Drug Trafficking and Vendor Characteristics on Tor Network Cryptomarkets

• In Event: Illicit Drug Markets on the Internet

Abstract

Its developers have advertised the Tor Network, born out of the eternal debate between the rights to privacy and security in cyberspace, as a safe haven for law-abiding members of society, providing a seemingly wide range of securities to its users. However, past studies have indicated that the anonymity afforded by the Tor Network also entices users to take part in illicit activities on this network; yet, the extent to which criminals have infiltrated various corners of the Tor Network is less known. Using webcrawling techniques, this research examined drug trafficking patterns on three popular cryptomarkets housed on Tor: Agora, Evolution, and Silk Road 2. Trends in drug availability (i.e., frequencies and quantities of popular drug-types in relation to geographical indicators) were analyzed on each site, in addition to identifying characteristics of drug-related vendor accounts.

Author

• Diana Dolliver, University of Alabama