The ‘Dark Web’, what is it? Does it damage business? Waseem Saddique Marketing Investigates

Did you know? Internet surfers use just three hundredths of one per cent of the internet, so where’s the rest? The answer lies in the ‘dark web’ or the ‘dark internet’, an unmonitored area in cyberspace that has become increasingly more sinister and accessible.

Waseem Saddique comments: “It may surprise the ‘average’ internet user to know that when using the Google search engine to find information the pages listed do not make up the entire internet. Think of the internet like an iceberg, the tip sits above the surface, but the bulk of the iceberg stretches miles below the surface.”

Waseem continues: “The iceberg analogy represents a perfect model of the internet; Google is simply the tip of the iceberg, whilst the rest of the internet holds deeper and darker secrets.”

The ‘dark web’ originates from software pioneered by the US Navy in 2002, designed to safeguard government communications. 

However, the Tor software system was soon adopted by savvy techies all over the world. It’s the Tor software system that has developed a reputation as the ‘dark web’, allowing internet users to surf the web completely unmonitored and anonymously.

Now, as the Government pushes for companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter and other major online companies to censor ‘harmful’ content, concerns have surfaced that such pressure to implement censorship will drive web users towards the ‘dark web’ proxy, obscuring the identity of users and the sites hosted.

The pioneers of the Tor project, a non-profit organisation whose inception took place in Walpole, Massachusetts in 2002, say that the project was establish with the intention of making anonymous web-surfing mainstream.

In an article published by the Independent, Tor project pioneers claim that ‘the numbers of users of its free software doubled between 2011 and 2012, reaching around 600,000 people each year – and, though the numbers are hard to trust, its data suggests there are 15,715 unique daily users in Britain. But as whole companies could be operating from one address, calculating the true usage is impossible.’

How does Tor work?

Tor, short for ‘The Onion Router’ because of its layer like complexities, functions by directing web traffic across a series of nodes – aka onion routes – adding layers of encrypted code at various intervals. The result is that browsers and online users, as well as the individuals hosting the websites it features, remain untraceable by authorities.

It is Tor software that kept the identity of ‘Prism’ whistle-blower, Edward Snowden, anonymous before he publically revealed details of the USA’s ‘secret’ surveillance system.

How does it damage business?

Waseem Saddique comments: “Reputation management becomes increasingly difficult as a result of the ‘dark web’, a proportion of companies in particular industry sectors have been subjected to a barrage of negative publicity as a result of dark web activity.”

As the ‘dark web’ is made up of non-indexable content and is 500 times larger than the ‘web surface’, the content stored is so much more difficult to trace and access. Businesses under attack from negative publicity posted through the ‘dark web’ will find it virtually impossible to trace the perpetrator and even if they do locate them the damage may already be irreparable.     

The other sinister aspect of the ‘dark web’ is that it allows for complete anonymity, which provides people with the opportunity to post slanderous and defamatory comments about particular businesses all over the web, whether via blog, social media or an online forum. The ramifications of such activity could easily damage a business brand, without any means of preventing it.

The warning issued to online business owners by computer security consultants is beware and get educated about the ‘dark web’.

Social Media, the new big brother?

After contributing to the downfall of former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, social media appears to have infiltrated the trial of George Zimmerman, a former neighbourhood watch captain accused of murdering unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin.

Waseem Saddique states: “This case is high profile in the USA as it has sparked racial tensions all across the nation. It would now appear that social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Instagram are being used as platforms to discuss the case and fuelling ever increasing tension as social media posts come under close observation and scrutiny.”

Initially, people took to social media to voice their outrage that Trayvon’s killer remained free from arrest for four weeks despite being identified as the killer. However, social media appears to have ‘gate-crashed’ the entire trial within and beyond the confines of the courtroom.

Social media has established ‘eyes everywhere’ and it all began as a result of a witness in the Zimmerman trial that gave a testimony via Skype. That particular witness was later overwhelmed with calls from fellow Skype users. 

A lawyer for the defence also had his private affairs exposed as a result of an image posted on Instagram by his daughter, whilst countless members of the jury and other witnesses have had their social networking accounts monitored in order to keep track of comments and keep tabs on the people they’re following.

A social media analyst, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Social media has effectively become a worldwide surveillance system, particularly when high profile legal cases are in process. Social media has the power to incriminate people and leave them open to abuse and obviously that is not the desired intention of social networking.”

The analyst added: “Privacy seems to be a thing of the past particularly where social media is concerned as people, often unwittingly, will expose their whole life on social media sites. The recent case of Edward Snowden revealing the US government using ‘manipulative’ measures to acquire information through spying on social media accounts highlights the big brother status of social media.”

In respect to the Zimmerman trial Twitter has its very own hashtag (#Zimmermantrial), where people gather to comment on trial proceedings. The case has become so high profile on social media it has made it easier for Lawyers involved in the case to monitor jurors and witnesses and look out for any signs of a slip up which may compromise evidence.

Worse still, social media has also connected perpetrator and victim throughout this trial with members of Zimmerman’s family and Martin’s family involved in heated exchanges across Facebook and Twitter.

In a statement from Orlando defence lawyer, David Hill, he said: “Lawyers in routine cases typically don't have time to scour the social media sites of potential jurors, though it has become more commonplace in highly publicised cases. It has become more common practice to vet the accounts of witnesses, as their posts may expose particular biases, motives or contradictions in their testimony.”

He added: “Like it or not, when it comes to Facebook and social media, it may not just be Big Brother watching you, but your friendly neighbourhood criminal defence lawyer.”

Waseem Saddique concludes: “There’s no doubt that social media has its advantages, but when it comes to legal matters should social media be allowed to infiltrate and potentially influence the outcome of highly sensitive legal cases? Only time will tell.” 

Prism Poses Threat to Privacy say Marketing Moguls – Waseem Saddique Marketing Investigates

Prism, a recently launched US initiative imposed by the federal government, is set to reshape the world of marketing say leading marketing experts.

Recently Waseem Saddique Marketing Services, along with countless other marketing companies around the world were introduced to the prospect of Prism, a US federal government initiative that apparently uses ‘backdoor methods, via major online businesses, to monitor private data and conversations without a warrant. This is done by phone surveillance and online tracking.

It’s unconfirmed as to whether the ‘Prism’ concept is in anyway related to the information exposed by ‘whistle-blower’ Edward Snowden, but what is clear is that the public uproar regarding ‘Prism’ has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Waseem Saddique comments: “Upon learning that ‘Prism’ has the potential to violate personal privacy, the public has reacted with outrage, firstly because they know little about Prism and secondly the very notion that something like this exists makes the public feel uneasy.”

Marketing moguls from across the globe best describe Prism as a third party online user tracking system; however where some fail to agree is whether it pushes the boundaries of privacy.

There is no doubt that Prism will revolutionise the marketing world if used primarily for gathering vital data. In theory, online tracking has been taking place since the dawn of the internet, but the tracking systems in place meant that those people that data was being retrieved from remained anonymous.

Marketing experts agree that whilst no harm, of a material nature, can come from third party tracking and targeting for targeted media purposes, Prism takes online tracking to a new level in being able to monitor conversations and record sensitive data.

Standard online tracking systems are in place to help consumers, by analysing their experiences of particular website services in order to enhance website performance and to assess advertising options that would be better suited to a particular target audience.

However, should the Prism tracking system be implemented, marketing companies and other industry streams could be flooded by consumer concerns about what data is being recorded about them. The potential impact of Prism on the marketing industry is that it will fall on marketing experts to educate the public about online tracking.

Waseem Saddique asserts: “According to ‘Social Media Today’ there are three principles to safe online tracking, including:
1. Safe tracking is anonymous.
2. Safe tracking is transparent, informing users of what’s private and what isn’t.
3. Safe tracking respects your privacy, protecting your personal content, connections and conversations.     

The latest reports emerging about Prism suggest that the US Government is adhering to all three of these principles. However, the public and marketing gurus are decidedly sceptical.

Waseem Saddique states: “As a marketing professional myself, the members of the marketing community will soon find themselves awash with privacy queries over the Prism concept. What’s about to happen is that marketing experts are about to become educators about safe online tracking, just as the US federal government is right now regarding Prism.”