The Dark Web is part of the internet that isn’t visible to search engines, requiring the use of an anonymising browser to be accessed. Mastercard asked Frontline to create an impactful demonstration to set the scene for customers and briefly explain the layers of the web in an understandable format, while emphasising the risk of cybercrime to highlight the real-world dangers.

We worked with Mastercard to give customers an overview into the inner workings of these unfamiliar areas. The goal was to highlight the thriving markets and eco systems within the Dark Web and how they have real world consequences, including identity theft. We needed to effectively showcase the scale of the unseen world in a simple format, so customers can then discover Mastercard’s products and services that are helping to protect against these malicious activities.

Frontline created an interactive 3D cityscape as metaphor for the layers of the world wide web, demonstrating the interconnectivity and data flows from the surface web to the Dark Web. We created case studies for users to understand how data is stolen and siphoned to the Dark Web for criminal activity and included a glimpse at the network’s marketplaces.

Additionally, we tied the visual symmetry between the surface web and Dark Web together in the style of the ‘Upside-down’ from Netflix’s Stranger Things, for a visually striking experience.