The growth of electronic commerce and malicious software tools designed to compromise various payment systems and computer networks has led to concurrent increase in data breaches, phishing, and hacking incidents that target sensitive financial information. As a function of this increase, an underground market economy has developed around the sale of consumers' bank account details and other financial information. Recent research that has examined data markets operating on the Open Web demonstrates their basic functions and distribution of information sold. Emerging evidence suggests markets are now operating on the "Dark Web," or encrypted web sites operating on Tor-based networks. The current study used a rational-choice framework to examine the noted research gap, using a sample of 18 forums and 15 shops hosted on the Open Web and Tor. Using statistical analyses to examine the geography of victimization, this study provides a preliminary test of the applicability of rational-choice theory to market operations. (publisher abstract modified)
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