Recently, my Facebook account was hacked. Suddenly, it showed my location as Hanoi. I couldn't log in; things changed, disappeared, and got erased. Regaining control wasn't easy, but eventually, someone at Facebook managed to block the account and gradually restore my access. I'm still trying to figure out what happened.
Initially, the experience felt terrible. Why would someone want to take over my Facebook account? It felt like a violation. What were they doing with it? Then I started questioning myself. Had I left an opening? Was I too trusting? I recalled a guy who wanted to collaborate on a podcast through Facebook. I had given him permissions for various things, perhaps too many. Maybe that was how they gained control.
This led to some sleepless nights, pondering where I went wrong and what I did to make this happen. It also wasted countless hours of my time. However, like most challenges, there are ways to improve and move forward.
A couple of days ago, I visited a cybersecurity startup seeking my help with something. I shared my Facebook ordeal with them and expressed my interest in their world. I mentioned the dark web and its associations with weapons, drugs, cryptocurrency, and smuggling. They agreed to teach me about it.
In a few weeks, I'll spend a couple of days with them, learning about the dark web and the internet underworld—I'm not sure how else to describe it. I'm curious about the motivations of people in that realm. Financial incentives are obvious, but what about other factors? In the modern workplace, we find that feeling appreciated, having a direct connection with your boss, fair pay and promotions, psychological safety, and low bureaucracy foster deep connections and a desire to work.
What drives those in the internet underworld? Surely, money is part of it, but perhaps it's also about outsmarting others or causing harm. What else could it be?
I'll soon delve into this world and hope to learn a lot while maintaining my optimism. I'll report back on what I discover.
Wishing you all less evil in your lives.
