Dark Web

8 in 10 app taxi users report dark patterns on ride-hailing apps: Survey

About 59 per cent of app-based taxi users said they have faced hidden charges -- fees not shown upfront but added at the end of the ride

Digital lending, edtech, ecommerce among worst dark pattern users: Survey

Most online platforms in India continue to use dark patterns despite government rules, with hidden fees, forced actions and bait & switch among the most common tricks, a LocalCircles survey shows

UK's MI6 agency launches dark web portal 'Silent Courier' to recruit spies

MI6 said it was harnessing the anonymity of the dark web for the first time to allow potential agents living in Russia and around the world to mitigate the risks against them

Bans won't kill gambling, money gaming will just shift to the Dark Web

As attempts to ban card games in Stalinist Russia show, they simply move underground - or, in the case of online gaming, to the Dark Web

Dark web makes it tough for Delhi Police to probe bomb threats to schools

A fresh wave of bomb threats targeting schools and colleges has kept Delhi Police on its toes as many education institutes panicked for three days straight, with senior officers saying the emails were sent using encrypted networks, making them hard to track. Cyber experts of the Delhi Police and senior officers investigating the threats said the senders are using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and the dark web. The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by traditional search engines and is accessible only through special browsers, allowing illegal activities such as cybercrime, human trafficking and drugs and weapons trade to thrive. VPN adds a layer of anonymity by allowing users to create a secure connection to another network. "Tracking someone on the dark web is like chasing a shadow in a room full of mirrors. The moment you think you have found a lead, it vanishes behind another layer of anonymity," a Delhi Police officer explained. Ten bomb threat emails have

CCPA's advisory on dark patterns sent to over 50 online platforms

Platforms including Amazon, Flipkart, Zomato and Paytm asked to eliminate dark patterns and complete self-audits within three months as per 2020 e-commerce rules

Trump pardons dark web marketplace 'Silk Road' creator: Who is Ross Ulbricht?

In 2011, Ulbricht launched 'Silk Road', a darknet marketplace he envisioned as a freewheeling, anonymous platform for trade, powered by cryptocurrency

At least 20% cybercrimes involve dark web usage by attackers: Report

At least 20 per cent of cybercrimes in India involve attackers using dark web, according to a report by cyber security firm Lisianthus. The dark web is a platform on the internet that can be accessed using special tools. It is usually very difficult to trace the identity and location of a dark web user. "At least 20 per cent of cybercrimes in India involve the usage of the dark web by online attackers," the study conducted by Lisianthus Tech said. The attackers used the dark web for cybercrimes like data breaches, hacking, phishing, ransomware, identity theft, sale and purchase of banned products like narcotics and weapons. The study is based on a detailed analysis of several cases of cybercrime reported across the country, said Khushhal Kaushik, founder and CEO of Lisianthus Tech. The study was conducted on a sampling basis over a period of two months which concluded last week, he said. "Study was completed using several samples of crime data taken from state police, National Cr

Govt eyes crackdown on ecommerce dark patterns amid festive shopping season

In December last year, the Consumer Affairs Ministry introduced rules defining 13 dark patterns in ecommerce, classifying them as violations of consumer protection laws

52 of 53 top apps in India use 'dark patterns', says ASCI study

The report said that ethical design alternatives and choice architecture in apps should be introduced to bring down such cases

Eyes on dark web: How Indian firms can protect their data from cyberthieves

To mitigate risks from dark web, organisations should implement cybersecurity monitoring that includes preparation, detection, analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, and post-activity measures

Consumer affairs secretary warns e-commerce sites on dark patterns

The government has been working towards eliminating the usage of dark patterns by e-commerce platforms

Boat suffers data breach: Personal data of 7.5 mn users leaked on dark web

The threat actor has put out around 2 Gigabytes of personally identifiable information (PII) of boAt users on dark web forums, claimed the reports

Data of 7.5 mn boAt customers leaked on dark web: Forbes India report

The personal data of 7.5 million boAt customers is a being sold at just two euros on the dark web

67% of consumers experienced subscription trap: LocalCircles survey

Over 1 in 2 consumers surveyed who bought something via app or software platforms said they experienced dark patterns like subscription trap, drip pricing and bait and switch, said the survey

'Virtual currency, e-payments, dark web attracts terrorist organisations'

According to a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report, virtual currencies such as Bitcoin have increasingly been used in various illegal and criminal activities and terror financing

Indian national pleads guilty in US to running dark web drug enterprise

A 40-year-old Indian national extradited from the UK has pleaded guilty to operating a global dark web enterprise to sell "deadly and dangerous drugs to communities across America" and agreed to forfeit approximately USD 150 million in cryptocurrency. According to court documents, Banmeet Singh from Haldwani in Uttarakhand created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces to sell controlled substances, including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, Ketamine, and Tramadol, the US Department of Justice said in a press release. Customers ordered controlled substances from Singh using the vendor sites and by paying with cryptocurrency. Singh then personally shipped or arranged the shipment of the drugs from Europe to America through US mail or other shipping services, the release said on Friday. Banmeet Singh and traffickers like him think they can operate anonymously on the dark web and evade prosecution...Today's guilty plea, which includes forfeiture of approximately USD 150 million

Personal information of 750 mn Indians up for sale on dark web: CloudSEK

The dataset allegedly encompasses around 85 per cent of the Indian population, making it one of the largest breaches of its kind

How well can govt's dark pattern rules curb customer manipulation online?

You looked for tickets on a travel website and it showed a particular price. But, within minutes, the price increased

Battling dark patterns

Ensuring consumer protection on the web will boost growth