Open Source Intelligence 101

The internet is an endless place with millions of websites, databases and servers. The visible sites that can be found when you Google something are just the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface is the deep web and the dark web. It was once only available to hackers, criminals and law enforcement, but now because of new technologies it is possible for just about anyone to access the dark web! Did you know – The deep and dark web is so large that it accounts for 90% of all websites! Those who wish to access the dark web or the deep web need to use Tor, a browser software like Google, but the difference is Tor uses “nodes”, a random path of encrypted servers to connect users to the dark web without their tracks being followed. Websites on the dark web also use the Tor software to remain unnamed so you won’t be able to find out who has created them, who is running them or who is hosting them. Many people actually use Tor as a regular browser to search the surface ...

Perhaps one of the biggest, most popular stories involving the dark web, was the shutdown of Silk Road , an online black market that trafficked basically any illegal goods, from guns and drugs to private personal data and malware. A few years ago, the mastermind behind the Silk Road, Ross William Ulbricht aka Dread Pirate Roberts, was arrested and sentenced to life in prison. He was convicted of seven drug and conspiracy charges, including drug trafficking, computer hacking and money laundering. Ross was also accused of soliciting multiple murders for hire. Ross sent a letter to a U.S. District Judge prior to his sentencing, saying that he had made a “terrible mistake.” “In creating Silk Road, I ruined my life and destroyed my future,” he wrote. First let’s get this out of the way; Ross William Ulbricht is extremely smart. I mean, it’s not that simple to build and maintain a secret internet site, on which criminals traded drugs and assassinations for years! “People...

You’ve heard the words before, but you don’t really know what they mean except that they sound scary. You think it’s a place where all the hackers lurk, but the truth is you’re not really sure. Let’s clear the air on what each concept is and what you can find on them. DEEP WEB First of all you need to know that the deep web and the dark web are not the same thing, although they can sometimes overlap. The deep web contains pages that are not indexed, meaning they will not pop up after a search on most search engines such as Google. These pages are basically invisible; unless you know the direct link or click on the link once you get in the deep side of the web. Here are a few things you can find on the deep web: - Personal email accounts - Social media accounts - Online banking accounts - Businesses private databases - Medical record - Legal record s DARK WEB The deep web is deep, but the dark web is even deeper. It is like the deep web mea...