Bitcoin became a catalyst for the dark web because it enabled unregulated, anonymous money transfers, Arvatsz said. The dark web offers an international black market of illegal contraband including weapons, drugs, controlled substances, and any digital information that can be stolen, including credit card numbers, user names, passwords, and trade secrets, he said.

The police and regulators must keep track of players using the dark web, and organizations and private people need to be aware of the possibility that their information may have been stolen and is being traded there, Arvatsz said.