What is the dark web?

The dark web is part of the internet that isn't visible to search engines and requires the use of an anonymizing browser called Tor to be accessed.

Dark web definition:-

The dark web refers to encrypted online content that is not indexed by conventional search engines. Sometimes, the dark web is also called the dark net. The dark web is a component of the deep web that describes the wider breadth of content that does not appear through regular Internet browsing activities. Most deep web content consists of private files hosted on Dropbox and its competitors or subscriber-only databases rather than anything illegal.

Specific browsers, such as Tor Browser, are required to reach the dark web. Using the dark web often provides considerably more privacy than just using Tor to access the web. Many dark web sites simply provide standard web services with more secrecy, which benefits political dissidents and people trying to keep medical conditions private. Unfortunately, online marketplaces for drugs, exchanges for stolen data, and other illegal activities get most of the attention.

Advantages of the Dark Web:-

The dark web helps people to maintain privacy and freely express their views. Privacy is essential for many innocent people terrorized by stalkers and other criminals. The increasing tendency of potential employers to track posts on social media can also make it difficult to engage in honest discussions publicly. Finally, the popularity of the dark web with criminals makes it a perfect way for undercover police officers to communicate.

Disadvantages of the Dark Web:-

The dark web empowers ordinary people, but some people will inevitably abuse that power. The dark web can make it easier to commit some of the worst crimes. For example, the combination of the dark web and cryptocurrencies theoretically makes it much easier to hire someone to commit a murder. While the dark web promises privacy to its users, it can also be used to violate the privacy of others. Private photos, medical records, and financial information have all been stolen and shared on the dark web.

Deep web vs Dark web:-

The terms “deep web” and “dark web” are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Deep web refers to anything on the internet that is not indexed by and, therefore, accessible via a search engine like Google. Deep web content includes anything behind a paywall or requires sign-in credentials. It also includes any content that its owners have blocked web crawlers from indexing.

Medical records, fee-based content, membership websites, and confidential corporate web pages are just a few examples of what makes up the deep web. Estimates place the size of the deep web at between 96% and 99% of the internet. Only a tiny portion of the internet is accessible through a standard web browser—generally known as the “clear web”.

The dark web is a subset of the deep web that is intentionally hidden, requiring a specific browser—Tor—to access, as explained below. No one really knows the size of the dark web, but most estimates put it at around 5% of the total internet. Again, not all the dark web is used for illicit purposes despite its ominous-sounding name.

Dark web browser:-

All this activity, this vision of a bustling marketplace, might make you think that navigating the dark web is easy. It isn’t. The place is as messy and chaotic as you would expect when everyone is anonymous, and a substantial minority are out to scam others. 

Accessing the dark web requires the use of an anonymizing browser called Tor. The Tor browser routes your web page requests through a series of proxy servers operated by thousands of volunteers around the globe, rendering your IP address unidentifiable and untraceable. Tor works like magic, but the result is an experience that’s like the dark web itself: unpredictable, unreliable and maddeningly slow.
The TOR browser and similar applications make the paths taken by the data anonymous. However, the data sent via it is not necessarily secure. For example, log-in data, credit card information or addresses can be extracted when entering data in a web form even if TOR is used. In addition, the anonymity of TOR communication can also be removed if someone gains access to the TOR browser, which can also be manipulated like any other software. The same applies, of course, to servers through which TOR directs users or on which Deep Web pages are stored.

Dark web search engine:-

Dark web search engines exist, but even the best are challenged to keep up with the constantly shifting landscape. The experience is reminiscent of searching the web in the late 1990. Even one of the best search engines, called Grams, returns results that are repetitive and often irrelevant to the query. Link lists like The Hidden Wiki are another option, but even indices also return a frustrating number of timed-out connections and 404 errors.

Dark web sites:-

Dark web sites look pretty much like any other site, but there are important differences. One is the naming structure. Instead of ending in .com or .co, dark web sites end in .onion. That’s “a special-use top level domain suffix designating an anonymous hidden service reachable via the Tor network,” according to Wikipedia. Browsers with the appropriate proxy can reach these sites, but others can’t.

Dark web sites also use a scrambled naming structure that creates URLs that are often impossible to remember. The anonymous nature of the Tor network also makes it especially vulnerable to DDoS, said Patrick Tiquet, Director of Security & Architecture at Keeper Security, and the company’s resident expert on the topic. “Sites are constantly changing addresses to avoid DDoS, which makes for a very dynamic environment,” he said. As a result, “The quality of search varies widely, and a lot of material is outdated.”

Who's using the Dark Net?

Anonymity is particularly interesting for two groups: On the one hand, there are people who need the protection of the Deep Web for their communications. They share sensitive data and information and have to fear for their own lives or those of their informants if they do not exchange information under the protection of the Deep Web. This group includes the politically oppressed or dissidents, opposition members from countries led by dictators or journalists and whistleblowers. Through the Deep Web, they can also access content that is not available to them on the visible web due to political restrictions, that is censored, or that would put the informant's life at risk.

Anonymization helps journalists protect their sources. For example, Arab Spring activists have been able to access social media channels through the TOR network and disseminate information about the revolution. Whistleblowers such as Edward Snowden also use the Deep Web to bring sensitive information to the public. This first group protects itself from negative consequences and persecution by fleeing to the Deep Web.

And the second group also uses the anonymity of the Deep Web to escape negative consequences - and escape prosecution. This group is made up of people whose activities on the visible Internet would very quickly lead to complaints, fines and imprisonment. Darknet includes forums, web shops and trading platforms for services and goods that are either illegal or subject to strict legal regulations.