Dead Drop

A dead drop is a technique used in conventional espionage to transmit information without the need for face-to-face contact between the parties and instead uses covert locations. Although though the term "dead drop" was just recently invented by an FBI special agent, this straightforward method has been employed throughout history to safeguard the identity of specific spies. Its widespread use during the Cold War is known to us thanks to recently made public documents.

Although using a dead drop physically works best, it can also be utilized digitally for a variety of applications. As an illustration, online dark web sellers frequently employ it as their preferred delivery method, combining it with cryptocurrency, anonymous browsers like Tor, and the age-old practice of "trusting a stranger." Simply finish the transaction online, conceal the box in person at the desired spot (for example, behind a bus seat), and provide the customer with pictures showing the package's exact location.

Even though, once again, we only learned about it because someone was captured, a dark web market operating out of Moscow frequently employed this tactic. Given its effectiveness, dead drops are probably still used frequently by spies, journalists, internet drug traffickers, and a variety of other people who need to maintain their identity in order to function.