Most of us steer well clear of the dark web, but one bloke who has been a hacker for three decades has divulged some of the harrowing stuff he's come across on the job.
Essentially, the dark web is the underbelly of criminal activity and it can play host to gruesome and depraved acts which can scar even the most hardened person.
Obviously, people who are looking in on it are either curious about what’s going on in the dark side, or they’re part of it.
Or they’re there to hack.
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Hackers tend to look for networks or data storages of interest, which could give them things to use and sell, or use to gain access to money.
It’s not honest work, but it’s the path that some have chosen for themselves.
But what is it like to be a hacker on the dark web?
Well, a hacker with over 30 years of experience deep diving in on data and software has revealed the scariest things he has ever come across, and it’s not for the weak.
He started off by recalling some 'destructive attackers' who 'want to see the world burn' - so you can already get the gist of what sort of content is on there.
The anonymous man explained he once considered himself a 'black hat' of the web, meaning he wasn't bound by any kind of ethical code.
But now, he has changed his headwear and dubs himself a 'white hat' - a group of internet Good Samaritans who claim to work to improve the greater good, are bound by the law and are often tasked to find weak spots in security software.
The bloke explained that his new role involves searching for vulnerabilities in systems that could pose a 'significant risk'.
The hacker told VICE in 2021: "I also do things like hunt the criminals who are targeting hospitals or who are targeting the businesses that I'm looking out for."
Speaking about ransomware - a malicious software designed to block someone's access to a computer system - the mystery man said: "It is an attack technique that's been around for decades.
"Modern ransomware is usually a piece of malware that gets on your system, encrypts all of your data and then holds that hostage demanding that you contact the gangs that are operating it, paying them in some form of currency before they'll give you the key that decrypts your data."
Just like the rest of us, there are some times when his job gets really tough - except this fella has got a lot more at stake due to the fact he's dealing with the dark web.
Speaking about some of the things he's witnessed, he continued: "I've watched hospitals get encrypted and people are left with a choice: do I pay to decrypt the data or do I risk lives?"
He went on to explain how hacking has changed over the years: "Back when it started ransomware was charging hundreds of dollars, maybe thousands of dollars for individual targets.
"The bigger payouts that we're talking about now are easily into the tens of millions. This last, most recent attack, they offered $70 million dollars for the campaign key, which is the key that would have unlocked every single computer encrypted during that attack. So we're talking high-stakes games here."
Speaking about what the future will hold, he said: "I don't think we have to worry too much about our nuclear arsenal being taken over movie style and used against us. But I do think we have to worry about major impacts to financial markets or potential impacts to things like electricity production facilities."
Topics: Technology, Crime
Britt Jones