Summary of Dark Web Hub › Searchlight Cyber
- Is visiting Tor illegal?
- Is the deep web accessible?
- What Browser is used to access the deep web?
- Where can you see the dark web?
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AI Overview
AI Overview
“Deep web” content is typically accessed using standard web browsers and involves everyday sites that require a login or other credentials, such as online banking or email
. In contrast, the “dark web,” a small subset of the deep web, requires specific software, like the Tor Browser, to access intentionally hidden content.
Accessing the Deep Web
You likely access the deep web daily without any special software. Content on the deep web is simply not indexed by standard search engines like Google or Bing because it is behind a paywall, requires a login, or is part of a private database or intranet.
Examples of legitimate deep web content include:
Email accounts
Online banking and financial portals
Medical records databases
Academic journals and databases (e.g., JSTOR)
Subscription services (e.g., streaming sites like Netflix)
Private corporate networks/intranets
To access the deep web, you just need the correct URL and the appropriate login credentials.
Accessing the Dark Web
Accessing the dark web is different and requires specific tools and precautions due to its focus on anonymity and the higher prevalence of risky or illegal content. While accessing the dark web is not illegal in most places, engaging in illegal activities while there is.
Here are the general steps to access the dark web safely:
Understand your goal: Go in with a specific, legal purpose to avoid wandering into dangerous or illegal areas.
Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network): A reputable VPN adds an extra layer of security and anonymity by encrypting your traffic and masking your IP address before you connect to the dark web network.
Download the Tor Browser: The Tor (The Onion Router) browser is specifically designed to access dark web sites, which end in the .onion domain suffix. Tor routes your traffic through multiple volunteer-run servers to anonymize your activity. You can download it from the Tor Project website.
Use a secure search engine/directory: Once in Tor, use a privacy-focused search engine like DuckDuckGo (Tor’s default) or a reliable directory like Ahmia.fi to find functional .onion links.
Take extra precautions:
Avoid clicking on unknown or suspicious links.
Do not share personal information.
Disable JavaScript in the Tor settings for added safety.
Be cautious of downloads, as they may contain malware.
How to Access the Dark Web Safely – DOT Security
What Is The Deep Web? The deep web is in between the surface web and the dark web, and it constitutes the large majority of the ac…
DOT Security
Deep Web vs Dark Web: Key Differences – SentinelOne
For example, every academic institution holds valuable resources within its online libraries that are important to its students an…
SentinelOne
Deep Web Meaning & Definition – Brave
What is the Deep Web? The Deep Web is the portion of the Internet not indexed by traditional search engines. It often requires a l…
Brave
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Knowledge base
THE DARK WEB HUBA resource to gain knowledge and insights into the dark web.The Dark Web Hub equips law enforcement, enterprises, MSSPs, and researchers with essential knowledge to navigate dark web threats. Our continuously updated content provides in-depth insights into marketplaces, ransomware actors, and hacking forums, helping you stay informed and proactively address challenges to safeguard your organisation or community.
Areas of the Dark Web
What are Autoshop MarketplacesAutoshops are a particular type of dark web marketplace that specialize in the sale of digital products – such as financial data, login credentials, remote access, and cookies. They differ from escrow marketplaces in that the transaction is automated (hence the name), meaning that there is little to no contact with the seller. This means they typically have a high turnover of listings, sometimes into the millions.
What are Escrow MarketplacesDark web marketplaces offer mostly illegal products and services in exchange for payment. In this section we focus on escrow marketplaces, where anyone with enough cash to pay the “vendor bond” can sign up and start selling. Imagine the dark web equivalents of Amazon or eBay, except with less reputable products and payments typically made in cryptocurrencies.
What are Hacking ForumsDark web forums are very similar to their clear web counterparts in almost every way, except for the content they discuss. Indeed, some began life on the clear web before migrating to the dark web to evade surveillance or censorship. Forums cover the breadth of criminal activity but these examples show there is a particularly thriving community of cybercriminals sharing information, tutorials, access, and exploits.
What are Ransomware Leak SitesRansomware leak sites are publicity sites where ransomware groups share the details of their latest victims. However, they also play an important role in how these groups orchestrate and monetize their attacks. These sites provide the ransomware operators with a platform to accept payments from the victims, a space to shame them and apply pressure, and somewhere to leak their data if they don’t pay.
Autoshop Marketplaces
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2easy [offline]Active since March 2020
Clear web
2Easy specializes in the sale of “logs” – data that is stored in the web browser, such as site credentials, cookies, and autofill form data – which can be used to digitally impersonate an individual. 2Easy went offline in May 2024 after an unsuccessful attempt to sell the platform.
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BahiraActive since March 2022
Dark web and clear web
Bahira has generated buzz in both Russian and English-speaking dark web spaces and boasts the sale of both card details and dumps (the information encoded onto a card’s magnetic stripe and used to make physical clones).
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BidenCash [offline]Active since February 2022
Dark web and clear web
BidenCash specializes in the sale of payment card data. In spite of the use of his name and image, it is highly unlikely to be associated with the President of the United States.
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BlackPassActive since May 2017
Dark web and clean web
BlackPass specializes in stolen login details needed to hijack e-commerce accounts rather than card details. Some accounts have PII associated with them such as the victim’s name, country, ZIP code, and phone number.
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BriansClubActive since 2014
Dark web and clear web
With earliest estimates placing its inception at 2014, BriansClub is the oldest autoshop on this list and sells a range of fraud products, including CVVs, fullz (card details packaged with additional cardholder information such as date of birth and social security number), and dumps.
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Genesis [offline]Active since April 2017 (seized April 2023)
Dark web and clear web
On April 5 2023, the Genesis market was seized as part of the international law enforcement crackdown dubbed “Operation Cookie Monster”. The site had specialized in the sale of “browser fingerprints”.
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PatrickStashActive since March 2022
Dark web and clear web
PatrickStash has two categories, Cards and Cards NoVBV (short for Verified By Visa). The site’s forum representative is very active in advertising the shop, touting automatic refunds, live statistics, and sellers in a range of countries as their USPs.
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PutinCash [offline]Active since November 2023
Clear web
No doubt inspired by its predecessors TrumpsDumps and BidenCash, PutinCash was another carding shop named after a world leader. A clear web-only site, PutinCash offered credit card details and dumps (with or without the associated PIN).
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RussianMarketActive since February 2019
Dark web and clear web
RussianMarket specializes in the sale of “logs”, CVVs, dumps and RDP access. Unsurprisingly, it is suspected to be of Russian origin.
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