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> following the dark net markets subreddit As someone who is well aware of being hopelessly clueless regarding discovering even the most simplest of illicit tr

> following the dark net markets subreddit As someone who is well aware of being hopelessly clueless regarding discovering even the most simplest of illicit transactions to save one's own life, I was wondering how people find out about new or existing dark-net markets beyond nebulous "word of mouth" scenarios one sees amongst the "old guard" "Liam Neeson"-type gangster characters in film.

malandrew 12y ago
This is something I've been curious about as well. I would love to be able to wander into such places as a lurker to see exactly what is going on. Are things as horrible as the popular media leads us to believe or are things far more banal. However now, with the revelations of the past year or so, it seems like the kind of thing that is risky to try and discover until after you learn tradecraft and how to protect your identity while exploring darknets.
- ripb 12y ago
  If you're just lurking then you're committing no crimes, and sure if you've ever even googled "Tor" or "Tails" the NSA will have you marked for it anyway. [1] I decided to fire up Tor and have a look at the places mentioned in the article, having previously browsed (but never used) Silk Road before it was busted out of similar curiosity. They're basically as described. It's fairly disturbing that these exist. I don't mind people buying and selling drugs, as people are going to do that, but on these same market places people are selling identities, fraud equipment (POS and ATM skimmers), stolen credit card details, funds from hacked accounts and, most disturbingly, weapons. The weapons are by far the worst aspect of it. There's listings for everything from 3D printed guns through to modified AK47s that are now fully automatic. Worst of all, there is materials listed for making explosives, as well as components like fuses and switches. I hate to think of whose hands these things end up in. 1. http://www.cnet.com/news/nsa-likely-targets-anybody-whos-tor-curious/ http://www.cnet.com/news/nsa-likely-targets-anybody-whos-tor...
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
- aftbit 12y ago
  I don't think there's much risk of legal trouble from accessing markets for research purposes, as long as you don't actually buy or sell anything illicit. Also, the level of tradecraft required to securely browse a website with Tor is pretty low - just boot to a Tails LiveCD.
  - fabulist 12y ago
    Using a properly configured, Tor-enabled browser/OS is the first step to protecting your identity, not the last. You still have to compartmentalize your illicit (or, in the case of research, simply suspicious) activity from your day-to-day computer activities, rigorously.
    - palunon 12y ago
      Tails helps you do that... If you want to go trough tor, you have to boot the live cd. Of course you can still blow your anonymity by torrenting or accessing gmail at the same time, but it helps.
      - fabulist 12y ago
        Thats partly what I'm getting at. When you start down the path of maintaining a real-life identity and a Tor identity, it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid contaminating one with the other. But I suppose for the original, "read only" purpose of perusing dark markets, Tails may suffice.
codexon 12y ago
Here is a list. http://www.reddit.com/r/DarkNetMarkets/wiki/markets http://www.reddit.com/r/DarkNetMarkets/wiki/markets
- drdeadringer 12y ago
  Very interesting, thank you.

malandrew 12y ago

This is something I've been curious about as well. I would love to be able to wander into such places as a lurker to see exactly what is going on. Are things as horrible as the popular media leads us to believe or are things far more banal. However now, with the revelations of the past year or so, it seems like the kind of thing that is risky to try and discover until after you learn tradecraft and how to protect your identity while exploring darknets.

ripb 12y ago
If you're just lurking then you're committing no crimes, and sure if you've ever even googled "Tor" or "Tails" the NSA will have you marked for it anyway. [1] I decided to fire up Tor and have a look at the places mentioned in the article, having previously browsed (but never used) Silk Road before it was busted out of similar curiosity. They're basically as described. It's fairly disturbing that these exist. I don't mind people buying and selling drugs, as people are going to do that, but on these same market places people are selling identities, fraud equipment (POS and ATM skimmers), stolen credit card details, funds from hacked accounts and, most disturbingly, weapons. The weapons are by far the worst aspect of it. There's listings for everything from 3D printed guns through to modified AK47s that are now fully automatic. Worst of all, there is materials listed for making explosives, as well as components like fuses and switches. I hate to think of whose hands these things end up in. 1. http://www.cnet.com/news/nsa-likely-targets-anybody-whos-tor-curious/ http://www.cnet.com/news/nsa-likely-targets-anybody-whos-tor...
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
aftbit 12y ago
I don't think there's much risk of legal trouble from accessing markets for research purposes, as long as you don't actually buy or sell anything illicit. Also, the level of tradecraft required to securely browse a website with Tor is pretty low - just boot to a Tails LiveCD.
- fabulist 12y ago
  Using a properly configured, Tor-enabled browser/OS is the first step to protecting your identity, not the last. You still have to compartmentalize your illicit (or, in the case of research, simply suspicious) activity from your day-to-day computer activities, rigorously.
  - palunon 12y ago
    Tails helps you do that... If you want to go trough tor, you have to boot the live cd. Of course you can still blow your anonymity by torrenting or accessing gmail at the same time, but it helps.
    - fabulist 12y ago
      Thats partly what I'm getting at. When you start down the path of maintaining a real-life identity and a Tor identity, it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid contaminating one with the other. But I suppose for the original, "read only" purpose of perusing dark markets, Tails may suffice.

codexon 12y ago

Here is a list. http://www.reddit.com/r/DarkNetMarkets/wiki/markets http://www.reddit.com/r/DarkNetMarkets/wiki/markets

drdeadringer 12y ago
Very interesting, thank you.