Darknet Market Characteristics: An Examination of Longitudinal Trends in the Illicit Online Ecosystem

• In Event: The Future is Cyber(crime): Findings from the Cybercrime Interdisciplinary Behavior Research (CIBR) Laboratory at USF

Abstract

Few studies have assessed the ecosystem of darknet marketplaces, and even fewer have examined longitudinal trends across these markets. To fill this gap in the literature, our research team identified 30 darknet markets advertising the sale of a variety of illicit items and developed web scrapers to extract data pertaining to active vendors, product listings and prices, revenue, and customer feedback. We then used these data to assess longitudinal trends and provide a classification system meant to aid in law enforcement disruption efforts. Findings and implications are discussed.

Authors

• Taylor Fisher, University of South Florida

• C. Jordan Howell, University of South Florida

• David Maimon, Georgia State University