Two Decades In Darkness: Why These Types of Hackers Still Linger On The Dark Web

This March the dark web celebrated its 20th birthday. But many people still don’t completely understand what it is.

Put simply, it’s a part of the deep web that it isn’t indexed by conventional search engines. This means it can only be accessed using specific, anonymized browsing software, and offers users far higher degrees of privacy than conventional web-browsing.

Despite its murky reputation, there are many examples of the dark web being used for good; its anonymity affords many users a greater sense of security online and makes it a valuable tool for political activists in states with repressive regimes. 

However, it also provides a prime space for illegal activity, including illicit black markets for goods such as drugs, weapons and stolen data. While use of the dark web has increased and steadily become more mainstream over the past decade, it’s believed that over half of the activity conducted there is still illegal.

And among the pool of criminals using it is an increasingly emboldened community of hackers.

The World of Black Hat Hackers

Of the two types of hackers, black hat hackers are the most well-known. They are often skilled at bypassing security protocols and gaining unsanctioned access to computer networks, and use these skills to engage in criminal activity. Malware, for instance — a tool regularly used to break into computer systems — is created by black hat hackers.

Their motives are primarily personal or financial gain, though also extend to protest, cyber espionage and thrill-seeking behavior. In addition to stealing data, black hat hackers may modify or destroy it to suit their aims.

The global population of black hat hackers is vast, encompassing both amateurs and experienced professionals adept at stealing specific personal, financial and security data, and can be readily found on internet forums located across the dark web.

FreeHacks, one of the largest examples, is a Russian community of hackers with approximately 5,000 active members. The forum aims to pool the knowledge and resources of its membership in order to further the cause of illegal hacking, and includes specific categories on the theft and distribution of credit card details, password-cracking software, creating malware, DDOS attacks (the process of overwhelming a server in order to shut it down) and the collecting of personal documentation such as passports and driving licenses.

Methods of illicitly extracting information, including how to obtain an individual’s physical address via the internet, are discussed openly and at length.

And FreeHacks is but one of many thriving communities of black hat hackers that exist on the dark web.

How Much Damage Can Hackers Do?

The threats posed by black hat hackers are not limited to small businesses and individual web users, and high-profile attacks on major companies have become increasingly common.

In May 2012, hackers successfully targeted LinkedIn, obtaining the personal data of 117 million users and distributing it on the dark web. This data breach was the largest in the company’s history, with hackers stealing all personal data associated with the affected profiles, including login credentials. It took several years for LinkedIn to realize the full extent of the breach and alert its customers, during which time millions of users were unaware that their sensitive information was being disseminated across the dark web.

One year later, approximately 3 billion Yahoo users were also victims of a data breach when hackers compromised every Yahoo account ever created before once again sharing the credentials of account holders on the dark web. Like the cyberattack on LinkedIn, this breach went undiscovered for almost three years, eventually coming to light in the midst of Yahoo’s acquisition by Verizon and knocking $350 million off of the company’s final valuation.

These are just two of the many examples of major companies falling prey to black hat hackers. As hackers become more sophisticated in their tactics and levels of coordination, the threat of falling victim to cybercrime is increasing, prompting many firms to seek new methods of supplementing their existing cybersecurity.

One result of this drive to augment online defenses is the growing presence of white hat hackers.

White Hat Hackers to the Rescue

Commonly referred to as ethical hackers, white hat hackers act as a counterbalance to their black hat counterparts, seeking to identify points of vulnerability in existing systems and establish new protections before they can be exploited.

They use the same approach as black hat hackers though do so legally, with permission from the owner of the system they’re trying to hack. Some work as contractors while others are employed by companies as in-house security specialists.

The increasing prevalence of high-profile cyberattacks has led to a surge in demand for white hat hackers. And as law enforcement struggles to curb cybercrime — many cybercriminals operate outside of the USA, beyond the jurisdiction of government agencies such as the FBI — this need for white hat hackers continues to grow.

Identifying this demand, a number of startups have entered the cybersecurity market, many paying particular attention to the dark web. With teams comprised of cybercrime intelligence analysts and data scientists, these firms scour the dark web on behalf of their clients, offering a range of services from identifying potentially malicious behavior to uncovering stolen data.

Why Are White Hat Hackers So Important?

Whether working in tech firms or individually, white hat hackers are invaluable in plugging a widening gap between the capabilities of malicious hackers and the capacity of firms and individuals to protect themselves.

The dark web is vast and provides a safe haven for an army of cybercriminals too large to be controlled by law enforcement. While there exists a global network of highly sophisticated black hat hackers, white hat hackers will be essential to keeping ordinary people safe online.

The internet is now fundamental to the worlds of government and business, and plays an essential role in the lives of millions of individuals, yet those who use it are continually under threat from the ploys of malicious hackers. As long as the dark web is used to facilitate a global network of cybercriminals, it’s vital to maintain robust and responsive defenses against them. High levels of ingenuity and adaptability are needed. And for that, we look to white hat hackers.