Cybercrime is a crime carried out online, mainly on the dark web. This can include the sale of illegal narcotics, stolen data and even paid attacks. It was estimated that nearly 1 billion emails were exposed in a single year, affecting 1 in 5 internet users, and around 236 million ransomware attacks occurred globally in the first half of 2022.

In 2023 there has been a massive crack-down on these illegal sites, with the likes of Genesis and breached forums being raided and sized by the police in recent months, gaining massive mainstream media attention. These preceding sites sold illegal data and leaked in bulk, such as IP addresses, login credentials and even digital fingerprints used for biometrics. These are often sold for less than one dollar.

Breached Forums

Following the crackdown on illegal sites in 2023, one of the primary targets has been breached forums. In late March, a website administrator announced on their official telegram group that authorities took down breached forums following the arrest of 'pompompurin'. A 21-year-old named Conor Brian Fitzpatrick is the alleged owner and administrator of BreachForums. He has now been charged with a single count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud.

Another primary target of the crackdown on illegal sites in 2023 was the notorious Genesis market. A facilitation cybercrime-facilitation market noted for its easy-to-use interface, known as a one-stop shop for online fraud. Uk police have recently announced that they have arrested a suspected on a Tuesday night in Grimsby. However, this seizure appeared to be a collaborative effort between multiple law enforcement authorities across the globe.

Conclusion

These arrests are a significant milestone in the fight against cybercrime. However, the argument can be made that these authorities are fighting an uphill battle against cybercrime. Due to the ease and convince of cybercrime. There are already 'imitation' sites that have recently been created to fill the gap in the market the authorities have created with the recent closures of Breached and Genesis. Hence, it is as vital as ever to stay vigilant to online threats and keep up to date with the most recent online practices.

Here at DarkInvader, we are constantly looking for and reviewing all the recent news stories that relate to the dark web, keep up to date with us on our socials.

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