Darknet Diaries

Darknet Diaries is an investigative podcast created by Jack Rhysider, chronicling true stories about crackers, malware, botnets, cryptography, cryptocurrency, cybercrime, and Internet privacy, all subjects falling under the umbrella of "tales from the dark side of the Internet".

Launched in October 2017, episodes average around 30 minutes to an hour, each covering a single topic through original interviews, audio footage, and Rhysider's narration. The show's journalistic style has received widespread acclaim.

Production
For the first 40 episodes, Rhysider was responsible for all of the research, writing, narrating, editing, sound design, publishing, marketing, and logistics. Later on, due to a passionate cult following, Rhysider was able to enlist the help of additional writers, researchers, editors, and graphic designers.

By December 31, 2018, Darknet Diaries had amassed more than 1.2 million downloads. In 2019 alone, it had more than 8.2 million downloads.

Impact and real-life influences
Episode 17 ("Finn") was adapted and featured on the WNYC Studios podcast Snap Judgment.

Episode 32 ("The Carder") uncovered information about the criminal actions and subsequent investigation of Roman Seleznev.

Episode 27 ("Chartbreakers") was highlighted for its investigation into the manipulation of the Apple Podcasts Top Charts through a vast industry termed as "dark podcast marketing". Rhysider received and then subsequently released photos of the promoters themselves.

Crossovers and appearances
Rhysider has made appearances on a variety of other programs, the most notable being Snap Judgment and the Lit Hub/Podglomerate Storybound.

Other podcast appearances include Smashing Security, The Many Hats Club, Brakeing Down Security, The Word From Mouth, InfoSec ICU, The Cyberwire, Podcast Business Journal Spotlight, Overnight America, Aidan Wheller Podcast and Audio Reviews, Getting into InfoSec, Grimerica, Cyber Speaks Live, and Chartable Radio.

Reception
When describing the show's style and presentation, various media outlets have drawn comparisons between Reply All and This American Life, with The Irish Times writing, "Darknet Diaries is...where storytelling is mixed with investigative techniques to provide a strong narrative with real people at its core." The New York Times wrote, "Though the episodes are often startlingly short, condensing stories into 30 minutes that could easily justify a full hour, Rhysider’s hypnotic narration and deep expertise creates results that are never less than gripping."

The Boston Globe called Darknet Diaries "a true-crime podcast with no blood [and] no bodies...[leaving] you wondering why there aren't more hacks, breaches, and cyber-crime."

Miranda Sawyer of The Observer highlighted the podcast's reported "small disasters" of online life, writing: "Neatly edited and charmingly presented by Jack Rhysider, the podcast does occasionally stray into nerdiness, but it’s chock-full of real-life examples of when our virtual lives fail."

Vulture magazine listed Darknet Diaries among its list of "52 of the Best True-Crime Podcasts", following what they deemed as "the post-Serial boom", citing how "some of these [cybercrimes] may hit a little too close to home" while also advising listeners: "Cover your laptop camera, throw that iPhone in the river, and hang out in that weird no-reception corner of your home."

Awards

 * Runner-up in the 2018 Discover Pods Award for Best Technology Podcast
 * Winner of the 2018 Quartz Casties for Best Technology Episode
 * Winner of the 2019 European Security Blogger Awards for Best New Cybersecurity Podcast