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.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Purpose
- Introduction
- How it all began: The history of criminal activities in Cyberspace
- Definitions of crime, terror and warfare on the Internet
- Hacking and Hackers
- Whitehats, greyhats and blackhats
- The very beginning
- Hacking alliances start to form
- Attack vectors
- Malware and Carding
- Terrorism in Cyberspace
- The cost of Cybercrime
- Countermeasures
- Activism through interconnectivity - "Hacktivism"
- Hacktivism and Hacking
- Protest 2.0: Hacktivism: A new form of protest in the 21st century
- Protest without Borders
- Is Hacktivism a genuine form of protest?
- Is Hacktivism effective?
- Can hacktivism be seen as a legitimate form of protest?
- Where does activism end and terror begin?
- The "Deep Web"
- The hidden Internet and how this key infrastructure works
- Criminal hacker forums
- ShadowCrew Cybercrime Forum
- The structure of cybercriminal associations and underground forums
- Leading Cybercrime locations
- Examples of how crime benefits from the Deep Web
- Human Trafficking
- "The Armory" - The Deep Web's gun shop
- "SilkRoad" - How Drug Trafficking flourishes in the Deep Web
- Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road's mastermind
- Cyber Warfare - The new battlefield of the 21st Century
- Fear versus Reality: Cyber Warfare in the Press and in Reality
- How Governments get engaged
- The Key Players in Cyber Warfare
- A grim outlook into the future of Terror and War on the Internet
- Internet of Things Dangers
- Hacking the home
- Taking over industrial controls, power systems and SCADA Systems
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This thesis aims to provide an understanding of the evolving landscape of the internet, particularly focusing on the criminal and complex world of the deep web. The work examines various threats, political activism, cybercrime, and the historical development of hacking. It also explores the role of states and terrorist activities in this context. While initially intending to include screenshots and text about deep web drug markets and forums, the thesis focuses on Silk Road as a representative example of illegal activities on the Deep Web.
- Historical development of criminal activities in cyberspace
- The role of hacking in cybercrime, activism, and warfare
- The impact of the Deep Web on criminal activities
- The implications of cybercrime and terrorism on the internet
- The future of cybercrime and warfare in the context of the Internet of Things
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The thesis begins by outlining its purpose and introducing the topic of cybercrime, terrorism, and warfare on the internet. It explores the historical development of hacking and the various definitions of crime, terror, and warfare in the digital realm. The work then delves into the evolution of hacking alliances and the emergence of different types of hackers, including whitehats, greyhats, and blackhats. It further discusses the various attack vectors used in cybercrime, including malware and carding. Subsequent chapters examine terrorism in cyberspace, the economic costs of cybercrime, and the countermeasures employed to combat it.
The thesis also explores the phenomenon of hacktivism, examining its role as a form of political activism on the internet and analyzing its effectiveness and legitimacy as a mode of protest. It then investigates the relationship between activism and terrorism, exploring the boundaries between legitimate protest and illegal acts. The work then moves to discuss the Deep Web, providing insights into its infrastructure, the criminal hacker forums and their operations, and the role of the Deep Web in facilitating various forms of crime, including human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Finally, the thesis delves into the topic of cyber warfare, examining the reality of cyber warfare compared to media representations and exploring the involvement of governments and the key players in this domain. It concludes with a bleak outlook on the future of cybercrime and warfare in the context of the Internet of Things, emphasizing the potential dangers of hacking into homes and critical infrastructure.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key themes and concepts explored in this thesis include cybercrime, terrorism, warfare, hacking, hacktivism, the Deep Web, Silk Road, cyber warfare, the Internet of Things, and the historical development of online criminal activities. The work emphasizes the complexities of the digital landscape, the evolution of criminal activities in the online world, and the various forms of cybercrime, terrorism, and warfare that threaten society.
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- Michael Schönbeck (Autor), 2015, Crime, Terror and War on the Internet Threats and Risk Management, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/454808