Silk Road: Completely Under the Radar?

This article takes a look at the website Silk Road, which has recently come into the focus of two US Senators Charles Schumer and Joe Manchin, in June 2011. The Senators called for the Drug Enforcement Administration to shut down the website, which facilitates the buying and selling of illegal drugs – such as heroin, cocaine and meth – completely anonymously. Silk Road is able to hide the identities of its users through the Tor anonymity network, along with the use of bitcoins, which are an untraceable peer-to-peer [...]

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Bitcoin: Virtual Currency Challenge

Bitcoins are a peer-to-peer currency introduced in 2009. The bitcoin system is decentralized, which means there is no single authority that issues currency or tracks transactions. Bitcoins can now be used to purchase products and services and they can be exchanged for dollars, euros or other currency. [...]

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Anonymity Tools

There are numerous technological tools and resources that can help individuals preserve their online privacy. Some tools ensure that email communications are confidential, some allow users to browse webpages securely and others still ensure that files are encrypted before they are transferred between two computers. This article will explore some tools that a user might rely on to protect their online [...]

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