Dark Web: What is it?

When people talk about the “black web,” they typically refer to onion sites, which aren’t searchable on Google or accessed through conventional browsers. The domain name system on the ordinary web converts domains into their actual IP addresses (DNS). An example of a popular dark web portal – https://deepweb.net/

It is possible to essentially block a website from the internet by disrupting that lookup, which is why Turkish protesters in 2014 spray-painted IP addresses on walls to instruct others on how to access Google without using a DNS server.

These websites are indexed by other search engines, such as DuckDuckGo, but not by Google.

What about Tor

When you utilize the Tor network, your traffic is routed to a random relay and is then further encrypted as it travels there. It is impossible to trace you or for sites to determine where you are actually situated because that is done three times through a decentralized network of nodes called a circuit – the nodes are managed by privacy-focused volunteers; thank you, lovely people.

The Tor browser not only reroutes encrypted traffic through arbitrary nodes, but also erases cookies and browsing history at the end of each session. But it also employs other deft strategies to fend off trackers. If a user visits two websites that share a monitoring system, they will typically be tracked across both. When the Tor browser detects such monitoring, it opens each connection via a different circuit, making it appear as though the users are two separate people. As a result, the websites cannot link the users’ activities or identities even if they check in to one of the websites.

What distinguishes the deep web from the dark web?

Although they are not the same, the terms “deep web” and “black web” are occasionally used interchangeably. Anything on the internet that is not indexed by and hence available through a search engine like Google is referred to as the “deep web.” Anything that is behind a paywall or requires login credentials is considered deep web content. Additionally, it consists of any content whose proprietors have forbidden web crawlers from indexing it.

The deep web is made up of a variety of things, including private corporate websites, medical records, fee-based content, and membership websites. The deep web is thought to make up between 96% and 99% of the internet. The “clean web” is the small section of the internet that can be accessed using a normal web browser.

Intentionally hidden portions of the deep web are known as the “dark web,” which can only be accessed via the Tor browser. The dark web’s extent is unknown, however most estimates place it at about 5% of the entire internet. Despite its sinister name, not all of the dark web is used for illegal activities.

The Dark Web: When and Why Was It Created?

Freenet, a University of Edinburgh student’s thesis project that aimed to develop a “Distributed Decentralized Information Storage and Retrieval System,” is thought to have marked the start of the dark web in 2000. Clarke set out to develop a brand-new platform for file sharing and anonymous online communication. The Tor Project, which debuted in 2002 and introduced a browser in 2008, was built on this foundation. Since the development of Tor, users have been able to access the internet totally anonymously and explore what is known as the “black web.”

How it Works?

The dark web has grown to become a global hub for users who want to remain anonymous. It was first utilized by the US Department of Defense to interact in an anonymous manner. The dark web is utilized by users for both legal and illicit activities. It employs a technique known as “onion routing,” which shields users from monitoring and tracking by taking them along a random route of encrypted servers.

Users who access websites using Tor have their information routed through thousands of relay points, hiding their browsing activity and making it nearly impossible to track them.

The dark web is it a crime?

We don’t want you to think that everything on the dark web is sinister or unlawful. In order to assist people communicate in settings that are unfriendly to free speech, the Tor network was first designed as an anonymous communications route.

There is also a ton of usefulness for some organizations. Law enforcement authorities constantly use dark web monitoring tools to monitor the dark web in search of stolen information from recent security breaches that could point to the offenders. Numerous mainstream media outlets search whistleblower websites for news.

Conclusion

There isn’t much you can do if you discover your personal information on the dark web, but at least you’ll be aware that you’ve been compromised. The black web is worth visiting if you can put up with its subpar performance, erratic availability, and sporadic shock factor.