Background
Discuss about the Security Challenges Posed By Deep Web.
In the modern day, internet has expanded its reach into the lives of the people. But the web that is accessed by anyone is only a very small part of the internet and it is known as surface web. The major part is covered by deep web, hidden web or invisible web content of which is not indexed by standard web search engines (Li, Dong, Lyons, Meng & Srivastava, 2012). The content of this web is hidden behind HTTP forms and involves many common uses like online banking, web mail and services that users must pay for and the thing that is protected by a paywall. For example video on demand, some online newspaper and magazines and many more are the part of deep web. According to estimation, the size of the deep web is 500 times greater than surface web as well as 90% of the overall internet. Due to increasing activities of hackers, this deep web is under many security threats and hence it is utilised for making an attacks. This report revolves around the security challenges posed around the deep web as well as the potential solutions available in this case. It also gives the future trends related with the deep web.
Research suggests that it is literally impossible to find the number of pages that are active on the deep web at once. This is the web that acts as a playground for law enforcement officers, hackers and other mischievous elements on internet. New technologies like anonymization browser software and encryption have empowered other users to see deep if they are interested (Balakrishnan & Kambhampati, 2011). The contents of deep web are under the surface but are still accessible to appropriate software. Most common example of it is online banking.
Many hackers have become active stealing the data that is present on the surface web and it is done with the use of deep web. This has become easier with the use of tools like Tor. It is basically a service developed by United States Naval Research Laboratory (Tripwire, 2017). It is basically a web browser like Google but just to access the contents that is running on the dark web. The activities that are challenging the cyber security has increased because the numbers of users who want to surpass the local restriction have increased in order to have access of the movies or some other thing that is not available in the local area. This is generally used by the hacker for making fake passport, taking access of any system and many more things.
Security challenges posed by Deep web
The hacker with the use of deep web can grab details of the individuals and can use it for blackmailing internet users (Bradbury, 2014). For example the hacking incident of Ashley Madison was significant in which huge amount of data of the accounts including their personal information was stolen. With the increasing connectivity of the business houses and its associated stakeholders with the internet, there is always a chance that deep web will play a greater part in the lives of the people.
Due to very lesser amount of knowledge regarding the deep web to most of the people, it has become a place through which attacks are getting possible. This is a bigger threat for the financial institutions like banking and insurance or other places where transaction are taking place through the use of deep web (Weimann, 2016). Excessive use of Deep webs has posed threats to the internet governance.
Its impact is becoming more difficult as most of the threats are unseen. The firewalls that are used for the surface web cannot protect from the attacks that are made through dark web. Some of the most common type of cyber-security threats are:
- Ransomware: It is seen that people usually hacks the sites of the business and demands for the ransomware for relieving it. Some of the most common form of attacks are seen on the sites where the hacker takes control of the system and demand some kind of ransome for relieving it. Deep web facilitates it because there is less control available on the internet world present there. Deep web is highly used for the purpose of ransomeware kind of attack (Weimann, 2016). It is to be understood that since most of the part of the internet is deep web hence the chances of getting hacked through this medium has also increased.
- Privacy: Due to excessive use of deep web, most of the time it is seen that privacy of the people using internet are at stake. This is due to the fact that people usually do not know about the deep web and hence they use it for their own benefit (Lacey & Salmon, 2015). It can also be understood through the example of online banking where the transfer is done on the deep web. Here people share their private information and in case of phishing people usually loses lot of their crucial data.
- Security: Deep web is affecting the security of the data that are stored at the back end of the company. This may contain some of the most crucial data. Getting access to any such data may result in huge loses. This can be understood by the fact that deep web is a huge world and it is not under the control of common users hence there are many weaknesses present in it. These weaknesses are utilised by the hackers for making attacks on the assets present with the users (Maddox, Barratt, Allen & Lenton, 2016).
- Expanding internet: One of the biggest security challenges is the fact that the internet is expanding at very fast speed (Ahmed, 2017). Almost all the organisations, businesses, people are getting most of their things done with the use of internet. Such an expanding network always enhances the problems due to deep web. With the emergence and expansion of concepts like IOT, the danger that is posed by the deep web is also increasing (Chen, 2011). This can be understood by the fact that since more number of nodes gets attached to the deep web hence the chances of getting attacked also increased. This is a serious problem for the internet world which is not enough prepared for any such attacks.
- Challenges for new users of dark web: Many a time it is seen that new users of deep web are getting affected by the contents that is present on the deep web. This is due to the fact that experienced hackers in this part of the internet are searching for the new people and attacks on their systems. This is due to the fact that they have less knowledge about the way to use deep web. It must use a secure alias while registering a service on the underground networks (Greenberg, 2014). It means creating an entirely new and random names which isn’t connected with real identities, emails or names.
- Illicit contents: These deep webs are generally used by the people who have wrong intensions. This can be understood by the fact that most of the drug dealers, porn makers utilises it to spread it over the internet (Harrison, Roberts & Hernandez?Castro, 2016).
With increasing attacks through the use of internet, it has become essential for the internet operators to find potential solution to these challenges. There are many solutions for safeguarding against the threats that is posed by the hackers and other mischievous element present on the internet. It depends on the requirement or need of the firms to ensure high quality security to their systems. Some of the common potential solutions are as follows:
- Alias names: In order to maintain privacy at the deep web, the people who are new to this internet has to make sure that they do not reveal their identity (Dilipraj, 2014). This can be done by the use of entirely new names or say the alias names which is not connected with real names, real identities or email accounts. This is due to the reason that when anybody uses real names on the deep web, it becomes easier for the hackers to track them down.
- Carefully weighing the option: While making any payments through these deep webs, the users must carefully weigh the options of taking use of payment cards for doing transactions (Marin, Diab & Shakarian, 2016). Taking use of the Bitcoins is one of the best ways to make payments. No private data must be shared on any of these sites which actually checking the authentication present at these places.
- Check before downloading: It is most common and best way of protecting system from any kind of attack. Before making a download always check the content before downloading. It is always recommended not to download binary files from the sources that look to be untrusted. It is because they may have some new strains of malware (Upadhyaya & Jain, 2016). In the past there were many examples where infected malwares have destroyed so many computers.
- Have knowledge: Before taking the use of deep web it is always recommended to have knowledge about the way it works. Only Experienced computer users must browse the dark web so that they may not face any challenges. People that are using the deep web must be aware of the dangers like viruses that are using Javascript as extension which is lurking in the web.
- Safe browsers: People generally take use of the Tor browser for accessing to the content on the deep web (Shakarian, Gunn & Shakarian, 2016). The Tor browser itself is not entirely secure and over the years there are many loop holes and vulnerabilities that have been found on Tor Browser. This has increased the security threats of both users of Tor and its nodes. This is due to the fact that Tor does not give absolute security or anonymity to the users and they must not rely heavily on the Tor browsers for safeguarding them. A better encrypted browser must be used for accessing the content so that there anonymity does not get revealed.
- Policy making: The internet administrators must make policies regarding the use of deep web. It must be considered that it is not entirely impossible to police the dark web. Making policies and implementing it can be possible (Kasperkey, 2018).
There is a continuous increase in the number of devices that are connected to the internet. This also increases the number of nodes that are connected with dark web (Paganini, 2012). This has empowered the hackers to access more number of devices connected to internet. It is expected that there will be more number of users that will be associated with the deep web. This increases the need of having higher security for the contents that are present on the deep web as well as the new protections are required for the common people (Business reporters, 2015).
It will become safer and secure in future as it is likely for technological developments associated with the dark web to improve the stealthiness of darknet (Chertoff & Simon, 2015). The extreme libertarians are trying to identify the new methods to become more anonymous as well as avoid detection by law enforcement institutions. Along with this the use of bitcoins or blockchain technologies will be supported. The deep web will be used for implementing full blown market places without failing at even a single point. It will be a guarantee to trusted and safe transactions. The e-commerce market will be strengthened because the high level of anonymity which will be able to guarantee reputation and trust among buyers and sellers without the interventions of external authorities (Bonderud, 2015). Apart from this it is also estimated that people would also use such a large part of internet for expanding their illegal businesses. With the increase in the number of nodes that will be connected to the IOT infrastructure, there is always a chance that more potential attacks will be done on the internet mediums. There is a chance of having greater security challenge faced by the firms that are connected with internet.
Potential solutions
Conclusion
From the above based report it can be concluded that deep is the larger part of the web around 500 times bigger than that of surface web. With such a large number of devices connected on the deep web, the security challenges are also increasing. With the increasing hackers activities on deep web, large numbers of organisations or people are at the potential risk to get hacked. Some of the most common type of cyber-security challenges posed by deep web on internet is ransomware, privacy threats, security issues, data leaks, managing increasing infrastructure, new consumers. There is a need to apply some of the potential solution to the problem like use of encrypted data, taking use of alias names, checking before downloading as well as checking authentication before downloading anything. Apart from this using safe browsers or policy making can be a reliable option. The future of the deep web is strong and large number of devices is expected to get connected with deep web.
References
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