criminal investigation

Our tools enable investigators to gather evidence on criminal activities occurring on the dark web. Criminal activities include the dealing of arms and drugs, CSEA, in addition to gathering intelligence on ransomware groups, organized crime syndicates, and human trafficking networks.

Our solutions were developed in collaboration with law enforcement and government agencies, to give investigators secure access to the dark web. Regardless of their dark web experience, investigations can use our browser-based tools to intuitively search and gather evidence on the dark web.

Law enforcement faces several challenges during dark web investigations. First, the anonymity and encryption provided by tools like TOR and I2P hinder criminal identification, necessitating deep technical expertise to navigate hidden services. When investigating criminal groups like Lockbit, jurisdictional complexities arise across state and international borders. Third, keeping up with the evolving dark web tactics and managing the overwhelming volume of data pose resource challenges for investigators.

Searchlight offers comprehensive platform onboarding to help investigators and analysts get the most from our dark web investigation and monitoring platforms. However, we’ve learned from conversations with our customers that often the dark web is complex to navigate for investigators – even for experienced professionals.

That’s why we launched The Dark Web Academy. This two-day instructor-led training helps law enforcement and security professionals bridge the dark web skill gap and tackle threats using the Cerberus dark web investigation platform. Through hands-on exercises, attendees will develop their technical skills, as they work with real-world dark web data – gaining the critical skills and confidence they need to conduct investigations using the Cerberus platform. Visit our training page to learn more.

Criminals on the dark web will often use specialist browsing software such as TOR or I2P to conceal their activities and identity. Tor operates using the concept of “onion routing”. This involves data being sent through a circuit of nodes, similar to an athletics relay race. However, unlike a relay race, you only know the identity of the person who handed you the baton and the person you’re passing it on to – thus keeping the identity of the user anonymous. However, the threat posed by criminals on the dark web also offers an opportunity to security and investigation teams. Searchlight provides automated dark web monitoring and dark web investigation tools. These tools allow cybersecurity professionals to access information that cybercriminals wish to keep hidden. By using Searchlight, they can identify the earliest warning signs of an attack and conduct criminal investigations to unmask the identity of the criminals behind the dark web aliases.

Investigating cybercrime is a complex process that often involves multiple teams, regions, and countries. As such, law enforcement agencies require access to case management features that allow them to maintain, audit, and report on multiple investigations across multiple teams. Searchlight’s dark web investigation tool gives investigators access to tools they need to gather evidence from the dark web, easily share with other teams, and build cases, so they can focus on deconflicting targets.