations/

The success of the recent law enforcement operations that have cracked down on criminal services operating on the Tor network is now causing a shift in the criminal landscape.
There are now criminally-focused services that are actively moving sites or are being asked by customers to move operations from the Tor network to an alternative known as the Invisible Internet Project (I2P).
LIBERTAS MARKET MOVES EXCLUSIVELY TO I2P
Yesterday, the Libertas Market, a Tor-based portal for selling illegal products, became the first criminal marketplace that permanently abandoned the Tor network for I2P.

"The Tor network is not suitable for hidden services due to flaws in the network which allow denial of service attacks," administrators of the Libertas Market wrote on their now-closed Tor portal.
OTHER MARKETPLACES ASKED TO MOVE TO I2P AS WELL
But long before Libertas announced it was moving exclusively to I2P, users of other marketplaces were making similar requests.

Annoyed by the almost non-stop DDoS attacks and subsequent downtime, and frightened by the ever-increasing attention to Tor sites by law enforcement, multiple users had requested that other marketplaces move their operations to I2P in the previous months.
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The general idea right now is that Tor is neither safe or stable enough to host crime-focused portals anymore.
I2P fans hope that with major markets moving to I2P, users will follow, and the move to I2P will put law enforcement behind the eight ball again when it comes to investigating I2P networks, giving vendors and customers an edge once again.
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