Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
Open access
Peer reviewed
Abstract
Abstract
Dark web drug market participants (both buyers and vendors) face frequent disruptions that affect their access to marketplaces. While these disruptions vary in their duration and the actors involved, existing research has largely concentrated on closures by law enforcement. Recognising the broader range of disruptions experienced by participants is essential for understanding how dark web markets adapt and evolve. This paper presents a typology of dark web drug market disruptions, informed by the current literature, categorising disruptions along two key dimensions: the duration of the disruption (temporary versus permanent) and the actor involved (internal versus external) in the disruption. This typology provides a comprehensive framework for analysing how different forms of disruption may influence market participant decision-making processes and the resilience of illicit online drug markets. In doing so, the typology highlights how disruptions that differ in duration and origin may have varying implications for participant behaviour and market resilience.
Direct answer
What can I do from this paper page?
Use this page to scan "When the Markets Are Inaccessible: A Dark Web Drug Market Disruption Typology" quickly: start with the summary and abstract, then check the authors, source, topics, and related papers. From here, open Scollr to follow Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies research, save the paper, or map adjacent work.
Research areas
Follow related topics
Citation
BibTeX
@article{Morgenthaler2026When,
title = {When the Markets Are Inaccessible: A Dark Web Drug Market Disruption Typology},
author = {Elena Morgenthaler and Andrew Childs and Benoît Leclerc and Danielle Reynald},
journal = {Social Sciences},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.3390/socsci15060407},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15060407}
}FAQ
Using this paper in a discovery workflow
How do I find related work for this paper?
Use the related papers and topic links on this page as starting points. In Scollr, you can also open the paper and build a literature map around its references, citing papers, and related work.
How can I keep up with new Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies research papers?
Follow Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies research in Scollr. New papers from the topic flow into a personalized feed, and you can save useful studies to revisit later.
Can I cite this paper from this page?
This page includes a static BibTeX block for When the Markets Are Inaccessible: A Dark Web Drug Market Disruption Typology. Always verify the DOI, source, and publication details against the publisher record before submitting a manuscript.
Follow this research in Scollr
Follow the topics and authors behind this paper, save useful studies, and build a literature map when you are ready to go deeper.
Get the app