We show you a comprehensive guide to everything you want to know about the Dark Web and its most important uses! It is behind the dark web and view The difference between Deep Web and Dark Web Surface Web, and more.
Many of us invest time and resources in strengthening our cyber defenses against a variety of risks and threats, including phishing attacks, ransomware attacks, and storage vulnerabilities. But what about those threats that cannot be seen?
Did you know that there is a larger, more organized platform that lies just below the surface of the Internet that you surf every day but that you cannot access directly? Yes, we are talking about the Dark Web.
What is the dark web?
The Dark Web is a hidden collection of websites that you can only access through a specialized web browser. The Dark Web is used to keep internet activity anonymous and private so that no one knows who owns the content being posted or exposed, which makes it sometimes beneficial but also harmful at other times.
Due to the anonymous nature of the Dark Web, it is also used for illicit and illegal purposes and is used by many criminals. This includes the buying and selling of drugs, weapons, and stolen identities, in addition to the possibility of renting people with high hacking skills, and other potentially harmful materials.
Search engines are responsible for the Internet that we use every day, and its job is to index Internet pages. But the Dark Web, or Dark Web, is not indexed, as all the data inside it is encrypted, and therefore it is difficult to access it using regular search engines.
When you try to search for anything using the Google search engine, it is difficult or almost impossible for any results from the Dark Web to appear in the search results of Google or any other search engine on the Internet.
In other words, this dark place is simply inaccessible, and the anonymity of the dark web is its main highlight. But you can only access it with the help of some special tools and browsers, such as Tor Browser.
When you use the Tor Browser, you will encounter many Internet pages that you frequent while using the surface Internet, but at the same time, you will encounter countless markets, forums, and illegal file-sharing networks.
This level of confidentiality and privacy protection enhances cybercriminal activities. But the main purpose of the Dark Web was not to promote criminal activities and crime prosperity, but rather to protect privacy.
It also helps journalists and researchers who want to protect their browsing habits and personal information from any monitoring or tracking. Like most things – there are two sides to anything, and there are right and wrong ways to use the dark web.
Who created the dark web?
Just like the surface web we normally use every day, the dark web was created and then evolved into a complex entity over time.
The underground sites were initially used for security and privacy protection purposes but soon turned into a criminal hotspot. Powerful and experienced users have started trying some illegal things like pirated file sharing.
People from the US Naval Research Laboratory with teaching experience started The Onion Router, now known as the Tor Browser, available for use starting in the 21st century.
Over time, the dark web has become an alternative or safe haven for those users looking for a safe place to protect privacy and not subject to censorship or tracking.
What are the most important uses of the dark web?
In fact, the dark web can be a good place for legal and legitimate uses that are not related to criminal activities.
The Dark Web serves as a safe place to browse the unknown, and an ideal place to access information without having to pay additional financial expenses, and to find articles and research that are difficult to find for free. It is also possible to access free forums and newly created networking sites.
For some users who live in countries subject to strict Internet censorship, the dark web may be the only safe place to access information and communicate with others.
But there is a dark and dangerous side to the dark web too. There are many unregulated markets and forums that lead you to meet all the illicit and illegal activities.
Here are examples of the dark side or dangers of the Dark Web and the uses spread on this network: -
Counterfeiting, selling weapons, drugs, contraband, credit cards, identity theft, personal information, private accounts, malware, viruses, counterfeiting and hacking.
Criminals use the dark web to trade and sell information and exploit intellectual property rights. Worse still, there are some sites that are linked to dangerous operations such as murders, drug dealing, prostitution, sex and rape crimes. The purchase of these items is usually made using cryptocurrency.
What is the difference between Deep Web, Dark Web and Surface Web?
If you are someone who is used to browsing the Internet, then you have surely heard of terms such as the dark web, the deep web, and the surface web. Although they are similar, there are some key differences between them.
Dark Web: Also known as the Dark Web is what we discussed with you a moment ago, this anonymous section of the Internet can be accessed through the Tor browser for browsing or purchases.
Deep Web: Also known as Deep Web It is also called the hidden web or the invisible web and is different from the dark web but you cannot access it through normal searches. The Deep Web includes pages that are not indexed by search engines and includes the Dark Web within it.
So, you can consider the Dark Web to be part of the Deep Web. The Deep Web is one option for accessing databases, searchable evidence, intellectual papers, scientific texts and publications with fewer restrictions on accessibility.
Surface Web: This is the regular surface Internet that we use every day and is a visible and indexed web. The content of this surface network is regulated by laws and restrictions imposed by the government of each session.
But on this network, user information and data are sometimes collected in order to better target them with ads, which prompts some to rely on the deep web as it is more privacy-protective and free of censorship and tracking tools.
Is browsing the dark web legal?
Access to the Dark Web is not considered illegal. It is the appropriate place to hide identity and protect privacy to conduct searches safely and confidentially without any oversight from any person or entity. But at the same time it can attract people into criminal activities.
So, the legality of the situation is entirely based on what you need the dark web for. Just you have to be careful, and you should not download any files that are not verified. You can also protect yourself by using private VPNs and anti-virus software and do not try to make any purchases from markets on the dark web.
6 facts about the dark web
- The size of the Deep Web is more than 400 times larger than the surface Web that we use in our daily lives
- Dark Web is just a subsection of Deep Web.
- More than 20% of Dark Web users are from the United States, followed by Germany at 12%.
- More than 30% of the North American population accesses the dark web regularly.
- Dark web activity has increased by 300% over the past three years.
- 60% of the information available on the dark web can harm organizations.
