In the same way, the administrators of darknet markets don’t directly sell illegal drugs and malware, they provide the platform. Nevertheless, it remains a popular hub for dark web netizens involved in the market scene, as well as those interested in broader cybercrime. Almost since its inception it has been plagued by denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that have at times left it virtually unusable. This downtime has led many users to migrate to Dread’s I2P mirror to access the dark web forum. Dread, founded in 2018 by a threat actor known as HugBunter, is often referred to as the “Reddit of the dark web” due to its similar interface. While Dread is one of the largest forums on the dark web, it is somewhat unique in that discussions on drug sales often overshadow those on hacking and cybercrime.
Best Dark Web Sites: Unseen Onion And Tor Links
The forum is notorious for its role in facilitating unauthorized access to networks and distributing malware. The dark web, a subset of the deep web, is where anonymity and secrecy intensify. It is intentionally obscured from search engines and requires special software like Tor (The Onion Router) to access it. Sites on the dark web typically use .onion domain names, which add a layer of anonymity for both users and administrators.
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The forums also offer tutorials and guides on new hacking techniques as well as ways of improving existing skills. Therefore, such educational aspects attract a lot of aspiring cybercriminals who want to sharpen and take their abilities to the next level. The forum suffered a blow in 2018 when the creator was arrested, but despite that, Altenen has soldiered on and remains active today. Its members have a key goal to provide key resources for the Russian hacking methods to ensure that they maximize efficiency.
Tools And Practices For Enhancing Security When Using Dark Web Sites
Each sub-forum consists of threads started by users, and within these threads, users can post comments and engage in discussions. The RAMP forum is also considered “friendly” to Exploit and XSS, with one key differentiating factor. The forum widely accepts discussions about ransomware and seeks to welcome actors speaking languages other than English and Russian. RAMP has been making an effort to translate key components into Mandarin to attract Chinese threat actors but their presence remains limited so far. The forum sees less activity than XSS and Exploit, largely due to the cost of obtaining an account. Prior Bitsight reports have noted a tremendous uptick in specific types of cybercrime on the underground during the COVID lockdowns.
- DarkSide relied extensively on dark-web forums not only for recruiting skilled hackers and malware developers but also for advertising and selling stolen data, thereby significantly amplifying the attack’s impact.
- LeakBase, which has an important place for database leaks, emerged in 2023.
- Forums remain central to this ecosystem, acting as hubs where users discuss, trade, and coordinate cybercriminal efforts.
- Cybersecurity has to also cover everything physically on your computer too—which law enforcement or government authorities might have the right to seize if they come calling.
What Websites Are On The Dark Web?
Sellers will often advertise initially within DDW forum and then continue communications about a prospective deal within an external messaging platform. DDW actors also frequently use forums to advertise their Telegram channels, where the actor will continuously advertise the sale of data, tools, and services. Today, Dread is considered to be one of the most valuable forums as it features professional hacking posts and in-depth guides on hacking and software and carding. You can also find posts on illegal drugs, trade of stolen data, and general dark news such as announcements on the closure of major marketplace. In addition to the hacking sections, Dread is also a popular platform for the discussions and trade of drugs. The site was created and designed for the purpose of sharing information about exploits, zero-day vulnerabilities, malware, and network penetration.
An Overview Of Cybercrime Forums
Also, use an effective antivirus program to check threats if you decide to download files. You can check out this guide on the best antivirus software applications today. In some countries, evading government restrictions to seek new political ideologies is punishable. For example, China uses the Great Firewall to block access to Western sites. Accessing blocked content can result in being placed on a watch list or imprisonment. If the above average Joe’s explanation isn’t enough for you, below are some legitimate reasons to use the Dark Web in a bit more detail.
Darknet tools have real value in privacy-focused, humanitarian, and journalistic efforts. Unlike the Deep Web, Darknets are intentionally hidden and designed to preserve privacy and anonymity. There are estimated to be 1.1 billion websites on the Surface Web as of 2025 (Internet Live Stats). Stay updated with our latest tutorials and ideas by joining our newsletter. Following these legal and ethical guidelines ensures responsible use of the dark web, protects your privacy, and helps maintain the integrity and safety of legitimate .onion resources.
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By rigorously following these best practices, you can significantly enhance your privacy and security when accessing .onion links and mirrors, ensuring safer and more anonymous experiences on the dark web. Understanding these reasons helps users navigate the complexities of the dark web, emphasizing the importance of verifying links and maintaining secure, alternative sources through mirror sites or trusted directories. If you make use of a password manager, then it may come with a feature that monitors the dark web for mentions of your email address and password, or any other personal details. It’s something built into the password management services offered by Apple and Google as well, so you don’t need to trawl through data leaks manually yourself.
ProPublica is an investigative news site owned by an independent nonprofit that exposes abuses of power and corruption. It hosts an onion site so people in countries with restricted press freedom can access its journalism, which covers everything from hacktivism to government repression. On the dark web, traffic is routed through multiple server nodes that don’t log activity, obscuring the user’s origin and enabling anonymous communication.
Below, we explore the top five darknet forums that have garnered attention this year for their activity, content, and user engagement. That built-in anonymity makes dark web forums a breeding ground for illegal activity. They are notorious for selling leaked data, hacking tools, illicit services, and drug sales. There’s more to it than just sharing things such as hacked databases, stolen credentials, exploits, or hacking tools.
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Phishing remains one of the oldest hacker tactics, but dark web forums have turned it into a sophisticated, scalable business. Criminals exchange ready-made phishing kits, including fake websites, email templates, and scripts to bypass security measures like two-factor authentication. Some serve as open spaces for free speech, especially in countries with strict censorship. Most forums are tied to cybercrime, and many are active marketplaces for leaked business data. Launched in March 2022 as a successor to RaidForums, BreachForums quickly became one of the leading forums for discussing data breaches and sharing stolen information. After the shutdown of RaidForums, BreachForums filled the gap by hosting discussions on exploits, data leaks, and cybercrime.
- For example, perpetrators of trafficking and cyber attacks use the dark web to disguise their actions.
- These sites use “.onion” domains, which are made up of random letters and numbers up to 56 characters long.
- It can only interact with the gateway, the most effective method by which the browser protects user applications from learning a device’s IP address.
- From forums specializing in data breaches to those facilitating illicit transactions, the dark web is a dynamic landscape of digital threats.
- These onion addresses will remain online even if the original page disappears.
How Cybersecurity Teams Monitor Dark Web Activity
This includes using an anonymous browser like Tor, a VPN to encrypt your connection, an antivirus for protection against malware (we recommend TotalAV), and generally being careful not to reveal personal information. ZeroFox Dark Ops team can help take the guesswork out of dark web monitoring. You’ll be able to leverage information from the dark web to find leaked information and attacks before they happen. Learn more about trends in the dark web in our recent paper, Fact vs. Fear. In many cases, when a dark web forum is removed or taken down by law enforcement, it resurges under a new name.
This multilingual forum (supporting Russian, Chinese, and English) gained prominence in the aftermath of the Colonial Pipeline attack, capitalizing on the increased attention to ransomware. Dread’s team worked relentlessly to get it back online and almost 24 hours later, their efforts paid off, and the forum was fully restored. Sophisticated actors, however, usually frequent a select few well-regarded Tor sites as I mentioned above in the top 4 listing. Take for example the image below, which shows a comment on a random post on XSS talking about a cyber attack Lockbit launched against Entrust. In this post, the group’s team implied that Entrust counter-attacked their website with a DDoS attack.
This Russian community of hackers and cybercriminals gathers its resources to expand and solidify their knowledge base. Cracking King is a community forum that provides tutorials and tools for hackers. Additionally, you can find information about and from data leaks, as well as gain access to their marketplace. But while anonymous email services can help protect your identity, they don’t make you immune to threats like email spoofing or social engineering. And it’s still essential to use strong passwords and two-factor authentication (2FA) to help keep your account secure. DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused search engine that works as Tor browser’s primary search engine.
