The term “Dark Web” refers to unindexed online content that is encrypted. Accessing the Dark Web requires specialized browsers, such as the TOR Browser. The Dark Web provides far more privacy and anonymity than ordinary websites.
As a result, when people think of the Dark Web, most of their attention is focused on online drug marketplaces, data trades, and other unlawful activities. Despite this, there are frequently genuine reasons people use the Dark Web, such as political dissidents and individuals who want to keep certain information hidden.
Difference between the Dark and the Deep Web
The Dark Web is distinct from the Deep Web, which includes websites and web pages that are not indexed by search engines, such as login pages and payment portals. The Dark Web is built on darknets, private online networks that can be reached only with specialized software and techniques.
The Deep Web is any content protected by paywalls, authentication forms, usernames, and passwords. Much of the average internet user accessing content is part of the deep web: email, online banking, private social media accounts, and subscription services. You would not want your email history to be publicly accessible and searchable.
Understanding the Dark Web
As its title suggests, the Dark Web is an underground network. It consists of a collection of inaccessible websites to the general public. This means that they are not searchable via conventional search engines such as Google.
Traditional search engines return results due to their indexes of website links. These are sorted according to their keyword density and relevance. On the other hand, the Dark Web uses material that is not available through these search engines, such as information from personal accounts such as email, social media, banking, and personal and professional databases and documents (legal and medical).
Sometimes known as the darknet, the Dark Web is similar to the broader online in the late twentieth century. There is a big deal of material on how to get it operating, but not much to do once it is. The majority of stuff on the Dark Web is unprofessional and illegal. On the other side, it is significantly more accessible for people to launch websites and garner attention. As of 2020, tech companies and huge media organizations exert little impact on the Dark Web.
As was the possibility with the early internet, the Dark Web has developed a reputation as a haven for illegal behaviour and is regularly linked to illicit and criminal conduct. While the Dark Web has facilitated illicit and immoral transactions, it serves as a social outlet for individuals who might otherwise face persecution for their identities or political convictions. Additionally, it provides legal authorities with extra options for apprehending perpetrators of unethical behaviour.
The Dark Web is a branch or subset of the deep web based on darknets: overlay networks connected to the internet but inaccessible without special tools or software such as Tor. Tor is an anonymizing software tool for The Onion Router; the Tor network is accessible via the Tor Browser.
Unlike traditional web browsers, Tor Browser employs onion routing, which encrypts and sends traffic through many servers throughout the world to conceal your IP address and enable private browsing. Additionally, the Tor network’s top-level domain is .onion (instead of .com). The various layers of an onion represent the Tor network’s multiple layers of encryption.
How to gain access to the Dark Web
The simplest method of accessing the Dark Web is to install Tor Network, which will route your traffic over the Tor network and allow you to browse the dark web. You can enter any URL you choose, even the dark web .onion domains.
How to safely surf the Dark Web
The most secure way to access the dark web is via the Tor network. To increase your cybersecurity, connect to a VPN first, then use Tor in a technique known as Tor-over-VPN. Numerous ISPs and governments may be skeptical of Tor use, but a VPN conceals your internet activities and prevents others from discovering that you’re using Tor.
Dark Web: Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
The dark web enables users to keep their privacy and express themselves freely. Privacy is critical for many innocent people scared by stalkers and other criminals. Potential employers’ rising proclivity for monitoring social media posts can also make it more challenging to engage in candid talks publicly.
Finally, the dark web’s popularity among criminals makes it an ideal communication medium for undercover police investigators.
Disadvantages
Specific individuals will surely misuse the power of using the dark web by making illicit conduct easier. For instance, the dark web and cryptocurrency make it theoretically much cheaper to recruit someone to commit certain crimes.
While the dark web guarantees users’ privacy, it can equally be used to breach others’ privacy. Private images, medical records, and financial data have all been taken and shared on the dark web.
Summary
“Dark Web” refers to unindexed online content that is encrypted. Accessing the Dark Web requires specialized browsers, such as the TOR Browser. The Dark Web provides far more privacy and anonymity than ordinary websites. It consists of a collection of inaccessible websites to the general public. The Dark Web is a branch or subset of the deep web-based on darknets – overlay networks connected to the internet but inaccessible without special software.
The Tor network’s top-level domain is .onion (instead of .com) and its traffic is encrypted using onion routing technology. The most secure way to access the dark web is via the Tor network. To increase your cybersecurity, use Tor in a technique known as Tor-over-VPN. The dark web can be used to breach other people’s privacy and make illicit conduct easier. It is also an ideal medium for undercover police investigators.