Dark Web Court 101 - Proceedings

Over the past few weeks the FBI, Department of Justice (DOJ), Interpol, and other international law enforcement agencies have worked together to incarcerate and indict ransomware threat actors. Through this effort, millions of dollars in ransom payments have been recovered.

When it comes to the rule of law, access to justice for all and a fair trial are both fundamental in any democratic society. But what if the Dark Web community has its own justice system that believes in the same values?

Every day there are dozens of cases all over the Dark Web that escalate to this underground justice system and patiently wait for the high-ranking authorized cybercriminals (usually members of a forum administration) to solve the dispute and assign a winner and loser.

Much like the United States judicial system, this whole process begins with a dispute between two opposing sides. For example, the threat actor purchased compromised network access but then discovered that the same access was previously sold to another entity. Now the threat actor demands recourse in the form of a refund, but the seller is not willing to comply with this request. And thus, the higher dark web virtual court is brought into the picture.

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