By Kayhan Life Staff
Regimes such as the Islamic Republic of Iran are known to use the hidden network known as the “dark web” in an organized way to steal information and engage in acts of disruption and sabotage against adversaries. This activity continues even with the recent dismantling of one of the leading dark web platforms.
Drugs, weapons, underage pornography, and all kinds of confidential information are easily bought and sold on the dark web. Rarely seen on the regular internet, this type of exchange is considered a serious crime, and the dark web – the underground world of criminals – has a thriving market for it.
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Why? Because unlike the standard internet, it is very difficult and sometimes impossible to find people’s identities on it. That is what makes the dark web terrifying.
A few months ago, the US Department of Justice announced a coordinated international operation to seize Genesis Market, an online store for criminals on the dark web. A total of 119 users of the website were arrested.
Private information from more than 1.5 million computers worldwide — such as usernames and passwords, emails, bank accounts, and social networks – was stolen by Genesis Market. Criminals advertised and sold private information on the Genesis market.
From its inception in 2018, Genesis Market has offered more than 80 million account credentials for sale.
Since one of the main tricks used by Genesis Market criminals was ransomware to steal private information, the use of reputable antivirus and firewall software to identify ransomware and detect and prevent hidden attacks can largely prevent these hackers from stealing information.
Individuals can check if they have been compromised by searching their email address on the “Have I Been Pwned” website (https://haveibeenpwned.com/). Those who have been compromised should immediately enable two-factor authentication for their account, and choose a new and complex password. Then they should delete all cookies and their browser cache.
