Mirror in the Dark: What the Darknet Tells Us about Ourselves

For most, the darknet spurs images of shadowy hackers, illegal marketplaces, and underground crime rings. While there is some truth in all of these images, it's a distorted reflection of our society. It's actually more like a mirror that depicts the desires and vulnerabilities of the people using the darknet.

From privacy to profit: origins of the darknet

There was a time when the darknet was only a hidden network layered underneath the internet we know today. In fact, its ancestor was ARPANET, the foundation of the internet, which was built from the outset to prioritize privacy, security, and anonymity.

Today's darknet is accessed via specialized tools like Tor or I2P (although many others are available) and remains true to those roots. It's still built to provide anonymity and privacy, but the same features have attracted savvy criminals.

Unfortunately, just as regular users value the inherent security built into the system, so do cybercriminals. The anonymity of the darknet has inadvertently provided a haven to a thriving digital underworld.

Check out the full Darknet Report