- Confidential and Proprietary - Luminar Annual Threat Landscape Report Page 29 7 Conclusions There are multiple factors that affected the popularity of Telegram among cybercriminals who choose this platform over the traditional cybercrime sphere on the Dark Web. These factors are based on Telegram’s own features, law enforcements efforts to shut down popular cybercrime forums and marketplaces, and the different types of restrictions on traditional Dark Web cybercrime platforms, restrictions Telegram is devoid of. While analyzing the trend, the numbers reflect the rising popularity of Telegram among cybercriminals, especially with regards to data leaks, the most popular activity on the Dark Web. In this sphere, we witness a stable increase in Telegram, and a huge gap developing from the Dark Web. Moreover, since mid-2019, we have also witnessed a constant and mounting surge in the number Telegram messages, while the number of Dark Web posts during the same period isn on the decline. In addition, our analysis shows that this trend happens across all underground communities, with some like the Chinese adopting it faster than others. We estimate this trend to increase further, which would signify an escalation in the ongoing surge of cybercrime. However, law enforcement agencies and organizations might take additional steps to gather further information about cybercriminal activity conducted on Telegram.