Anonymity on the darknet: the key to the security of financial institutions or a threat to society

Abstract

With the progressive development of digital technologies, online security and anonymity are becoming important conditions in the virtual world, which is reflected in the darknet phenomenon. Cybercrime, being the main threat on the darknet, covers a wide range of illegal activities, including the distribution of stolen data. The motives of digital criminals vary, ranging from monetary gain to undermining trust in financial organizations and government agencies. Russia takes the leading position in ads for the sale of stolen databases, and the frequency of information leaks is only increasing. It is noted that the dark web is becoming not only a platform for illegal actions, but also a place to attract new specialists to hacker groups. Financial organisations are of great interest to them, as it is through them that large money flows. This fact creates favourable conditions for receiving significant ransoms for stolen information, and also makes the financial sector the second largest leader in losses from data breaches. Despite growing attention to the security of the domestic financial industry, it remains underfunded compared to global standards. The darknet is a complex phenomenon where anonymity can serve as both a defence of human rights and a threat to public safety. Users act without fear of being caught, punished, which leads to abuse. Regulation of the darknet is a serious task for the authorities and international organisations due to the constant improvement of digital criminals' technologies and significant differences in legislation. The article considers the essence of the darknet, its pros and cons, and concludes that anonymity in the darknet plays a key role. On the one hand, it is a tool to protect human rights and personal freedom, on the other hand, it is a threat to public safety. Therefore, the issues of privacy and cybercrime on the darknet will remain relevant for a long time due to the directly proportional relationship between the economic stability of countries and the living standards of their citizens.