Dark web investigations are the domain of cybersecurity experts who would rather proactively search for threats rather than wait until attacks are launched. Tools like open-source intelligence (OSINT) and SOAR platform integration fuel their investigations. But in order to make sure tools and strategies are maximized for effectiveness, security teams must pay significant attention to operational hygiene.
Within the general cybersecurity environment, operational hygiene is the set of technical, procedural, and behavioral practices that maintain safety. Security teams themselves need to be protected against identification. But infrastructure and data evidence must also be kept safe.
At issue is the fact that investigators are often interacting with hostile adversaries. They operate in high-risk environments like dark web forums and marketplaces. Given the environment and the people they interact with, operational hygiene is central.
A Core Definition for Dark Web Investigations
Operational hygiene is applicable to nearly every aspect of cybersecurity. In the context of dark web investigations, its core definition is more specific. Operational hygiene is the ongoing practice of protecting the research environment, data, and workflows, along with the identities of those conducting the investigations.
Also note that operational hygiene does not exist in a vacuum. It is practiced alongside legal compliance, data collection and analysis, threat response, etc. Operational hygiene acts as a safety net to protect investigative activity.
4 Types of Operational Hygiene
Security teams maintain the best possible operational hygiene when they are thorough. To that end, the dark web investigation specialists at DarkOwl break operational hygiene down into four types:
1. Environmental and Infrastructure
Environmental and infrastructure hygiene encapsulates the hardware, software, and environment within which security teams work. For example, virtual machines act as isolated workspaces that protect investigators in data. By using them with hardened, privacy-focused browsers that are separated from personal or day-to-day use, investigators avoid cross-contamination and self-doxxing.
Investigators also utilize their infrastructure strategically. They relay traffic through secure gateways or VPNs. They ensure their software is fully patched and they avoid running investigations through production networks.
2. Identity and Operational Security
Hygiene in the identity and operational security space is about hiding identities and not leaving footprints behind. Compartmentalized operational personas are a great tool for maintaining anonymity. Therefore, security teams develop different personas for each investigation. They never reuse personal identifiers.
From an operational security standpoint, teams monitor their own digital footprints. They minimize them as much as possible so that adversaries cannot connect the dots between different investigations.
3. Data Handling
Data handling hygiene is all about gathering evidentiary data in a clean and untraceable way. First of all, teams only collect necessary data. They store it in encrypted repositories and sanitize it in sandboxed environments.
Teams also maintain disciplined logging in order to preserve a chain of custody for all data. This chain of custody supports all legal, regulatory, and internal investigation requirements teams are compelled to adhere to.
4. Behavioral and Procedural
Last but not least is behavioral and procedural hygiene. It dictates minimizing direct interaction with criminal actors unless explicitly authorized and controlled. This means no joining or posting to restricted groups. It means not buying products or services on the dark web.
Teams often follow predefined checklists and rules of engagement to ensure their behavior is up to standard. As threats, platforms, and legal implications evolve, so do the rules of engagement.
Dark web investigations are serious business. They can be harmful to those conducting them, which is why operational hygiene is so important. Security teams and organizations need to protect themselves and the data they collect.
