What’s Dark Web?

Because the Dark Web is designed to provide anonymity, it is a haven for threat actors looking to communicate openly while obfuscating their identity. The dark web is often used for both cybersecurity and cyber offensive purposes. Regarding cybersecurity, the dark web can be a valuable resource for individuals and organizations seeking to protect their personal or sensitive information from being accessed by unauthorized parties. This can include using the dark web to communicate securely, store sensitive data, or access tools and services that can help protect against cyber threats.

The dark web is a part of the internet that is intentionally hidden and is inaccessible through standard web browsers. It is often associated with illegal activities, but it also has legitimate uses. In this article, we will explore what the dark web is, how it works, and what you can find on it.

How To Access The Dark Web Safely

What is the Dark Web?

How Safe Is The Dark Web?

The dark web is a collection of websites that are not indexed by search engines and cannot be accessed through standard web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. These websites are hosted on darknets, such as Tor, I2P, and Freenet, which use encryption and anonymity tools to hide the IP addresses of both the websites and their users.

The dark web is often confused with the deep web, which is the part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines but can still be accessed through standard web browsers. The deep web includes databases, academic journals, and other content that is not intended for public consumption. In contrast, the dark web is intentionally hidden and requires special software to access.

How Does the Dark Web Work?

To access the dark web, you need to use a darknet, which is a network that is designed to provide anonymity and privacy. The most popular darknet is Tor, which stands for The Onion Router. Tor uses a system of volunteer-run servers, called nodes, to route internet traffic through a random sequence of encrypted connections. This makes it difficult to trace the origin or destination of any communication.

To access a website on the dark web, you need to know its exact web address, which is usually a string of random characters followed by the .onion top-level domain. These addresses are not indexed by search engines, so you cannot simply type a keyword into Google and expect to find a dark web site. Instead, you need to use a darknet-specific search engine, such as Torch or Ahmia, to find the websites you are looking for.

More out-of-reach commodities such as a French passport can cost up to $4,000. The Tor Browser is the easiest way to access Tor and thus, the Dark Web. It is available for free download and installation on the official website. You can use a VPN and your existing browser’s private/incognito mode to hide your Tor Browser download. Ross Ulbricht received two sentences of life in prison, along with three other convictions. The U.S. government seized over $1 billion worth of bitcoin throughout the entire takedown operation and the decade following it.

Attack On Ukraine’s Kyivstar Telecom Company Started With A Compromised Employee Account

Still, because users are anonymous, the dark web is also used as an online black market by criminals for illegal activities like selling stolen information. Most dark web users feel anonymous and engage in illegal activities without fear of being identified or held accountable. You never know when a minor negative comment about another user will trigger them to cyberbully or hack you personally. Using Tor, websites hosted on the dark web can only be viewed by visitors connected to the Tor network. Therefore, this content is inaccessible to most online users, and it is difficult to track the visitors of such websites.

What Can You Find on the Dark Web?

The Dark Web: What Is It And Why Do People Use It?

The dark web is often associated with illegal activities, such as drug trafficking, weapons sales, and child pornography. While it is true that these activities do take place on the dark web, it is important to note that not all dark web content is illegal or even unethical. There are also many legitimate uses for the dark web, such as whistleblowing, political activism, and secure communication.

Some of the things you can find on the dark web include:

• Countries such as China (and its famous “Great Firewall” blocks) may monitor citizens at the Internet Service Provider (ISP) level; if you are using Tor, the usage alone may appear in your records.
• Snoopers won’t see your location, communications, or other activities.
• In 2015, approximately 57% of the sites on the dark web hosted illicit material.
• Even free online services that are open to the public can be categorized as part of the deep web.

This enables them to gain insights into the operations of sophisticated adversaries and be warned of emerging threats. Stolen data often ends up on the dark web for sale, giving cybercriminals the incentive to target organizations with sensitive customer data (such as financial institutions). Most internet users access the deep web almost every time they are online.

Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection scans the Dark Web to find if your personal information was exposed. Computer viruses are not just illegal software that can affect the performance of your device; they could pose serious risks… The fact is, an everyday internet user like yourself likely won’t have any contact with this level of the internet. That said, it’s still important to take as many precautions as you can to keep your family and your technology safe.

• Illegal goods and services: The dark web is often used to buy and sell illegal goods and services, such as drugs, weapons, and stolen credit card information.
• Whistleblowing platforms: The dark web is home to several whistleblowing platforms, such as SecureDrop and GlobaLeaks, which allow sources to submit confidential information to journalists and other organizations without revealing their identity.
• Political activism: The dark web is used by political activists to communicate and organize without fear of government surveillance or censorship.
• Secure communication: The dark web is often used for secure communication, such as email and instant messaging, because of its strong encryption and anonymity features.

Conclusion

The dark web is a part of the internet that is intentionally hidden and requires special software to access. While it is often associated with illegal activities, it also has legitimate uses, such as whistleblowing, political activism, and secure communication. If you are interested in exploring the dark web, it is important to be aware of the risks and to take precautions to protect your privacy and security.