The Sandy Springs Chamber Dives Deep Into the Dark Web

SANDY SPRINGS -- The attendees at the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber March Luncheon were introduced to Dr. Donald Hunt, a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University. Dr Hunt was formerly the head of fraud and cybercrime analytics for one of the largest digital payment processors in the world. Now, he works to create policies around and prevent computer-based crimes, particularly phishing, social engineering and ransomware attacks.

Dr. Hunt started his presentation by saying, “By the way, this is not a tutorial on how to hack.” Instead, he aims to teach people about the Dark Web and clear up common misconceptions. The Dark Web refers to the sections of the World Wide Web only accessible by special software and certain people which allow users to remain anonymous and untraceable. Millions of people use it every day, but not always for reasons that are legitimate.

“The Dark Web was not built for nefarious purposes,” said Dr. Hunt. Instead, it was built to help people. Recently, the United States assisted with this this mission in Africa. “The US did an air drop, but not to drop food, money or relief. We dropped routers,” said Dr. Hunt. The Dark Web is a tremendous aid in suppressed countries where free speech is stifled. It provides secure communications for citizens to speak with each other and the rest of the world. The Dark Web has also become a safe haven for whistleblowers who believe they need to speak out.

However, the Dark Web is still at the epicenter of a lot of criminal activity. Large marketplaces like the Silk Road sell everything from drugs and weapons to fake IDs. These IDs include passports with stamps from countries around the world so that they look used and not suspicious. Credit cards can be bought for less than the equivalent of one dollar each. All of these transactions are run with bitcoin, the cryptocurrency without a central bank.

Users can also hire hackers and malware programs. It is in this last area that Dr. Hunt and his team specializes. They buy programs from hackers on the Dark Web and then take them apart to see how they run. Knowing how malware works allows authorities a better chance to prevent or stop attacks. Dr. Hunt also works to educate businesses of their online vulnerabilities. Businesses with large customer support centers are particularly susceptible. Because employees open on average an email a minute, they are likely to open some with a virus. By educating employees on how to identify them and how to avoid them, Dr. Hunt and his team are able to assist the Federal Agencies in capturing the bad guys.

About the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber

The Chamber was formed in 2008 to serve businesses in the City of Sandy Springs and the north Perimeter area. With leadership from an elected Board of Directors, and working in partnership with city government, the Chamber’s mission is to maximize the business success of its members, strengthen the competitiveness of the Sandy Springs business community and enhance economic prosperity of the area. Ongoing initiatives include workforce and economic development, business education, community service and networking opportunities for members. Tom Mahaffey is president of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber. www.SSPChamber.org