ABSTRACT
The deep web is the anonymous internet beyond the open traffic of the regular internet. Accessible only through an encrypted browser, this deep web gives individual users anonymity in any online activity, making it a preferred tool for political and human rights activists and security agencies. But it has also been misused by cyber criminals and organised crime syndicates to create digital black markets or dark net marketplaces. These sell prohibited goods such as drugs, firearms, stolen personal and financial data, counterfeit items, malware and computer viruses. They also cater to the extreme perversions of humanity such as contract killing, snuff movies and child pornography. This has made them hubs of illegal online activity, contributing to the growth in cyber crimes across the world. India has still to fully comprehend the financial and security implications of this deeper danger even as India-related activity on these sites is expanding. This chapter reviews the technology behind the deep web, its evolution and how India figures in the deep web and digital black market-related activity.
