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- Trend snippet: Initial fluctuation and stabilisation in sales via the dark web at beginning of COVID-19 crisis
Trends in Security Information
The HSD Trendmonitor is designed to provide access to relevant content on various subjects in the safety and security domain, to identify relevant developments and to connect knowledge and organisations. The safety and security domain encompasses a vast number of subjects. Four relevant taxonomies (type of threat or opportunity, victim, source of threat and domain of application) have been constructed in order to visualize all of these subjects. The taxonomies and related category descriptions have been carefully composed according to other taxonomies, European and international standards and our own expertise.
In order to identify safety and security related trends, relevant reports and HSD news articles are continuously scanned, analysed and classified by hand according to the four taxonomies. This results in a wide array of observations, which we call ‘Trend Snippets’. Multiple Trend Snippets combined can provide insights into safety and security trends. The size of the circles shows the relative weight of the topic, the filters can be used to further select the most relevant content for you. If you have an addition, question or remark, drop us a line at info@securitydelta.nl.
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Initial fluctuation and stabilisation in sales via the dark web at beginning of COVID-19 crisis
- The COVID-19 crisis provided new business opportunities, for example test kits and masks. the intentions might be good, but this is an easy way to sell fake, or poor quality articles anonymously.
- Only a small number of sales of these items have been recorded so far on the dark web, probably due to availability of similar goods on the surface web and the wider customer base not being traditional dark web users.
- Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) also continues to be distributed via dark web platforms and there are signs of increasing activity around this criminal domain on the dark web during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The users of dark web marketplaces, vendor shops and other platforms include both individual citizens and criminal groups seeking to obtain illicit products.
- The technical barriers to entry are minimal and the dark web is freely accessible to anyone with basic understanding of online technologies.
Outlook for the future:
- Changes in supply and demand can be expected
- For drug-related items, the outlook depends largely on supply chains and the ease with which certain drugs can be obtained.
- For COVID-19 related items, demand will likely continue to mirror products sought after on surface web platforms
The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the dark web is still developing. After an initial fluctuation in sales via the dark web at the beginning of the crisis in Europe, the situation stabilised throughout March 20207.
Alternative platforms such as social media, instant messaging and secure communications applications are also likely to be increasingly used to facilitate the distribution of illicit goods, including drugs, online8.
New opportunities
The COVID-19 crisis has provided new business opportunities, such as offering COVID-19 related products. Vendors are also providing discounts on their goods as a means of promoting business in what remains a competitive market. Masks and test kits are the most frequently encountered items offered via marketplaces or vendor shops. Although the intention may purport to be good, this is an easy way to sell fake, counterfeit or poor quality articles anonymously.
The sale of these items is most prevalent on the anonymisation platform Tor but is also evident on another decentralised privacy orientated platform, Openbazaar. Openbazaar is promoting their mobile app Haven as an option to sell COVID-19 related articles.
Only a small number of sales of these items have been recorded so far on the dark web, probably due to availability of similar goods on the surface web and the wider customer base not being traditional dark web users. This has the potential to change if items become more costly and scarce and customers then seek to source them from elsewhere.
CSEM also continues to be distributed via dark web platforms and there are signs of increasing activity around this criminal domain on the dark web during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demand
The users of dark web marketplaces, vendor shops and other platforms include both individual citizens and criminal groups seeking to obtain illicit products.
The technical barriers to entry are minimal and the dark web is freely accessible to anyone with basic understanding of online technologies.
OUTLOOK
So far, there has not been a notable increase in the number of users buying illicit goods online. However, changes in supply and demand can be expected.
For drug-related items, the outlook will depend largely on supply chains. If it
becomes more difficult for users to obtain certain drug choices, addicts might
try to obtain their products through alternative methods. This could involve methods that will reduce social distancing and increase risk to public health.
For COVID-19 related items the demand will likely continue to mirror products sought after on surface web platforms. Scarcity on surface web platforms runs the risk of pushing customers to seek out alternative offers on the dark web.