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8chan An open web imageboard known for user extremism. 8chan gained popularity after the imageboard 4chan banned discussion of Gamergate. The successor to 8chan is an imageboard known as 8kun.
8kun The successor to 8chan, this imageboard was launched in November 2019 after 8chan was taken offline due to domain name registrars and content hosting companies refusing to provide services to 8chan over concerns of the site’s extremism.
Agora A darknet market hosted on Tor from 2013 to 2015, Agora became the largest darknet market after Evolution closed in March of 2015. In August 2015, Agora’s administrators ceased operations due to concerns of the de-anonymization of its server locations.
Altcoin Cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin.
Anon Shortened version of "anonymous," these are users of chans who did not log in to post or participate in a discussion.
Application Programming Interface (API) A way for multiple computer programs to communicate with each other, it provides increased functionality to users with the technical aptitude for automating specific requests made to a website or other service.
Asymmetric encryption A type of communications encryption where the key used to encrypt a message is different than the key used to decrypt a message. A recipient’s public key is made available to the other user for encrypted messages sent to that user. Only the recipient’s private key can decrypt a message encrypted with their public key. This is advantageous over symmetric encryption since a user can use a single pair of public and private keys to communicate with any other user.
BitBazaar Created in July 2019, this darknet market is hosted on Tor and supports multiple cryptocurrencies and offers “stealth orders” to allow users to make a purchase without creating a site account.
Bitcoin Released in 2009, this is the first digital cryptocurrency. It is currently used to facilitate digital transactions. A user’s bitcoin is stored in a Bitcoin wallet, which is unique to the user who owns the wallet.
BitTorrent A popular torrent client that allows users to share files through peer-to-peer connections.
black pill An ideology in the incel community that embraces the concept of biological determinism, where it is believed that women’s biology dictates their preference for attractive men, leaving unattractive men helpless and destined for loneliness. The term is derived from the red pill ideology, where equality between men and women is viewed as an oppressive force against men.
board A category in a chan that may be dedicated to a specific discussion or topic.
bridge A relay whose existence is not public. This term is often used by individuals attempting to bypass government censorship.
browser Software that allows a user to access and view websites.
carding The practice of stealing credit card information and selling it on the dark web.
chan An imageboard that facilitates anonymous posting of images and text. It is a popular, typically anonymous communications platform on the open, deep, or dark web. A chan typically consist of boards, threads, and imageboards.
chat A site dedicated to conversations between users. Differs from a message board.
Child Pornography (CP) See Child Sexually Abusive Material (CSAM).
Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) Used to refer to child sexually abusive material in academic literature. Also see Child Sexually Abusive Material (CSAM).
Child Sexually Abusive Material (CSAM) Any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (someone under 18 years of age).
clearnet See surface web.
client A computer system or software application that accesses data or services hosted on a server.
cold storage A secured offline storage method for Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) A threat actor abuses JavaScript code to perform actions on behalf of an authenticated user.
Cross-site scripting (XSS) A threat actor injects JavaScript code into a webpage to perform malicious actions.
darknet A specific network within the dark web, a darknet is an overlay network within the internet that can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, or authorizations that often use a unique customized communication protocol. It is the infrastructure that the dark web is hosted on, such as the nodes, relays, and servers. The dark nets accessible through DarkBlue are Freenet, I2P, Open Web, Tor, and ZeroNet.
darknet mode In Freenet, this mode lets only your Freenet friends access the content that you host on your Freenet software. Compared to opennet mode, it is harder to block, provides better anonymity, and is fully decentralized.
dark web A subspace of the Internet that is dynamic, anonymous, and ungoverned environment and can only be accessed using a specialized software called a dark net. Using the dark web, private computer networks can communicate and conduct business anonymously without divulging identifying information, such as a user's location.
deepdotweb A discussion forum hosted on Tor that focused on darknet markets. Law enforcement shut down DeepDotWeb in 2019, and Dread succeeded it as the most popular darknet market forum.
deep web A subspace of the Internet that is inaccessible to general browsing, and is typically protected by a subscription or login credentials. The deep web makes up about 90% of the Internet.
Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack An attack launched from a single computer system attempting to make a web service inaccessible to users by intentionally overloading the service and causing it to crash. For an attack that leverages multiple computers, see Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack.
Discord A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that specializes in text, image, video, and audio communication between users. Discord is popular in the video game community, but has also been leveraged by ethno-nationalists for communications.
Distributed-Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack An attack that leverages multiple computer systems to make a web service inaccessible to users by intentionally overloading the service and causing it to crash. For an attack that leverages a single computer, see Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack.
Domain Name System (DNS) How computers translate domain names like http://google.com into IP addresses that are routable on the Internet.
dox The public revelation of a user’s identity or personal information such as email address, home address, place of work, or telephone number. Doxing is often performed maliciously with the objective of intimidating the person whose information is revealed and often results in mass harassment such as email bombing, death threats, swatting, or other tactics.
Dread A discussion forum hosted on Tor that focuses on darknet markets. Dread gained popularity after law enforcement shut down DeepDotWeb in 2019.
Dream Market A darknet market hosted on Tor from 2013-2017, Dream Market increased in popularity after law enforcement shut down the AlphaBay and Hansa markets in 2017 through Operation Bayonet. However, the arrest of the site’s administrator in August 2017 created fear that the site was compromised by law enforcement. Dream Market ceased operations in 2019 and migrated to a different onion service.
dump A large collection of data, which may include credentials, documents, or database of information.
eepsite A site hosted on the I2P darknet that can only be accessed using I2P. All of these sites end in the .i2p domain extension.
Empire Created in April 2018, this is the largest darknet market hosted on Tor.
ether The cryptocurrency of the Ethereum platform. This is a cryptocurrency used in digital transactions.
Ethereum A platform which facilitates the exchange of ether.
Evolution A darknet market hosted on Tor from 2014-2015. In March 2015, Evolution’s administrators abruptly shut down the site while performing an exit scam in which user escrow accounts valuing nearly $12 million bitcoin was stolen.
Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) A file format that contains useful file information such as the file author, creation and modification times, device used to create the file, and geolocation information. It is a standard that specifies formats for images, sound, and ancillary tags used by digital cameras, scanners and other systems handling image and sound files recorded by digital cameras.
exit scam An event in which darknet marketplace administrators shut down a site and steal bitcoin escrow from its users.
forum Otherwise known as a message board, it is a discussion site where users can communicate in the form of posts.
Fourteen Words A reference to the phrase “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” This phrase was created by white supremacist David Lane and is now commonly seen as a slogan for white supremacists and ethno-nationalists.
Freenet A peer-to-peer darknet that uses each system connected to the network for distributing hosted content. It hosts content that can be accessed without fear of censorship, making it a hub for information sharing. A large volume of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) is hosted on the network.
Gamergate A harassment campaign where female video game developers were harassed and doxed over sentiments of an increasing influence of feminism within video game culture.
garlic encryption Layers of encryption that are applied to communications made in I2P.
handle A term for a username that is used on sites and forums.
hidden service The original term for an onion service, it is a site hosted on the Tor network.
honeypot A computer system or service that is designed to lure users. It performs illicit actions for the purpose of alerting the system owner to illicit activity, and can collect information on the individuals partaking.
Hydra Launched in 2015, this is Russia’s largest darknet market hosted on Tor.
Invisible Internet Project (I2P) An open source darknet that utilizes peer-to-peer connections to facilitate communications over the dark web. I2P is the second most widely used darknet, boasting 20,000 to 30,000 users. It provides a decentralized network for anonymous browsing and communication. The platform requires technical knowledge for initial configuration, but offers its users increased security through direct peer-to-peer communications and a routing design that helps protect the anonymity of communications.
I2P address book A basic list of the hosted eepsites that exist.
imageboard A site centered around users posting images along with text to discuss those images.
incel A term for someone who is “involuntary celibate.” The online incel community is predominately male and openly expresses misogynistic beliefs. Extreme views in the incel community include praise for violence against women.
Internet A collection of connected computer systems across the world.
Internet Protocol (IP) address A machine-routable label assigned to each system connected to a computer network. Websites utilize IP addresses that are mapped to domain names. Domain names are translated to IP addresses through the use of the Domain Name System (DNS).
InterPlanetary Name System (IPNS) Similar to the Domain Name System (DNS), it is often used to route users to content within the darknet by translating domain names into IP addresses that are routable on the Internet. It is used by sites such as OpenBazaar.
jailbait A term to describe a minor that is considered attractive by an adult using the term.
JavaScript An extensively used programming language that enables interactive features on websites. While commonly used on the open web, most dark web sites do not use JavaScript because of known security issues. Common JavaScript security problems include Cross-site scripting (XSS) and Cross-site request forgery (CSRF).
leak Data or information that was not intended to be publicly available. Leaks are often obtained using hacking or misconfigurations made by the data’s owner.
Litecoin A peer-to-peer cryptocurrency used to facilitate digital transactions.
market A site that specializes in the exchange of goods and services.
message board See forum.
mirror An identical replica of a website. Mirrors are used to increase website resiliency to Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks or other efforts to censor controversial or illegal content.
moderator A user on a website with privileges to remove posts, block controversial users, and potentially administer technical components of the site.
Monero A privacy-focused cryptocurrency that utilizes a decentralized architecture to protect information about a transaction.
not safe for work Indicates that content has offensive language or media which contains gore, violence, or pornographic material.
onion encryption Layers of encryption that are applied to communications made over Tor.
onion service Formerly known as a hidden service, it is a site hosted on the Tor network that can only be accessed using Tor. All the URLs use the .onion top-level domain.
opennet mode In Freenet, this mode lets any Freenet user access the content that you host on your Freenet software. Compared to darknet mode, it is easier to block, provides less anonymity, and is somewhat centralized.
open source Software that is developed by a community and can be openly examined for bugs or security concerns. Contrasts with commercially developed software where the source code is inaccessible to users.
open web See surface web.
Operation Onymous An international law enforcement effort which shut down multiple darknet markets including Silk Road 2.0, Hydra, and Cloud 9. The operation was led by the FBI and Europol.
outproxy Connecting to the open web from the dark web. Some darknets like Tor support outproxying while others like ZeroNet do not. Outproxying presents the risk of de-anonymization since communications to the open web may not be protected with encryption.
pastebin A website on the open web where users can publish information anonymously. Pastebin is commonly used for posting hacked credentials or other sensitive information anonymously. A specific collection of data on pastebin is known as a paste.
peer-to-peer (P2P) A connection in which two systems communicate directly with one another, eliminating the need for a central server.
ports The location to which the data is being sent.
post A user submission to a forum.
Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) An encryption method that provides privacy and authentication for online communications. It is commonly utilized to protect email communications. The PGP process creates a public key and private key. PGP keys can be used to send and receive encrypted emails, verify the identity of the sender of an encrypted message, and encrypt files stored on a device. Many users on the dark web post public PGP keys so that other users can send encrypted emails to them. However, PGP keys can leak, revealing personal information about the keys’ owner if the keys are generated in an insecure manner. Digital fingerprinting is used to help investigators link pieces of information (fingerprints) of a digital device (like a server) to profiles of individuals. Fingerprinting PGP keys can sometimes provide investigators with a name and email address used to create the PGP key.
private key A key that is used to decrypt messages protected with asymmetric encryption. If a user’s private key is exposed, all communications to that user can be decrypted.
prune The manual or automatic process of removing posts and content from a chan.
public key A key that is shared with other users to perform asymmetric encryption of communications. Communications to a user are encrypted with the recipient’s public key.
QAnon A conspiracy theory originating on the imageboard 4chan by username “Q” alleging a secret plot by the “deep state” against President Donald Trump and his supporters.
red pill An ideology that views equality between men and women as an oppressing force upon men. The term is borrowed from a scene in The Matrix where the protagonist chooses to take a red pill that reveals an unpleasant truth, rather than taking a blue bill that leaves him happily ignorant.
red room Live stream of murder on the dark web.
relay A system which routes traffic on behalf of clients and servers.
Ricardian contract Digitally signed agreement which provides authenticity of an agreed upon transaction. Used in transactions made in OpenBazaar.
Secure Shell Protocol (SSH) A protocol that computer administrators use to remotely connect to a system’s command-line interface (CLI) to operate securely over an unsecure network. SSH provides password authentication and public key authentications, as well as encrypted data communication between computers connecting over an unsecure network. Connections are encrypted using SSH keys to protect the confidentiality of communications made between two systems. SSH fingerprints are a formatted hash of the host’s public key and can provide information on SSH version, computer operating system and other potentially exploitable information. A system that supports SSH connections generally has port :22 open, and presents its public SSH key to users when a connection is initiated.
seed A ZeroNet-specific term, it is a system that hosts a site.
server A computer system that provides data or services to the client.
Silk Road A vastly popular illicit marketplace that was hosted on Tor. Silk Road was taken down by the FBI in 2013. In its absence, OpenBazaar was created in 2014 as a platform that supported decentralized peer-to-peer transactions that offered greater reliability and security to its users.
sitemap Presented in a sitemap.xml file, this is a directory of all pages hosted on a website. Sitemaps are typically located in a website's root directory at /sitemap.xml. While sitemaps are commonly found on open web websites, they are uncommon for dark web sites.
surface web Any sites accessible using a search engine and a standard browser. It makes up about 4% of the Internet.
swatting A malicious call to 911 in which the caller depicts a hostage situation or other imminently dangerous scenario, which triggers the deployment of law enforcement SWAT assets to the location of the targeted person. The goal of swatting is for the targeted person to be harassed, falsely arrested, or even killed.
symmetric encryption An encryption of communications where the same key is used to encrypt and decrypt a message. Symmetric encryption requires a unique shared key between each pair of users, creating scalability problems when a user or system is communicating with many other users. An additional challenge includes exchanging the shared key securely before an encrypted channel is established.
Telegram An instant messaging and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that supports end-to-end encryption to protect communications between users.
The Amnesic Incognito Live System (Tails) An open source operating system that focuses on protecting the privacy and anonymity of its user.
thread A specific discussion or group of messages within a message board or imageboard.
top-level domain Domains (such as .com, .org, .net, .onion, or .i2p) that exist as the extension of registered domains of websites.
Tor The most popular software for accessing the dark web, offering ease of use through the Tor Browser Bundle. With over three to four million daily users, it's a gateway to the dark web for many. Tor was initially developed by the Naval Research Laboratory and MIT in the late 1990s for secure communication with U.S. government intelligence assets. Sites that can only be reached using Tor are called onion services (previously “hidden services”). There is an estimated 75,000 unique onion services, but these sites are constantly being added and removed due to the dark web’s dynamic environment.
Tor exit node The previous Tor relay where traffic passed before entering the open web.
torrent A peer-to-peer file sharing technology. Torrenting removes the need for a central server since users can directly share files using a P2P connection.
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) A global communication standard that devices use to reliably transmit data to ports.
tumbler A service that helps increase the anonymity of cryptocurrencies by mixing potentially identifiable cryptocurrency funds with others. Tumblers generally take a transaction fee of 1-3% to perform the mixing service.
Vichan An open source imageboard software. Vichan’s predecessor Tinyboard is used to power the imageboard 4chan.
Wall Street Market A darknet market that was shut down in law enforcement in 2019. The administrators of Wall Street Market were believed to be attempting an exit scam when law enforcement intervened. The lack of operation security led to the exposure of one administrator’s IP address and another one’s email address, revealing their true identities.
ZeroNet Uses BitTorrent peer-to-peer connections to facilitate communications on the dark web. It allows users to create websites and share content without relying on traditional web hosting. It has gained popularity among users seeking censorship-resistant platforms. Content hosted on ZeroNet is decentralized to increase resiliency against Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks and attempts to censor content. While ZeroNet does not anonymize users by default, the platform can be configured to route traffic over Tor to protect user identities. Future support for routing traffic over I2P is also expected.
zite A site hosted on the darknet ZeroNet. Zites end in the .bit domain extension.