Analyzing extremism on Tor using social network analysis through automated data capture.

• In Event: Examining Terror and Extremisim Using On and Off-line Data

Abstract

The dark web remains a relatively unexplored area of the internet being utilized for security and anonymity as well as more sinister applications. Criminals have been quick to adapt to technology in areas such as child exploitation, carding, fraud and identity theft. However, people interested in terrorism have been slow in adopting these same technologies. As terrorism gains attention globally, organizations and members may seek to regain their sense of anonymity by learning how to obscure and obfuscate their presence online. The dark web offers these groups places to communicate and distribute their messages, funding opportunities through crypto currencies, and safe spaces to radicalize members who may not be part of their local struggle . Balancing both the survival instincts of the group to remain hidden and covert while remaining accessible to the average user the dark web provides a place for these concepts to converge. Through open source intelligence and automated data capture methods this paper will seek to examine the use of the dark web by these extremist organizations. Analyzing webpages allows for the construction of social networks which may further provide insight into the operation of extremist organizations as they actively try to remain hidden.

Authors

• Bryan Monk, Simon Fraser University

• Julianna Mitchell, Simon Fraser University

• Richard Frank, Simon Fraser University