Despite the relatively limited value and volume of weapons traded on the dark web compared to either other products type, such as drugs, or to equivalent products trafficked offline, the potential impact on internal security is significant as demonstrated by recent ‘lone-wolf’ terrorist attacks in Europe. The study found that the dark web has introduced a new platform enabling arms trafficking at a global scale. So it is really raising the risk level to a whole new dimension.” Giacomo Persi Paoli Paoli explains: “You can buy guns, fake documents, fake money and, here you go - you have the perfect terrorist kit ready for you. And although the market for illegal firearms is quite small, around $1 million a month according to RAND Europe’s findings, the items sold could lead to serious consequences. Once someone has access to the dark web they can visit online marketplaces, which look similar to Ebay, although are obviously unconnected to the legal site, and start searching for illegal goods. Nowadays there are many ways in which you can buy Bitcoins or cryptocurrencies and once you have those it is very easy to buy things from the dark web.” Five minutes later I had my account on a cryptomarket and could really easily find weapons to buy. “It took me five minutes on Google to find a guide on how to access the dark web. But, the dark web gives almost a real time access to a world wide supply of firearms that are available for people to purchase. The majority of people who want to buy a gun on the street wouldn’t know where to start unless they have connections to the criminal world. “I guess the most alarming thing for me was how easy it is,” he said.“It is relatively easy to do. He said his research revealed that buying firearms on the dark web was worryingly simple.
At a panel discussion next week for the Festival of Ideas - supported by the Cambridge Independent - Mr Paoli will give an introduction to his research into cryptomarkets – the black markets on the dark web – and reveal the size and scope of the dark web and what is available for trade, with a focus on illegal firearms.
Giacomo Persi Paoli is a research leader at RAND Europe in the defence, security and infrastructure group, where he leads the National Security and Resilience research portfolio. Most people assume that the dark web is a mysterious place, only accessible by the tech savvy crowd or master criminals.īut researchers at European think tank RAND Europe, who will be discussing their findings at the Festival of Ideas next week, discovered they could access dark web markets selling guns and illegal drugs in a matter of minutes. The dark web is surprisingly easy to reach The dark web is used as a black market for drugs and guns Ahead of a panel discussion for the Cambridge Festival of Ideas next week, we spoke to two of the researchers who shone a light on the dark web.
0 kommentar(er)
