Going dark is a term, originally from military slang, that describes the sudden termination of communication when it moves from a public, monitored channel to a private one. Law enforcement and technology sectors now use the phrase to refer to digital communications that cannot be monitored due to strong encryption. This shift from accessible to inaccessible data presents significant challenges for lawful surveillance and evidence gathering.
The term originated in military operations, describing a shift from public to private communication channels. This concept was later adopted by law enforcement. They use it to describe their inability to access digital communications due to strong, commercially available encryption.
The issue escalated with the widespread adoption of end-to-end encryption in consumer technology. This created a public debate between privacy advocates and government agencies. The tension has led to proposals for new access methods and ongoing legal challenges.
The concept of "going dark" manifests in various real-world scenarios, primarily involving secure communications. Both government agencies and private citizens utilize these methods for different ends. This creates a complex landscape where privacy and security are in constant tension.
While both terms suggest a move away from public visibility, they represent distinct approaches to privacy and communication.
A common myth is that "going dark" is exclusively for illegal activities. In reality, many people use encrypted services for everyday privacy. It's also not just for the tech-savvy; modern apps make secure communication accessible to everyone, shifting it from a niche practice to a mainstream privacy tool.
The "going dark" phenomenon is intertwined with several key technological and legal concepts. These ideas shape the ongoing debate between privacy, security, and surveillance, providing context for the challenges faced by law enforcement and tech companies alike.
Is using encrypted communication a red flag for illegal activity?
Not necessarily. Many legitimate businesses rely on encryption to protect sensitive corporate data, intellectual property, and client communications. It is a standard and essential cybersecurity measure for maintaining privacy and security.
How does the "going dark" trend affect corporate data security?
It's a dual-edged sword. Strong encryption protects company secrets from external cyberattacks. However, it can also complicate internal security audits or investigations if access and recovery protocols are not properly established.
Can law enforcement legally access encrypted data?
Yes, under specific legal frameworks. Authorities can obtain warrants to perform "lawful hacking" to access a device directly. Other methods, like compelling a user to provide a password, are also part of the ongoing legal and technical discussion.
“No Spam” is a commitment to sending only relevant, solicited messages. It means avoiding bulk, unwanted emails to respect the recipient's inbox.
An objection is an explicit expression by a prospect that presents a barrier to moving forward in the sales process.
A pain point is a specific, recurring problem your target customers face, causing them frustration, inefficiency, or added costs.
Analytical CRM analyzes customer data to uncover actionable insights, helping businesses make smarter decisions and improve customer interactions.
A sales kickoff (SKO) is an annual event for a sales team to celebrate wins, align on goals, and get motivated for the upcoming year.
A sales pipeline is a visual representation of where prospects are in the sales process, from the first contact to the final sale.
Customer engagement is the ongoing, value-driven relationship a business builds with its customers to foster brand loyalty and awareness.
A Request for Information (RFI) is a formal process for gathering information from potential suppliers before issuing a more detailed proposal.
A data pipeline is a set of automated processes that move raw data from various sources to a destination for storage and analysis.
Call disposition is the process of labeling the outcome of a call. It helps sales teams track interactions and plan their next steps effectively.
Corporate identity is the visual and verbal persona of a company, encompassing its logo, color palette, communication style, and core values.
Learn about B2B data solutions, including unlocking the power of B2B data, & key components of effective B2B data solutions.
Sales objections are reasons or concerns raised by a potential customer as to why they are hesitant or unwilling to make a purchase.
On-Target Earnings (OTE) is a salesperson's total potential pay, combining base salary and commission for hitting their sales quota.
Sales funnel metrics are key data points that track how effectively you're moving potential customers from awareness to a final purchase.
Regression analysis is a statistical method for estimating the relationships between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables.
Data encryption translates data into another form, or code, so that only people with access to a secret key or password can read it.
Customer centricity is a business approach that puts the customer at the heart of every decision, aiming to build loyalty and long-term value.
Mobile app analytics involves collecting and analyzing data from mobile apps to understand user behavior and optimize the app's performance.
Cold calling is a sales technique where reps contact potential customers who have had no prior interaction with their company or product.
LinkedIn InMail messages are a premium feature that lets you directly message any LinkedIn member, even if you're not connected to them.
Learn about B2B demand generation, including strategies for effective B2B demand generation, & key components of a demand generation program.
The consideration buying stage is where potential customers have defined their problem and are now actively researching and evaluating solutions.
A sales intelligence platform is software that provides sales teams with data and insights about prospects to help them sell more effectively.
A trusted advisor is an expert who builds a deep client relationship by consistently prioritizing their best interests over any single transaction.
Virtual selling is the process of selling to customers remotely using technology like video calls, rather than meeting them in person.
Learn about B2B demand generation strategy, including key elements of demand generation, & crafting your demand generation plan.
Average Revenue per User (ARPU) is a key performance indicator that calculates the average revenue generated from each user or subscriber.
Sales intelligence is technology that gathers and analyzes data to help salespeople find and understand prospects and existing clients.
A drip campaign is a series of automated messages sent to prospects or customers over time to nurture leads and drive engagement.
A Sales Development Representative (SDR) is a sales specialist who finds and qualifies new leads, building a pipeline for the sales team.
A sandbox is an isolated testing environment where new or untrusted code can be run safely without affecting the host device or network.
Sales operations analytics is the practice of analyzing sales data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire sales process.
Digital advertising is the practice of delivering promotional content to users through various online and digital channels like social media or search engines.
Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired goal, like a purchase or sign-up, out of the total number of visitors.
Learn about brand equity, including understanding its importance, building strong brand equity, measuring brand equity, & real-world applications.
Generic keywords are broad search terms that lack specific details like brand or location. They attract a wide audience with less specific intent.
Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) measures the mean annual growth of an investment over a specified period of time longer than one year.
Sales rep training is the process of equipping your sales team with the skills, knowledge, and tools to effectively sell and hit their targets.
Direct mail is a marketing method where businesses send physical promotional materials directly to potential customers' mailboxes.
A sales methodology is the framework that guides how your sales team approaches the entire sales process, from prospecting to closing deals.
Predictive lead scoring uses AI to analyze data and rank leads by their likelihood to convert, helping sales teams prioritize their efforts.
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is the predictable, recurring income a business expects to receive each month from all active subscriptions.
Dynamic segments are self-updating lists that group contacts based on real-time data, ensuring your outreach is always timely and relevant.
Email engagement measures how your audience interacts with your emails. It includes key actions like opens, clicks, replies, and forwards.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) benchmarks are key metrics used to measure the performance and success of your targeted account strategies.
Subscription models are a business strategy where customers pay a recurring fee at regular intervals for access to a product or service.
Closed opportunities are potential deals that have concluded. They are categorized as either 'closed-won' (a sale was made) or 'closed-lost'.
Account-Based Sales (ABS) is a focused B2B strategy where sales and marketing teams treat high-value accounts as individual markets of one.
Customer relationship marketing is a strategy for building lasting connections with customers to foster long-term loyalty and engagement.
An API (Application Programming Interface) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other and exchange information.
Trade shows are events where companies in a specific industry showcase their latest products and services to find new customers and partners.
A digital strategy outlines how your business will use online channels, data, and technology to achieve its goals and connect with customers.
A knowledge base is a self-serve online library of information about a product, service, department, or topic.
A System of Record (SoR) is the authoritative data source for a specific type of data. It acts as the single source of truth for an organization.
Consumer buying behavior is the study of how individuals select, buy, and use products and services to satisfy their needs and desires.
Renewal rate is the percentage of customers who renew their subscriptions or contracts at the end of their service period.
SPIN selling is a sales technique using a sequence of questions—Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-Payoff—to uncover a buyer's needs.
Multi-threading allows a single CPU core to run multiple independent threads (or tasks) at the same time, boosting efficiency and performance.
Load testing is a type of performance testing that determines how a system behaves under both normal and anticipated peak load conditions.
Ad-hoc reporting is the creation of one-off reports to answer specific business questions as they arise, providing instant, targeted insights.
Serverless computing is a cloud model where the provider manages servers, so developers can focus on code without worrying about infrastructure.
A sales strategy is a comprehensive plan that outlines how a business will sell its products or services to achieve its revenue goals.
Learn about B2B intent data providers, including evaluating intent data quality, leveraging intent data for growth, & B2B intent data: key providers comparison.
A persona is a semi-fictional profile of your ideal customer, based on market research and real data about your existing customers.
A hard sell is an aggressive sales technique that uses high-pressure tactics to push a customer into making an immediate purchase decision.
Sales Operations KPIs are measurable metrics that track the efficiency and effectiveness of a sales team's operational processes.
Sales enablement content refers to the materials and tools that empower your sales team to engage prospects and close deals more efficiently.
Forward revenue is the total value of all active, committed contracts that are expected to be recognized as revenue in the future.
Docker is a tool that packages applications and their dependencies into isolated environments called containers for easy deployment and scaling.
Event tracking is the method of collecting data on specific user actions, or 'events,' on a website or app, such as clicks or downloads.
Firmographics are descriptive attributes of organizations, used to segment companies by characteristics like industry, size, and location.
Revenue Operations (RevOps) is a business function that aligns a company's sales, marketing, and customer service teams to drive predictable revenue.
The awareness stage is the first step in the buyer's journey, where a potential customer realizes they have a problem or an opportunity to explore.
Email marketing is a digital strategy where businesses send targeted emails to prospects and customers to build relationships and drive sales.
API security is the practice of protecting application programming interfaces from attacks, preventing data breaches and unauthorized access.
LPI, or Lead Per Inquiry, is a key metric that measures how many leads are generated from each inquiry in a marketing campaign.
Predictive analytics uses historical data, statistical algorithms, and machine learning to identify the likelihood of future outcomes.
Closing ratio is a key sales metric that shows the percentage of leads or proposals that result in a successful sale.
Real-time data is information processed and made available almost instantaneously, enabling immediate analysis and decision-making.
Price optimization is the process of finding the ideal price for a product or service to maximize profitability or other business objectives.
A sales playbook is a guide that outlines your sales process, best practices, and tools to help reps sell more efficiently and consistently.
Learn about below the line, including key strategies for below the line marketing, & distinguishing above and below the line tactics.
A sales lead is a potential customer—an individual or organization that has shown interest in your company's products or services.
The decision stage is where a well-researched buyer chooses a vendor. They compare specific products and pricing before making their final purchase.
A RESTful API is a web service interface that uses HTTP requests to access and use data, adhering to the constraints of REST architecture.
Sales acceleration refers to strategies and technologies designed to speed up the sales cycle, enabling reps to close more deals, faster.
Email deliverability is the ability for your emails to successfully land in your recipients' inboxes instead of their spam folders.
Chatbots are AI-powered programs that simulate human conversation. They interact with users via text or voice, typically for customer support.
ETL, short for Extract, Transform, Load, is a data integration process for moving raw data from various sources to a central data warehouse.
Learn about B2B contact base, including building an effective B2B contact base, & strategies for expanding your contact base.
Learn about business continuity, including understanding key components, steps to ensure continuity, common challenges, & best practices.
Quality Assurance (QA) is the systematic process of ensuring a product or service meets specified quality standards from development to delivery.
Customer Success is a business strategy focused on proactively helping customers achieve their goals with your product or service.
Enrichment is the process of adding third-party data to your existing customer profiles to get a more complete picture of your leads.
Pay-per-click (PPC) is an ad model where you pay a fee each time your ad is clicked. It's a method of buying targeted visits to your website.
A demand generation framework is a strategic process for creating awareness and interest in your product, ultimately driving new business.
Analytics platforms are tools that collect and analyze data from various sources, helping businesses track key metrics and make informed decisions.
Inbound sales attracts interested prospects who've engaged with your brand, letting sales reps connect with warm leads instead of cold outreach.
Total Addressable Market (TAM) represents the maximum revenue a company can earn by selling its product or service in a specific market.