It’s dark in there: Using systems analysis to investigate trust and engagement in dark web forums

Abstract

The dark web is a layer of the Internet that exists to preserve the anonymity of its users. Features of the dark web include websites, discussion forums, and marketplaces that trade in legitimate and illicit products and services. Common examples that have gained public notoriety include Silk Road, Agora and Taobao5, generating hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. One of the major features of the dark web is obscuring the originating Internet Protocol (IP) address of its users. Perhaps this may explain why little research exists on participant trust and engagement within this environment. This research paper contributes to this gap in two ways. First it explores the application of the Event Analysis of Systemic Teamwork (EAST) methodology to the dark web context, and specifically, the tasks and interactions associated with enrolling as a first-time participant within an illicit marketplace. The second contribution, is a compelling view on the nature of trust establishment within a dark web system of relevance to participants, hosts, and law enforcement stakeholders alike. The research is novel in its approach and application of sociotechnical systems methodologies within a highly under-researched but popular environment. The implications for future research and practice in this area are discussed.