🔒 Protect your business with Nearchos Nearchou — your trusted cybersecurity partner!

🚀 Join Nearchos Nearchou

Get the latest posts delivered to your inbox.

Available for consulting & talks Based in Nicosia, Cyprus

Hi, I'm Nearchos Nearchou, cybersecurity consultant & author. I help people understand and fight crime on the Dark Web.

I study how cybercriminals operate in the hidden corners of the Internet and how investigators track them down, then turn that research into clear advice, training and talks your team can act on.

I wrote Combating Crime on the Dark Web (Packt, 2023), a practical guide for aspiring cybercrime investigators, security professionals and anyone curious about the Internet's hidden side. I'm also the founder of Cyber Shop Cyprus, write the technology and security blog on this site and host the Nearchos TV YouTube channel.

Work with me Explore the book

Qualifications and expertise

  • MSc, Cyber Security

    MSc in Cyber Security and Management; First Class BSc (Hons) in Computer Science

  • Cybersecurity consultant

    Dark Web threat intelligence, security awareness and strategy

  • Speaker and host

    Talks and workshops on cybercrime, plus the Nearchos TV YouTube channel

Portrait of Nearchos Nearchou, cybersecurity consultant and author
  • TOR & onion services
  • OSINT
  • Threat intelligence

My book

Combating Crime on the Dark Web

Learn how to access the Dark Web safely and not fall victim to cybercrime

A clear, step-by-step tour of the Dark Web's criminal ecosystem and the methods investigators use to counter it. Inside, you'll learn:

  1. The history of cybercrime, the Dark Web and TOR
  2. How Dark Web drug markets and trafficking networks operate
  3. Lessons from real investigations, sting operations and honeypots
  4. How open-source intelligence (OSINT) and tools such as MEMEX are used
  5. Frameworks for disrupting organised crime online

Packt Publishing,
Paperback and ebook · 138 pages
ISBN 978-1-80323-498-4

Read on O'Reilly (opens in a new tab) Get it on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Career

My experience

My path into cybersecurity began with hands-on IT work: repairing hardware, running networks and supporting the people who depend on them every day.

Since then I've written a book on Dark Web crime, taught digital skills to young people in prison, and built my own technology business in Cyprus. The thread running through all of it is simple: making technology safer and easier to understand for the people who use it.

Education

  • MSc
    Cyber Security and ManagementUniversity of Warwick
  • BSc
    Computer Science (Hons)University of Hertfordshire

  1. Managing Director

    – Present

    Current

    At Cyber Shop Cyprus, Nicosia

    I lead operations, product strategy and growth at Cyber Shop Cyprus, an online store for electronics, technology and cybersecurity products, including crypto hardware wallets. I also run the development of the store itself, from customer experience and security to search visibility.

  2. Writer and Book Author

    – Present

    Current

    At Packt Publishing, remote

    I wrote Combating Crime on the Dark Web, published in February 2023. It explains how criminal markets on the Dark Web and TOR operate, and the intelligence methods and tools investigators use to take them down.

  3. Computer Science Teacher

    –

    At Central Jail of Nicosia

    I taught on a digital inclusion programme for young prisoners, covering core digital skills and media literacy: spotting misinformation, cyberbullying, online addiction and the effects of social media on wellbeing. Each learner finished the course with a small project of their own.

  4. Information Technology Operator

    –

    At Church of Cyprus Theology School, Nicosia

    I led the design and rollout of new IT systems, monitored infrastructure performance and costs, evaluated vendors, resolved day-to-day technical issues and managed the school's social media.

  5. IT Technical Assistant

    –

    At CYTA, Nicosia

    At Cyprus's largest telecommunications provider, I gained hands-on experience across network engineering, hardware repair and customer support.

Services

How I can help

I'm a cybersecurity and IT consultant based in Nicosia, Cyprus. I help businesses and individuals stay secure online, understand the threats coming their way, including those on the Dark Web, and build a stronger web presence.

Security and intelligence

  • Cybersecurity consulting
  • Information security
  • Dark Web threat intelligence
  • Online research and investigations (OSINT)
  • Talks on cybercrime and online safety

IT and web

  • IT consulting
  • Search engine optimisation (SEO)
  • Web development
  • Web design

Tech & Cyber Trends Digest

A monthly newsletter with practical, jargon-free insights on technology and cybersecurity.

Discuss a project Subscribe to the newsletter

Personal

Beyond work

  • Giving back

    I've donated blood every three months since 2012 and help raise funds for people with special needs, children with cancer and families facing hardship.

  • Leadership

    During my military service in 2013, I trained newly recruited soldiers and sergeants.

  • On air

    I present a sports show on Kontra Radio, streamed live on Facebook and YouTube.

  • Off the clock

    Chess, swimming, table tennis, a good documentary, and travelling across Europe and Asia.

Cover of Combating Crime on the Dark Web by Nearchos Nearchou, published by Packt

My book

Combating Crime on the Dark Web

Learn how to access the Dark Web safely and not fall victim to cybercrime

Drug dealers, fraudsters and human traffickers all use the Dark Web to stay out of reach of the authorities. For the people trying to stop them, it's a hard landscape to understand, let alone navigate safely.

I wrote this book as a clear, step-by-step guide to that world. It explains how the Dark Web came to be, how its criminal markets really work and the tactics cybercriminals rely on. Then, drawing on real investigations, it shows you the tools and strategies law enforcement and security professionals use to fight back.

Buy the paperback on Amazon (opens in a new tab) Get the Kindle edition on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

Have an O'Reilly subscription? Read it online on O'Reilly (opens in a new tab)

Inside the book

What you'll learn

From the first anonymous networks to modern intelligence-led policing, the book covers the full picture of Dark Web crime and how it's fought, all in plain language.

See the full table of contents on O'Reilly (opens in a new tab)

  1. Where it all began

    The history of cybercrime, the Dark Web and the TOR network, and why criminals were drawn to them.

  2. Inside Dark Web markets

    How online drug markets work, from vendors and buyers to payments and the wider ecosystem around them.

  3. Real trafficking cases

    Human trafficking investigations and how investigators brought them down.

  4. Protecting children

    The methods law enforcement uses to track down and stop child abusers online.

  5. Catching criminals

    How sting operations and honeypots work, and how cybercrime can be prevented.

  6. The investigator's toolkit

    Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and tools such as MEMEX, Pipl Search and BITCRIME.

Readers

Who it's for

  • Aspiring cybercrime investigators
  • Cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts
  • Anyone curious about the dark side of the Internet

Details

At a glance

Publisher
Packt Publishing
Published
Length
138 pages
Formats
Paperback, ebook
Level
Intermediate to advanced
ISBN
978-1-80323-498-4

Writing & video

Where I share what I learn

Outside the book, I keep explaining cybersecurity and technology in plain language: in writing here on the site, and on video on YouTube.

The Blog

Technology & security blog

Articles on cybersecurity, online privacy and new technology, written to be useful to everyday readers as well as professionals.

Read the blog

Monthly newsletter

Tech & Cyber Trends Digest

Practical insights on technology and cybersecurity, from new threats to staying safe online.

  • Practical insights
  • Once a month
  • Unsubscribe anytime

Available for consulting, talks and media

Let's make your corner of the internet safer.

Whether you need security advice for your business, a speaker for your event, or help with an investigation, send me a message and I'll get back to you.

Email me Connect on LinkedIn (opens in a new tab)

  • Consulting

    Security strategy, threat awareness and dark web intelligence for businesses.

  • Speaking

    Talks and workshops on cybercrime and online safety for schools, companies and conferences.

  • Media

    Interviews and commentary on the dark web, cybercrime and digital security.