Many consider the internet and web to be synonymous; they are not. The web is just one portion of the internet, and a medium through which information may be accessed. Researchers have examined the types of malicious activity facilitated through darknet markets, and they have identified some of the major market categories to include illicit drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, other illicit opioids); pharmaceuticals (e.g., prescription medication, recalled drugs, unregulated supplements); falsified documents and counterfeits (e.g., materials for creating a fake identity); fraud (e.g., the sale of personal information, credentials, or accounts); hacking and exploits (e.g., malicious software, exploit kits, hackers for hire); exploitation (e.g., child sexual abuse material— distinct from explicit content such as legal pornography); and markets with multiple types of illicit activity (those akin to an Amazon-style site for illicit goods on the dark web). Cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin and Monero, is the common form of payment on darknet markets. More here…
