What is the Dark Web (Darknet)?
You will be surprised to know that the internet we use is just the tip of the iceberg. It constitutes 5% of the whole internet. The other 90% is the deep web, and the remaining 5% is the dark web. Millions of databases, servers, and web pages run all day, and we only see sites using Google and Yahoo.
The dark web is the hidden internet that is not indexed by search engines, and it hosts legal and illegal activities. Moreover, it poses various risks and illicit content. The dark web can contain criminal or illegal content and illicit goods trading sites. Dark web app is also available so that you can access it on mobile phone.
What makes the dark web dark?
- No webpage indexing
- Virtual Traffic tunnels running through randomized network infrastructure
- It has a unique registry operator
- Hidden by various network security measures like firewalls and encryption
How to Access Dark Web Safely?
The dark web can be either accessed via encrypted peer-to-peer network connection or an overlay New York known as Tor. It is the short form of (The Onion Routing Project). This onion registry operator was developed in the late 1990s by the United States Naval Research Laboratory. It was initially meant for spy communications while now it is a public browser that anyone can download for free. Tor browsers use nodes (random paths of encrypted servers). This makes all the activities on the dark web untraceable.
Website URLs
There is only one way to access sites on the dark web and it is by URLs. You need to know the URL of the site you want to search. The reason behind this is that these sites don’t have a conventional naming structure. Instead of normal suffixes like .com, .org, and .edu, URLs in the dark web generally end with .onion. Moreover, the URLs are difficult to remember because of the use of mixed letters and numbers.
Who uses the Dark Web?
The dark web is often known as a heaven for criminals as it accommodates illegal activities. The anonymity allows illicit activities such as drug and human trafficking, weapons deals, and money laundering. It is often used to buy and sell the following:
- Stolen credit card numbers
- Hacked enterprise accounts
- Stolen personally identifiable information
- Counterfeit money
- Stolen subscription credentials to streaming sites such as Netflix
- Illegal content such as child sexual abuse material
- Software and services to perpetrate cybercrimes such as ransomware attacks or phishing scams
Cryptocurrencies are also known to be associated with the Dark web as most of the payments on the Dark web are done through crypto. While there are many illicit activities, the Dark web itself is not illegal. It
Is the Dark Web Dangerous?
Surprisingly, the Tor network was developed in 2006 as a legal project that was funded jointly by the U.S. Navy and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA. In 2009 when Bitcoin was introduced, it transformed the dark web into a place for criminal activities. Bitcoin also led to a drug-selling black market, Silk Road introduced in 2006. However, just after two years, the Silk Road was shut down by the FBI. Since it is the hotbed of criminal activity, accessing it can be dangerous including the following risks:
- Cyberattacks via viruses, ransomware, malware
- Phishing
- Identity theft
- Credential theft
- Compromise of personal, customer, financial, or operational data.
- Leaks of intellectual property or trade secrets
- Spying or cyber espionage
- Webcam hijacking
These risks can lead you to pay huge. It can interrupt operations, defraud companies, and expose personal data. One of the best ways to stay away from these risks is staying away from the dark web. Therefore, it is important to employ all security frameworks like antivirus software, VPNs, etc. Moreover make sure to update the Tor browser, applications, and operating system
The Bottom Line:
The internet that we access daily is just the surface of the ocean. The deep web and the dark web constitute the biggest part of the internet. However, it is not accessed usually because of the various risks associated with it. It is often used for illegal activities, though it is not itself illegal. While it offers a treasure of resources that are not indexed by the typical search engines such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing. There are many ways to access the dark web and one of the easiest ways is using Tor.
Also read our blog: How To Hack Website In 10 Minutes
