<b>The Dark Web and Cybercrime: Identifying Threats and Anticipating Emerging Trends</b>

<p dir="ltr">The article explores the growing sophistication of cybercrime facilitated by the Dark Web. The research focuses on emerging threats such as crimeware-as-a-service (CaaS), the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML) into cyberattacks. The Dark Web which operates beyond the reach of traditional search engines, has become an ecosystem where cybercriminals create and sell exploit kits, exchange confidential data, and offer illicit services. The increasing availability of AI and ML tools has empowered cybercriminals to automate and enhance the effectiveness of their attacks, leading to a surge in ransomware, phishing, and targeted attacks on critical infrastructure. The study emphasizes the urgent need to identify and monitor these emerging trends to develop proactive security measures and mitigate the impact of cybercrime on businesses and society.</p><p dir="ltr">The research employed a systematic literature review to analyze contemporary cybercrime trends. The findings highlight the rapid evolution of cybercrime into a structured, service-based industry with the Dark Web serving as the primary platform for the commoditization of hacking tools and services. Techniques such as ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) and malware-as-a-service (MaaS) have transformed cybercrime into a scalable business model accessible even to individuals with minimal technical skills. The study underscores the importance of monitoring emerging trends in AI-driven cyberattacks, IoT vulnerabilities, and the expansion of attack surfaces due to remote work. The work concludes with a call for more advanced countermeasures to combat the increasing sophistication of cyber threats.</p>