Anonymity in decentralized apps: Study of implications for cybercrime investigations

Abstract

In the digital age, cybercrime facilitated by anonymous communication apps raises significant concerns. Criminals exploit the anonymity provided by these apps, creating challenges for law enforcement and cybersecurity professionals when investigating and combating cybercrime. The complexity of decentralized applications (DApps) without centralized servers further complicates evidence certification. Although anonymity features to protect privacy, they impede the establishment of connections between digital accounts and real-world identities. In centralized server environments, data access for investigations is relatively straightforward. However, this study reveals that DApps present challenges due to decentralized control, anonymity, encrypted communication, and jurisdictional issues. DApps designed for anonymous communication allow users to interact without revealing their identities, making it challenging to trace criminals. While cybercrime investigations in centralized environments involve systematic evidence collection, correlation, analyzing communication patterns, collaboration with agencies, tracking IP addresses, legal authorization, and forensic analysis of digital devices, DApps-based investigations require vital intelligence gathering through open-source techniques (OSINT). This includes retrieving digital footprints, analyzing social media profiles, and tracing ownership information. Moreover, investigators may exploit human vulnerabilities, engage in deceptive communication, or use social engineering techniques to gather information while carefully considering the balance between user privacy and investigative requirements. In this study, we explore the many facets of anonymity in DApps and what challenges they impose for the investigation of cybercrime. The anonymity of users and their transactions in the context of new blockchain and decentralized technology presents difficulties for law enforcement. In the end, our research helps shed light on the complex relationship between anonymity in decentralized systems and the need for fairness online.