A timeline
First of all, what is known as the dark web?
“The dark web is the hidden collective of internet sites only accessible by a specialized web browser. It is used for keeping internet activity anonymous and private, which can be helpful in both legal and illegal applications.” (Kaspersky.com)
The first concept started in the 1960s with the conception of what was known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET). The main idea of this invention was the ability to share information on a long-distance without any connection to the internet. The 1960s also being the period of great tension amongst countries, ARPANET became a tool to share intel during the cold war.
Only a decade after the first illegal transaction was made at Stanford University. Allegedly, students would’ve used ARPANET accounts to pay for marijuana with MIT students. This was part of the many experiences that researchers led. Of course, having such potential, the government wanted to be a part of it, which led founders to divide ARPANET into two parts: MILNET and the civilian version of ARPANET. MILNET was the governmental-owned part, which was used for military and secret agencies, while ARPANET was what will later become the internet.
The true beginning started in the 1990s when the onion router (Tor), a private Internet browsing network would connect dark websites. Initially, Tor didn’t take off right away, it had to wait an extra 10 years. In 2002, people looking for free speech and a way to escape oppressive governments would start using Tor. Unfortunately, Tor wasn’t easily accessible and was therefore mostly used by the tech-savvies.
In 2008, the design was remodeled, and its popularity raised, making access easier to anyone who would want to get involved. The major turning point was in 2009 with the arrival of Bitcoin. The first cryptocurrency would allow making transactions possible while being anonymous. At this point, the dark web was discovered its true underground market potential.
What about today?
According to CSO, the dark web is said to account for less than 5% of the internet, knowing that the surface web (visible and clear part) accounts for between 1 to 4%. Furthermore, according to ID Agent, “over 133,00 C-level Fortune 1000 executives had their credentials available and accessible on the dark web.”. Finally, probably the most traumatizing fact is that 80% of the traffic is linked to “illegal porn, abuse images and/or child sex abuse material” (theconversation.com)
The dark web will probably remain a place for deviant people to retrieve and share information or illicit items. There is no getting “brighter”, and it will probably remain the same if not worst. Yet with major involvement in cybersecurity, one can hope that the dark web will undergo some regulation.
How to stop the Dark Web?
Unfortunately, dismantling Tor wouldn’t help anything, as it is not the only dark web browser. Firefox and Opera can also be used to access its database.
Since accessibility can’t be stopped, one of the solutions is to prevent data from being leaked. On the big company scale, this means investing in cybersecurity experts, but on the individual level, it is as easy as turning off the light when leaving a room. What I mean is that you have to activate two-step authentication when it is possible, beware of phishing messages and use a different robust password for each of your accounts.
Now in terms of solutions to regulate the flow of illegal information such as child pornography, there isn’t much an individual can do. Unless you are a cybersecurity expert and manage to breach someone’s ID through a VPN ( which is close to impossible), government spending in cybersecurity is the only solution today.
Sources used:
– https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/deep-web
– https://www.cashify.in/top-5-dark-web-browser-for-anonymous-browsing