Because it is anonymous, it also provides safety to drug dealers, hackers, and other criminals. Finally, besides hosting potentially disturbing materials, the Dark Web is where unassuming users can easily fall victim to malware, viruses, fraudsters, and scammers. But not everything is that terrifying, as Deep Web facts show that only 6.7% of Tor’s daily users engage in illegal activity on the Dark Web. The vast majority rely on the Deep Web and the Dark Web to provide them with freedom and anonymity while browsing the internet.
In 2025, dark web markets continue to grow more sophisticated, leveraging cryptocurrency as their backbone for financial transactions. These hidden digital spaces host a variety of illegal and illicit activities, from drug trafficking and weapons sales to data breaches and financial fraud. The decentralized, pseudonymous nature of cryptocurrencies has provided a strong foundation for these underground markets to expand, adapt, and resist law enforcement pressure.
- And each year, he continues to help more people with understanding interest rates, borrowing power and living expenses.
- According to Forbes, by 2025, damage related to cyber attacks is projected to reach $10.5 trillion annually.
- Operating since 2014, Brian’s Club is a long-running marketplace devoted to stolen credit card information, including dumps and CVVs.
- Moreover, a better and more detailed understanding of how rate limiting works may greatly improve the efficiency of crawlers and reduce manual labour.
- Attacks with a smaller number of requests typically sell for less, and the target networks’ protection level also impacts the price.
Platform Diversification
However, US cardholders are out of luck; 12.7 million US cards were listed, marking an over 50% rise from 2023. From state-sponsored groups to ransomware gangs, criminal activity is innovating at a rapid pace on the dark web. Businesses must stay vigilant and proactive in addressing these threats, using tools like CybelAngel to monitor dark web activity and protect their assets. Dark web surveillance involves monitoring information on the darknet, such as to identify compromised credentials being sold, or to track forums to anticipate (and prevent) cyberattacks. While it has legitimate uses, it’s also a hub for cybercriminals, hackers, and other threat actors. The deep web refers to all online content not indexed by search engines, such as virtual private networks and internal business systems.
The Future Of The Dark Web And Cybersecurity In 2025 & Beyond
Ranging from $10 for an hour-long attack to $750 for a month-long attack, each with 10,000–15,000 requests per second, the prices depend on a variety of factors. Attacks with a smaller number of requests typically sell for less, and the target networks’ protection level also impacts the price. DDoS attacks remain a huge problem for companies and institutions around the world, especially as their frequency went up by 314% between H1 of 2022 and H2 of 2023.
TL;DR: Key Dark Web Statistics 2025–26
In Table 2, markets marked with full-filled circles are those that have a proper bug bounty program and clearly mention that certain rewards will be obtained after discovering bugs. There are two markets marked with half-filled circles, meaning that the market mentions that a support ticket should be submitted to the market when a bug is discovered, but without further information on rewards. For markets marked with open circles, we believe users are still able to report directly to the market operator via in-site messages or support tickets. For example, one of the markets we observed has an optional subject in their ticket system—bug bounty, which further categorises the priorities into low, medium, and high. However, markets with open circles do not mention any guidance about what users should do if a bug is discovered.
According to the latest available data, Dark Web marketplaces have at least half a million users with more than 2,400 sellers. In all, these marketplaces have recorded over 320,000 transactions, with more than 4,650 Bitcoin and 12,800 Monero — the go-to Dark Web cryptocurrency — transferred. Stolen credit card numbers, bank login credentials, and identity documents are consistently in high demand. Buyers often use these details for fraudulent purchases or large-scale identity theft schemes. With global e-commerce on the rise, criminals capitalize on weaker security protocols in certain regions, transforming credit cards and personal data into high-value commodities. The ease of encryption-based communication and anonymous digital payments helps keep transactions hidden from regulators and financial institutions, perpetuating the cycle of fraud and data theft.
Overview Of Major Darknet Marketplaces (2024–
Nexus Market emphasizes user-friendly navigation and community-driven content, offering detailed categories such as digital goods, personal data, and hacking services. It encourages vendor competition through frequent promotions and loyalty programs, making prices relatively competitive. Nexus also supports multi-signature escrow transactions, appealing to security-conscious buyers and sellers. Operational security (OPSEC) extends to how marketplaces and forums vet newcomers and moderate ongoing transactions. Moderators often request proofs of credibility, such as verified PGP signatures, to ensure participants are not infiltrators or scammers.
Related Reports
- In relation to this, we feel there is a real need to investigate these security mechanisms further, particularly regarding the protection of user accounts.
- During the heights of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, Bracci et al. 6 analysed COVID-19-related products over a period of approximately eleven months.
- In the case of a registered or reputable user, you may also receive a private address, which is used to increase the availability of the market in the event that the main address suffers a successful DDoS attack.
- According to a report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), IoT vulnerabilities are expected to triple by 2025.
- Dark web marketplaces are online platforms operating within the dark web, where individuals trade illicit goods and services while preserving their anonymity.
These breaches can result in regulatory penalties for failing to comply with frameworks such as GDPR or HIPAA. For example, non-compliance can result in fines of up to 4% of an organization’s global annual revenue. According to estimates, the size of this hidden web stands at 7,500 terabytes — making it about 400 times larger than the Surface Web. The vast majority of the Deep Web comprises perfectly legal content not meant for public consumption. This includes everything from academic papers and government documents to private, password-protected data like online banking, medical records, and email accounts. As its contents are unindexed, it’s impossible to determine the Dark Web’s exact size.
US And Five Global Partners Release First Unified OT Security Taxonomy
However, rivalries over dark web marketplaces could also lead to turf wars, disrupting their operations and creating new risks for businesses. The dark web market hosts a variety of cybercriminal groups, ranging from state-sponsored actors to independent ransomware gangs. These groups operate globally, leveraging sophisticated tools and networks to execute large-scale attacks and maintain anonymity. For cyber threat teams, investigators, or any other interested individuals monitoring emerging threats, watching dark web marketplaces should not be optional, but a must in 2025.
Securing Virtualized Environments – Hypervisor Security Best Practices
Tajammul’s deep-seated experience in mobile technology and industry research often shines through in his insightful analyses. He is keen on decoding tech trends, examining mobile applications, and enhancing general tech awareness. His writings frequently appear in numerous industry-specific magazines and forums, where he shares his knowledge and insights. This hobby provides him with a refreshing break and allows him to engage in something he loves outside of his professional life.
The dark web, accessible only through special software like Tor, constitutes a small fraction of the deep web and hosts a substantial share of illegal activity. In 2023, it averaged 2.5 million daily visitors, rising to 2.7 million by April 2023. As of 2025, daily traffic surpassed 3 million, with approximately 60 percent of domains hosting illicit content.
The growing need for cybersecurity is expected to propel the growth of the dark web intelligence market going forward. Cybersecurity refers to the practice of protecting computer systems, networks, programs, and data from digital attacks, damage, theft, or unauthorized access. Cybersecurity is essential in dark web intelligence to protect against unauthorized access, secure sensitive information, and prevent potential cyber threats that may arise from monitoring activities on the dark web.
Ready To Explore Web Data At Scale?
The other type of forum is internal to the market and is therefore owned and moderated by the market operators. Some markets also have Telegram group chats, which are moderated by the market administrators, even though it is no longer considered a traditional dark web scope. This is a more traditional security mechanism that states that the market is still controlled by specific operators. This statement (canary) is usually displayed on a page in the market and is signed with the operator’s Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) signature. The statement has the date of the next update and proof of the date the current statement was signed (e.g., this could be the latest Bitcoin block hash).
