Dark web monitoring is an effective tool for beefing up cybersecurity. Private entities and government organizations alike take advantage of it. But for one particular group, dark web monitoring is a different ballgame entirely: law enforcement. Due to the nature of their investigations, law enforcement agencies need to be circumspect about how they glean dark web information.

More often than not, the key to dark web monitoring for law enforcement is leveraging a variety of tools to gain intelligence data without actually accessing the dark web itself. An organization like DarkOwl can make it happen. With darknet intelligence tools capable of scraping information through a variety of sources, they can give law enforcement access to the valuable information they need without disclosing the existence of ongoing investigations.

The Dark Web in a Nutshell

The dark web is not an internet entity in and of itself. Rather, it is a hidden section of the internet in which secrecy is maintained through fake IP addresses, proxies, VPNs, and other strategies. Its high level of privacy makes it a haven for both criminals and rogue nation states alike.

Unfortunately, the dark web is similar to the rest of the internet in the sense that its users can monitor traffic coming and going. Being apprised of law enforcement investigations gives cybercriminals ample opportunity to cover their tracks.

Challenges for Law Enforcement

The nature of dark web monitoring poses unique challenges for law enforcement. The first is protecting highly sensitive investigations. Poking and prodding around the dark web too aggressively could compromise a case. Making matters worse is the fact that dark web monitoring often requires a lot of effort but can still yield limited results.

The second challenge is a direct result of the first: dark web sites and portals come and go with exceptional frequency. A site is up for a few days, then taken down before meaningful data can be harvested. Criminals employ such tactics specifically to thwart law enforcement investigations.

Getting Around It Through Indirect Access

Not having access to the plethora of information the dark web offers can be frustrating for law enforcement. But there is a way to glean valuable information without direct dark web monitoring: indirect access.

As an example, DarkOwl’s darknet intelligence platform relies on technology that can “scrape and index hidden undergrounds” without the need to directly access the dark web. DarkOwl technology provides valuable information while protecting case integrity.

Without giving away the details, here is basically how law enforcement can get around dark web challenges:

• Specialized Platforms – Specialized platforms, like DarkOwl’s, glean information from monitoring darknet forums, marketplaces, and other sources.

• Monitoring Services – Law enforcement can contract with monitoring services to handle the technical aspects of darknet intelligence for them.

• Archived Content – Darknet users produce content that can be archived just as easily as conventional online content. Archived content can be a goldmine of information.

• Adjacent Networks – Adjacent networks like Telegram and IRC can yield important information from time to time. They can be accessed without specialized software.

There are still other options including OSINT solutions, contracting with security researchers, and analyzing research and reports produced by cybersecurity firms. They all provide investigative fuel without forcing law enforcement agencies onto the dark web.

Dark web monitoring is definitely a tool modern law enforcement can’t do without. But they cannot go at it the same way other entities often do. Law enforcement needs to be very careful so as not to tip its hand and compromise active investigations. But where there is a will, there is a way.