Telegram and Discord: The New Dark Web?

The dark web isn't going anywhere—but it's no longer the only game in town. Increasingly, cybercriminals are conducting business on platforms you probably use every day: Telegram and Discord. These mainstream messaging apps have become bustling marketplaces for stolen data, ransomware negotiations, and threat actor coordination.

Why the shift? Convenience, accessibility, and ironically, better security features. Let's explore how encrypted messaging platforms are reshaping the cybercrime landscape and what it means for security teams.

The Evolution of Cybercrime Infrastructure

To understand this shift, we need context. The traditional dark web—accessed through Tor browsers and .onion domains—has been cybercriminals' preferred marketplace for over a decade. It offered:

• Anonymity: Tor routing obscures IP addresses and location
• Persistence: Dedicated marketplaces and forums with established reputations
• Community: Vetted members, escrow services, dispute resolution

But the dark web has problems. Sites frequently go offline due to law enforcement takedowns or exit scams. Access requires technical knowledge. Transactions are slow. And the FBI has proven, repeatedly, that Tor isn't as anonymous as users think.

Enter Telegram and Discord

Mainstream messaging platforms offer cybercriminals several advantages:

• No technical barriers: Download an app, create an account, start trading—no Tor browser needed
• Mobile-first: Conduct business from your phone anywhere in the world
• Rich features: File sharing, bots, channels, groups—better UX than dark web forums
• Encryption: End-to-end encryption in Telegram's "secret chats" and Discord DMs
• Legitimacy: Hiding among billions of legitimate users provides cover
• Resilience: Harder for law enforcement to take down entire platforms versus individual dark web sites

What's Happening on Telegram

Telegram has become particularly popular among cybercriminals due to its permissive policies and strong encryption. Here's what security researchers are observing:

Ransomware Operations

Ransomware groups increasingly use Telegram for:

• Victim negotiations: Instead of .onion payment sites, some groups now negotiate directly via Telegram
• Data leak announcements: Channels with thousands of subscribers share stolen data dumps
• Affiliate recruitment: Ransomware-as-a-Service operators recruit "affiliates" to deploy their malware
• Status updates: Groups announce new victims, feature additions, and operational changes

LockBit, BlackCat/ALPHV, and Play ransomware groups have all maintained active Telegram channels alongside or instead of traditional leak sites.

Data Marketplaces

Telegram channels function as data marketplaces where stolen information is bought and sold:

• Credential dumps: "Combolists" containing millions of username:password pairs
• Database leaks: Customer records from breached companies
• Initial access: Compromised VPN credentials, RDP access, corporate email accounts
• Financial data: Credit card numbers, bank account details, cryptocurrency wallets
• Personal information: Social security numbers, driver's licenses, passports

Sellers advertise their wares in public channels, then move to private chats for transactions. Payment is typically cryptocurrency, transferred directly between parties.

Hacking Services

Telegram hosts a gig economy for cybercrime:

• DDoS-for-hire: "Booter" services advertising attack capacity
• Phishing kits: Pre-built templates for credential harvesting
• Malware development: Custom RATs, stealers, and trojans
• Account takeover: Services to compromise specific social media or email accounts
• CAPTCHA solving: Human workers solving CAPTCHAs for bot operators

Automated Bots

Telegram's bot API enables automated criminal services:

• Leak check bots: Query if email addresses appear in breaches
• Carding bots: Validate stolen credit card numbers
• Doxing bots: Look up personal information from databases
• Phone number lookup: Find personal details associated with phone numbers

These bots democratize access to tools that previously required technical expertise.

What's Happening on Discord

Discord, originally built for gaming communities, has seen similar abuse. While Telegram is more popular for data trading, Discord excels as a coordination platform:

Threat Actor Collaboration

• Private servers: Invite-only communities where threat actors share techniques and tools
• Real-time coordination: Voice channels for planning and executing attacks
• File sharing: Malware samples, stolen data, hacking tools distributed via Discord CDN
• Tutorials and training: Channels teaching exploitation techniques to newcomers

Social Engineering Operations

Discord's young user base makes it attractive for scams:

• Cryptocurrency scams: Fake investment opportunities, pump-and-dump schemes
• Account takeover: Compromising high-value gaming accounts, NFTs, cryptocurrency wallets
• Tech support scams: Impersonating platform staff to steal credentials
• Romance scams: Building relationships to extract money or information

Malware Distribution

Discord's content delivery network (CDN) is abused to host malware:

• Remote Access Trojans (RATs): Malware payloads disguised as legitimate files
• Information stealers: Tools designed to extract credentials and cryptocurrency wallets
• Phishing payloads: Files that lead to credential harvesting sites

Because Discord's CDN uses HTTPS and is frequently accessed by legitimate users, malware hosted there often bypasses security filters.

Why These Platforms, Why Now?

Several factors explain the migration from traditional dark web to messaging platforms:

1. Law Enforcement Pressure

Major dark web marketplace takedowns—AlphaBay, Hansa, Silk Road, and many others—have taught criminals that centralized platforms are vulnerable. Telegram and Discord's distributed model is harder to dismantle.

2. Generational Shift

Younger threat actors grew up with mobile messaging apps. They're more comfortable with Telegram's interface than navigating dark web forums. The barrier to entry is lower.

3. Speed and Convenience

Dark web transactions can take days—find a seller, negotiate via forum PMs, wait for escrow, release payment. Telegram transactions happen in real-time with instant messaging.

4. Platform Policies

Both Telegram and Discord have been slow to crack down on cybercriminal activity. Telegram's founder has publicly stated the platform won't cooperate with law enforcement requests in many jurisdictions. This hands-off approach creates safe havens.

5. Better Features

Ironically, these platforms' legitimate features make them better for crime:

• Channel broadcasting reaches thousands instantly
• Bots automate previously manual processes
• File sharing is faster and more reliable
• Mobile apps enable 24/7 operations

The Security Team Challenge

This shift creates new challenges for security professionals:

Monitoring is More Complex

Dark web monitoring traditionally focused on .onion sites and known forums. Now you also need to monitor:

• Public Telegram channels (relatively easy)
• Private Telegram groups (requires infiltration)
• Discord servers (often invite-only)
• Encrypted direct messages (nearly impossible)

Volume is Higher

With lower barriers to entry, more threats surface on these platforms. Security teams face higher signal-to-noise ratios as amateur criminals mix with sophisticated actors.

Speed Demands Fast Response

When stolen credentials appear in a Telegram channel with 10,000 subscribers, you have hours—not days—before they're weaponized. Traditional dark web monitoring cadences (daily or weekly reviews) are too slow.

What Organizations Should Do

1. Expand Your Monitoring Scope

If your dark web monitoring only covers .onion sites, you're missing significant threats. Ensure your solution monitors:

• Public Telegram channels known for data leaks
• Discord communities associated with your industry
• Paste sites where data is shared publicly
• Traditional dark web forums and marketplaces

2. Reduce Alert Latency

Configure real-time alerts for high-priority threats. When your domain appears in a Telegram channel, you need to know immediately—not during tomorrow's security review.

3. Monitor for Specific Indicators

• Your company name and common misspellings
• All corporate domains and subdomains
• Executive names (often targeted for whaling attacks)
• Product names and intellectual property
• Employee email addresses

4. Establish Response Procedures

What happens when your data surfaces on Telegram? Have a plan:

• Verification: Confirm the threat is real and assess severity
• Containment: Force password resets, disable compromised accounts
• Investigation: Determine breach source and scope
• Documentation: Preserve evidence for potential legal action
• Notification: Inform affected parties per regulatory requirements

5. Educate Your Team

Security awareness training should address:

• Risks of using corporate credentials on personal devices
• Dangers of joining work-related Discord/Telegram groups with unverified members
• How information shared in "private" groups can leak
• Social engineering tactics specific to messaging platforms

The Platform Response (or Lack Thereof)

What are Telegram and Discord doing about cybercrime on their platforms?

Telegram's Position

Telegram has been criticized for harboring criminal activity. The platform's response:

• Removes "clearly illegal" content when flagged
• Doesn't proactively scan for criminal activity
• Limits cooperation with law enforcement
• Defends user privacy and free speech as primary values

Critics argue this hands-off approach enables crime. Supporters say it protects legitimate users in authoritarian regimes.

Discord's Efforts

Discord has been more responsive:

• Shuts down servers reported for illegal activity
• Uses automated tools to detect malware distribution
• Cooperates with law enforcement investigations
• Published transparency reports on takedown activities

However, the sheer scale—hundreds of millions of users—makes comprehensive monitoring impossible.

Looking Ahead

Is this a permanent shift or temporary trend? Several factors will determine the future:

Regulatory Pressure

Governments are increasingly focused on encrypted platforms' role in crime. The EU's Digital Services Act and similar regulations may force platforms to take stronger action.

Platform Policies

If Telegram and Discord implement stricter enforcement, criminals may migrate elsewhere—perhaps to more decentralized platforms or back to the dark web.

Law Enforcement Adaptation

Police agencies are developing capabilities to monitor and infiltrate Telegram/Discord communities, potentially reducing their appeal to criminals.

The Bottom Line

The cybercrime landscape is evolving. Threat actors are pragmatic—they go where it's easiest to do business. Right now, that's increasingly Telegram, Discord, and other mainstream platforms.

For security teams, this means you can't just monitor the traditional dark web anymore. Comprehensive threat intelligence requires coverage across:

• Classic dark web (.onion sites, forums)
• Telegram channels and groups
• Discord servers and communities
• Paste sites and data dump platforms
• Social media where leaks are announced

The "dark web" isn't a specific technology anymore—it's anywhere cybercriminals gather to conduct business away from oversight. That includes apps on your smartphone.

Organizations that adapt their monitoring to this reality will detect threats faster. Those that don't risk missing critical intelligence until it's too late.