Analysis of the Rising Threat of Subverting Privacy Technologies

Abstract: Privacy technologies have become extremely prevalent in recent years from secure communication channels to the Tor network. These technologies were designed to provide privacy and security for users, but these ideals have also led to increased criminal use of the technologies. Privacy and anonymity are always sought after by criminals, making these technologies the perfect vehicles for committing crimes on the Internet. This paper will analyze the rising threat of subverting privacy technologies for criminal or nefarious use. It will look at recent research in this area and ultimately reach conclusions on the seriousness of this issue.