Getting on the Dark Web: A Beginner’s Guide

The dark web is a mysterious and often misunderstood part of the internet. It’s a place where anonymity is key, and where users can access content that is often not available on the surface web. Getting on the dark web can be a daunting task for beginners, but with the right knowledge and tools, it’s relatively simple.

BBC Tor Mirror

What is the Dark Web?

The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines like Google. This means that it’s not easily accessible to the general public. The dark web is often used for illegal activities, such as buying and selling drugs, weapons, and stolen data. However, there are also many legitimate uses for the dark web, such as protecting one’s privacy and avoiding censorship.

Some Useful Sites To Browse On The Dark Web

How to Access the Dark Web

To access the dark web, you will need to use a special browser called Tor. Tor stands for “The Onion Router,” and it works by routing your internet connection through a series of servers around the world, effectively hiding your IP address and making it difficult to trace your online activity. You can download Tor for free from the official website.

Step-by-Step Guide to Accessing the Dark Web

1. Download and install the Tor browser from the official website.
2. Open the Tor browser and wait for it to connect to the network.

FBI, Europol, Interpol, and many other national police agencies regularly police the Dark Web. The Dark Web is the portion of the Internet that can only be accessed through specific software. Most casual surfing of the Web takes place on a small piece (5-10%) of the total World Wide Web; this is sometimes called the Surface Web. The other 90-95%—the Deep Web—is basically all the content not indexed by search engines. The Dark Web, by turn, is a fractional part of the larger Deep Web, and requires special browsers to view and navigate. As a result, it is easy to infect your machine by clicking links or downloading information.

3. Once connected, you can use the Tor browser just like any other browser. However, instead of typing in a regular URL, you will need to use a special .onion URL.

You can support this project through donations, purchasing items through our links (we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you), and sharing this information with others. Although all these steps may seem excessive, always remember that once your information is on the dark web, it’s almost impossible to remove it altogether. Websites on the darknet don’t last long and are reincarnated often under a different name.

4. You can find .onion URLs by searching for them on the surface web or by using a dark web search engine like Ahmia.

Hundreds Of Thousands Of Records Stolen From Washington Cancer Center

The deep web rests below the surface and accounts for approximately 90% of all websites. This would be the part of an iceberg beneath the water, much larger than the surface web. In fact, this hidden web is so large that it’s impossible to discover exactly how many pages or websites are active at any one time. If we continue to visualize the entire web like an iceberg, the open web would be the top portion that’s above the water.

FAQs

Is it illegal to access the dark web?

• The dark web and its browsing aren’t considered illegal; it’s a place where people communicate anonymously without official government surveillance.
• The dark web is undoubtedly dangerous, but it can also create a lot of good for the world.
• They were the most lucrative products on the Silk Road marketplace too.
• You’ll actually have to find the dark websites that you want to search on your own.
• That said, it’s worth noting that the Tor browser is not the same as a VPN.
• Just Another Library is one such service, with a wealth of books covering computer programming, science, and niche hobbies (sailors’ knots, anyone?).

No, it is not illegal to access the dark web. However, many activities that take place on the dark web are illegal. It’s important to use the dark web responsibly and to avoid engaging in any illegal activities.

These dark web websites are usually for people who can’t access the surface web version of the site, often because of strict internet regulations in their countries. For this reason, many people prefer to use a VPN to encrypt their connection to the Tor network, thereby preventing their ISP from being able to detect that they are accessing the dark web. Proton VPN makes it easy to safely gain access to the dark web by connecting users to the Tor Network in a single click. Its server network includes dedicated nodes set up to reroute internet traffic through the Tor network.

Can I get in trouble for accessing the dark web?

Possibly. While it is not illegal to access the dark web, law enforcement agencies may be interested in monitoring the activities of those who do. It’s important to use the dark web responsibly and to avoid engaging in any illegal activities.

Is the dark web dangerous?

Like any part of the internet, the dark web can be dangerous if you’re not careful. It’s important to use a reputable VPN service, to avoid clicking on suspicious links, and to never give out your personal information.

Can I use my regular browser to access the dark web?

No. You will need to use the Tor browser to access the dark web. Regular browsers like Chrome and Firefox do not have the necessary encryption and anonymity features to access the dark web safely.

What is a .onion URL?

.onion URLs are special URLs that are only accessible through the Tor browser. They are used to access websites on the dark web. Instead of ending in .com or .org, .onion URLs end in a random string of characters.