• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
TechCybersecurity

The Things You Can Buy on the Dark Web Are Terrifying

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 7, 2015, 12:15 PM ET
A crest of the Federal Bureau of Investi
A crest of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is seen 03 August 2007 inside the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington, DC. AFP PHOTO/Mandel NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)Photograph by Mandel Ngan—AFP

The Internet is a scary place, and one security company has outlined just how scary it can be.

Software security firm Trend Micro released a report on Monday outlining the many ways people can order up drugs, guns, and even murder across the U.S. and Canada. The company analyzed sites and forums on the “surface web”—the industry term for the location of searchable sites—and the “dark web,” where non-indexed sites reside. According to the security company, it’s shockingly easy to find “forums and marketplaces” where drug dealers, illegal arms dealers, and even hit men are waiting.

“Anyone armed with the right search query can enter,” the company wrote in its report. “This underground is not a locked vault accessible only to the tech-savviest of hackers, but rather a glass tank—open and visible to both cybercriminals and law enforcement. Cybercrime operations are treated like regular businesses.”

Perhaps most shocking is that Trend Micro’s analysis took it to underground sites that offer murder for hire. For $45,000, a hit man, offering “professionalism,” would murder someone upon request. Targets in the public eye would cost $180,000. Apparent hit men also charge for crippling, bombings, making a person “go missing,” and “simple” beatings of individuals or entire families.

“Many murder-for-hire sites guarantee a certain level of ‘professionalism,'” Trend Micro says. “Hit men provide certain guarantees of keeping their clients anonymous.”

Trend Micro’s findings are part of a broader study from the company on the Internet’s “underground.” The underground Internet or dark web is neither new nor by definition illegal—but for the vast majority of people, it’s an unknown world they’ve never been to. Law-enforcement officials have long warned that the dark web is a place where stolen Social Security numbers, credit cards, and illegal pornography are sold. It’s also home to illegal drug stores.

Still, there is some speculation over just how big the dark web is. In August, Vice took a deep dive into the underground sites to see how they operate. The investigation found that hit-men sites may either be fake or run by undercover law-enforcement officials. The site called the mysteries surrounding the dark web little more than an “exaggerated myth” that encompasses a “small collection of websites.” Indeed, Trend Micro estimates that there are just 100,000 people surfing the dark web. The vast majority of sites living there—62%—cater to drug users. Just 1% claim to offer murder-for-hire, and several reports over the years from investigators to Reddit users who claim to have been on the dark web have questioned whether those sites are even legitimate.

Regardless, Trend Micro says accessing the underground Internet is somewhat easy, and users who do so often employ anonymizers to hide their identities. They often also pay in the cryptocurrency bitcoin, which encrypts transactions and hides the identities of those who own the digital currency. All of that anonymizing not only makes it harder to find users, but also to determine the legitimacy of the sites and services offered.

The underground Internet became a focal point earlier this year when Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, an underground e-commerce site where users could order drugs to be shipped to their homes, was sentenced to life in prison. While the site was taken down in 2013, Trend Micro says many others have cropped up in its place, offering customers everything from marijuana to heroin.

“Apart from actual drugs, guides on producing them or the tools needed to do so are also available,” Trend Micro writes in its report. “We found a guide for making crack, for instance, sold for a mere $5.”

Drugs and murder are just the tip of the iceberg. Trend Micro discovered that customers can find tools that help them hack into computers and servers. An e-commerce store discovered by Trend Micro has a convenient drop-down list, offering customers counterfeit items, fraudulent documents, and weapons of all kinds. Users also can buy fake passports and stolen credit card credentials.

Trend Micro (TMICY) says U.S. and Canadian governments have been working hard at taking down the sites and finding those behind them. The company also noted that while making the sites more accessible to North American buyers may be helpful in securing revenue, it also makes them more visible to law enforcement seeking out such services.

“This underground is a glass tank, as much as it is transparent, it is also fragile,” Trend Micro wrote. “Although several criminal transactions are done out in the open, they are very fickle. The life span of most underground sites is short. They could be up one day and gone the next. Investigations will have to keep up with this fast pace.”

Looking ahead, Trend Micro says it will continue to investigate the underground Internet and alert law enforcement to illegal sites. The company, without providing specifics, says it expects “more (site) takedowns and arrests in the near future.”

For more on hacking, check out the following Fortune video:

Sign up for Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Anu Madgavkar, a partner at the McKinsey Global Institute
AIWorkplace Innovation Summit
McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
By Emma BurleighMay 21, 2026
58 minutes ago
allbirds
AILayoffs
Allbirds’ 600% stock surge says a lot about how ‘AI washing’ became the new ‘greenwashing’
By Suvrat Dhanorkar and The ConversationMay 21, 2026
3 hours ago
musk
InvestingIPOs
‘We do not want humans to have the same fate as dinosaurs’: SpaceX IPO reads like Hollywood fantasy version of the future
By Bernard Condon and The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
4 hours ago
murdoch
Big TechMedia
James Murdoch vows ‘ambitious journalism and agenda-setting conversations’ as he takes over New York, Vox brands
By Jocelyn Noveck and The Associated PressMay 21, 2026
4 hours ago
Traders work after a Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
InvestingMarkets
Wall Street thinks there’s a chance the S&P 500 could push 20% higher by 2027
By Eleanor PringleMay 21, 2026
5 hours ago
Elon Musk sits with his fists together, looking up.
NewslettersTerm Sheet
SpaceX’s IPO filing is full of surprises
By Allie GarfinkleMay 21, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
1 day ago
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
Future of Work
Meet a 21-year-old community college student who's going to China as the first American woman welder in the trades Olympics
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
4 days ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
21 hours ago
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
Workplace Culture
Dr. Bernice King on why companies that walked back DEI were never truly committed: 'If you retreat that quick…that reveals who you really are'
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.