The intention of this thesis is to provide its reader with a tangible idea about the rapidly changing landscape of the internet. The reader furthermore is presented with an insight into the highly criminal and complex world of the deep web, the internet hidden from the publicly accessible internet.
Various threats, how political activism works on the internet, cybercrime on the normal internet and the deep web are explained amongst others. In order to create a thorough thesis this work starts from the historical beginnings of the early hacking ommunity and then gradually moves on to contemporary developments within the internet.
Additionally, the involvement of states and terrorist activities are examined. Originally it was planned to include information in the form of screenshots and text about deep web drug markets and forums. However, this would have led to this thesis becoming rather sensationalistic than scientific. Therefore it is restricted to Silk Road as a representative example for illegal activities on the Deep Web.
Information gathered in this work stems from scientific articles, journals, books, newspaper articles, websites and personal observations.
Table of Contents
1 Purpose
2 Introduction
3 How it all began: The history of criminal activities in Cyberspace
3.1 Definitions of crime, terror and warfare on the Internet
3.1.1 Hacking and Hackers
3.1.2 Whitehats. greyhats and blackhats
4 The very beginning
4.1 Hacking alliances start to form
5 Attack vectors
5.1 Malware and Carding
6 Terrorism in Cyberspace
7 The cost of Cybercrime
7.1 Countermeasures
8 Activism through interconnectivity – “Hacktivism.”
8.1 Hacktivism and Hacking
8.2 Protest 2.0: Hacktivism: A new form of protest in the 21st century
8.3 Protest without Borders
8.4 Is Hacktivism a genuine form of protest?
8.4.1 Is Hacktivism effective?
8.4.2 Can hacktivism be seen as a legitimate form of protest?
8.5 Where does activism end and terror begin?
9 The “Deep Web”
9.1 The hidden Internet and how this key infrastructure works
9.1.1 Criminal hacker forums
9.1.2 ShadowCrew Cybercrime Forum
9.2 The structure of cybercriminal associations and underground forums
9.2.1 Leading Cybercrime locations
9.3 Examples of how crime benefits from the Deep Web
9.3.1 Human Trafficking
9.3.2 “The Armory” – The Deep Web’s gun shop
9.4 “SilkRoad” – How Drug Trafficking flourishes in the Deep Web
9.4.1 Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road’s mastermind
10 Cyber Warfare - The new battlefield of the 21st Century
10.1 Fear versus Reality: Cyber Warfare in the Press and in Reality
10.2 How Governments get engaged
10.2.1 The Key Players in Cyber Warfare
11 A grim outlook into the future of Terror and War on the Internet
11.1 Internet of Things Dangers
11.1.1 Hacking the home
11.2 Taking over industrial controls, power systems and SCADA Systems
12 Conclusion
Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis explores the rapidly evolving digital landscape, focusing on the complex threats emerging from cyberspace, including criminal activity, terrorism, and nation-state cyber warfare. It examines how interconnectivity has facilitated both new forms of political protest and sophisticated illegal enterprises.
- Historical evolution of hacking communities and their impact on cybersecurity.
- The operational structure and economic impact of cybercrime on the "Deep Web."
- The role of "Hacktivism" as both a political tool and a potential security risk.
- The strategic shift toward Cyber Warfare as a new domain of international conflict.
- Vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and SCADA systems.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.2 Whitehats. greyhats and blackhats
Whitehat hackers always draw a clear line between themselves and Blackhat hackers. Whitehats differ from their counterpart as they do not act with malicious intentions. Individuals hailing from the legal category of the Hacker community only find flaws in systems to report these for the purpose of preventing future damage to the vulnerable system. Their efforts can be either completely driven by curiosity or as part of a research contract with a company, putting them on the hunt for vulnerabilities.
Those whitehats operating without any company contracts to back them up often can find incentives or expect rewards from the firms running susceptible systems. For example, Google and Facebook both have such incentive programs offering anyone monetary benefits and a place in their “hall of fames” who reports software flaws to them.
Blackhats, also known as crackers, ignore legal boundaries and operate with the sole intention of monetizing vulnerabilities they have detected. Once this Cybercriminal has managed to gain access to a system they proceed to stealing, modifying or even completely destroying data. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for blackhats to leave behind backdoors in systems, with the purpose that once their activities are detected and countermeasures are put in place, they can retain the chance of obtaining access once more through the backdoor left behind. An example of a black hat operation frequently seen is traffic hijacking. Blackhats test websites that do have a certain traffic volume for common vulnerabilities which can be easily exploited. Once a weak website is identified and hacked, a “clickjacking script” is uploaded to the server hosting the website. A clickjacking script deploys opaque layers (best understood as fully transparent pop ups) onto the compromised website. While the average website visitor does not realize what is happening, as the website continues to look and function as normal, his clicks are used for different purposes.
Summary of Chapters
1 Purpose: Outlines the scope of the thesis, focusing on the changing internet landscape, cybercrime, and deep web activities.
2 Introduction: Discusses the global reliance on interconnectivity and the corresponding rise of cyber-related economic losses and threats.
3 How it all began: The history of criminal activities in Cyberspace: Provides a historical context to the emergence of cyber threats and defines core terminology like hacking.
4 The very beginning: Explores the origins of hacking through "Phreaking" and early hacking alliances.
5 Attack vectors: Details common methods of digital crime, including malware, phishing, and DDoS attacks.
6 Terrorism in Cyberspace: Examines the potential for terrorist organizations to leverage digital tools for political or ideological disruption.
7 The cost of Cybercrime: Analyzes the economic damage of cybercrime and the current countermeasures taken by nations.
8 Activism through interconnectivity – “Hacktivism.”: Investigates the ethics and effectiveness of hacktivism as a modern form of protest.
9 The “Deep Web”: Provides an insight into the anonymous infrastructure of the Deep Web and its use for both criminal and non-criminal activities.
10 Cyber Warfare - The new battlefield of the 21st Century: Discusses the evolution of cyber warfare and the strategies of nation-states.
11 A grim outlook into the future of Terror and War on the Internet: Looks at future vulnerabilities in the Internet of Things and critical industrial infrastructure.
12 Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, emphasizing the ongoing tension between security and digital freedoms.
Keywords
Cybercrime, Hacking, Hacktivism, Deep Web, Cyber Warfare, Malware, DDoS, Silk Road, Ross Ulbricht, Internet of Things, SCADA, Information Security, Cyber Terrorism, Digital Protest, Cryptography.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The thesis provides a comprehensive overview of the digital landscape, focusing on the shift from traditional crime to cybercrime, the rise of hacktivism, and the emergence of cyber warfare as a primary domain of national conflict.
What are the central themes explored?
The key themes include the ethics of hacktivism, the economic implications of cybercrime, the infrastructure of the deep web, and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to remote cyber exploitation.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to provide a tangible understanding of how cyberspace is utilized for illicit activities and how governments and societies are adapting to these security challenges.
Which methodologies are employed?
The work utilizes a combination of scientific articles, professional journals, industry reports, and case study analysis, such as the rise and fall of Silk Road.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the history of hacking, specific attack vectors like malware and botnets, the role of actors in cyber warfare, and the future risks associated with the Internet of Things.
Which keywords define this thesis?
Key terms include Cyber Warfare, Hacktivism, Deep Web, Malware, Critical Infrastructure, and Anonymity.
How does the author categorize different types of hackers?
The author differentiates between whitehats (ethical researchers), blackhats (malicious crackers), and greyhats (unauthorized but not necessarily malicious explorers).
Why is the "Deep Web" considered a parallel internet?
It is described as a parallel internet because it is not indexed by conventional search engines and requires specialized software like TOR for access, providing a high level of anonymity.
What role did Silk Road play in the Deep Web?
Silk Road served as a highly prominent marketplace that demonstrated the capabilities of the deep web for anonymous, large-scale illicit drug and goods trafficking.
- Quote paper
- Michael Schönbeck (Author), 2015, Crime, Terror and War on the Internet Threats and Risk Management, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/454808
