In order to understand the dark web properly, you need to understand that the

internet is a huge and sometimes disorganized place. It’s almost like a huge flea
market or bazaar. It has billions of sites and addresses; it is amazing that we can
both search for – and find – anything.

There are three basic levels within this complex thing we call the World Wide
Web – open, deep, and dark. Each of these have their place – and their
drawbacks.

What is the dark web?

The dark web, despite massive media attention, is an extremely small part of the
deep web.

The term is very general, as there are actually a number of ‘darknets’ available
such as ‘Freenet’ and ‘I2P’ but the TOR network has become the most popular.
So, when most people refer to the dark net, they mean Tor.
The acronym stands for The Onion Router. A reference to how Tor works;
sending encrypted traffic through layers of relays around the globe as it hides
content, the sender, and their location. Users need a special browser with added
software to access the tor dark web in the first place.

Not only is browsing via tor more secure, it also is more private as it effectively
shuts out online trackers. The Tor browser is based on Firefox and makes use of
extensions like ‘NoScript’ to prevent harmful code from loading and there’s a
built-in ad blocker (see below).
While it is not flawless in protecting user privacy, it works well enough to give
users much more privacy in where they go, the content accessed, and protecting
their identity and location. The multiple relays help keep some distance and
anonymity between the person visiting the website, the website itself, and any
entity trying to eavesdrop on the communication between the two.
Tor is both a type of connection – with the extended relays – and a browser.
With your device running a Tor browser, you can go to Tor-specific sites – those
with an .onion suffix -- or also visit the usual sites on the open web. The
connection between Tor's dark net and the regular internet is bridged via an ‘exit
node’. Any internet traffic leaving the exit node is no longer part of Tor's dark
web. For maximum security users should only access sites with the .onion suffix
via the browser.

Admittedly, there are a number of Tor-only sites for illicit drugs or materials. If
used properly, the Tor browser allows surfers to stay anonymous and go to
“members only” forums where they can use untraceable cryptocurrencies for
their purchases.
But, that’s not the whole story. There are also popular free legal websites which
can be accessed via a .onion address. Facebook offers an onion link to access
their services, although you may find logging in difficult, as you’ll most likely
appear to be signing in from a different location each time.

Mail providers Mailbox.org and Protonmail can also be accessed via an .onion link.
This may be welcome news to those in states where security services have
attempted to block ‘anonymous’ email websites like these from the open web.
Since Tor can be used to access websites governments try to block, the dark web
can be a useful tool for people living under dictatorships to access western
media.
By its nature, Tor is censorship-resistant. Even if such sites were blocked from
the regular open web, anyone using the Tor Browser could still access their
email using the .onion addresses.

Image credit: Shutterstock (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Dark web: Privacy in a nutshell

Alexander Vukcevic, head of the Avira Protection Labs, explains: "With the open,
deep, and dark web, there is a difference in who can track you. With a usual
open web search, the search engine knows where you are, the number of your
device, your IP address, and the theme of the search.

“On the deep web, you can assume that activities are monitored at the gateway.
The major difference from the open web is that it is system admin -- not the
search engine -- that can follow your activities.

"For the dark web, while some activities can be monitored, you are able to hide
your personal data before entering. While you might want to search
anonymously, some sites – NYTimes and even those illegal markets – can insist
you register so you can be identified. Some open web sites will block you from
entering with the Tor browser.”

How many dark web sites are there?

No one knows precisely how many dark web sites there are out there. Tor is
designed to be resistant to web crawling but the number of active ones probably
only number in the thousands.

Finding these can prove a challenge, as searching on the dark web can be
irritation – visually and operationally. Before finding a treasure of odd
substances or private information, you’re likely to hit a number of dead ends.

Unlike the open web, these sites aren’t really worried about being found by on-
page SEO tools like web crawlers. While there are Google-like equivalents trying to
categorize the dark web, results are spotty. There are some supposed ‘dark web’
search engines like Torch or Haystak is said to have indexed more .onion sites
than any other search engine. But claims like these are hard to prove.
Part of the reason for this is lack of incentive for content creators on the dark
web. Those on Tor aren’t worried about cleaning up their website with the
latest SEO tools to boost their relative ranking on the Google and Bing charts.
Since your connection is routed through multiple tor relays, page loading times
can be very slow making effective searching extremely time-consuming.

The dark net is tiny when compared to both the open and the deep web,
estimated to total around 50,000 sites.

Should I visit the Dark Web?

For most of us, the short answer is that there's no reason to: unless you're really
paranoid about your privacy or you're doing something that really needs
anonymity, such as reporting on repressive regimes or crime syndicates or trying
to bypass state censorship, there's no real reason to venture onto the Dark Web
at all - not least because it slows down your browsing.

There's a fascinating thread on Reddit (not remotely safe for work) where dark
web users share their stories. Some of the tales are enough to make you tape
over your webcam and disable your router just in case. Think of it as the dodgy
bit of town where sensible people don't go after dark. It’s the wild west.
While in theory you can buy legitimate products and services on the dark web,
remember that anonymity works both ways. If you pay for something and it
never arrives, you may well not be able to track down the seller to get your
money back. This makes the dark web a popular place for scammers.
What is Tor?
Tor stands for Thin Onion Routing, and in 2013 UK MP Julian Smith described it
as "the black internet where child pornography, drug trafficking and arms
trading take place". He's not wrong:

the Tor is where now-defunct Silk Road drugs marketplace could be found, it's
where Black Market Reloaded traded drugs and weapons, and it's where the US
National Security Agency says "very naughty people" hang out. It's not the only
network on the Dark Web - for example, you may have heard of the Freenet anti-
censorship network - but it's by far the most popular.

According to an investigation by Deep Web watchers Vocativ, European terrorists

who wanted guns used to "tap into a 20-year-old market that took root and
flourished at the end of the Balkan wars. Now with the rise of the dark net, that
market has been digitized and deals on illegal guns are only a few minutes
away." Many of those deals are from people in the US: Vocativ found 281 listings
of guns and ammunition on the dark web, the majority of which were shipping
from America.
It's not that Tor is evil; it's just that the same tools that protect political dissidents
are pretty good at protecting criminals too.

That wasn't intentional. Tor was initially developed by the US Navy. Its goal was
to allow ships to communicate with each other and their bases without revealing
their location. It does this by bouncing users' and sites' traffic through multiple
relays to disguise where they are.

It's also used by political activists and dissidents, journalists, people who don't
trust websites' use of their personal data, and the odd member of the tin foil hat
brigade, convinced the government is spying on them at all times.

Whilst using Tor isn’t illegal, the encrypted data packets it uses make it fairly easy
to detect. Given its relationship with crime, some ISPs and companies
automatically block Tor traffic.
It's not that Tor is evil; it's just that the same tools that protect political dissidents
are pretty good at protecting criminals too.

That wasn't intentional. Tor was initially developed by the US Navy. Its goal was
to allow ships to communicate with each other and their bases without revealing
their location. It does this by bouncing users' and sites' traffic through multiple
relays to disguise where they are.

It's also used by political activists and dissidents, journalists, people who don't
trust websites' use of their personal data, and the odd member of the tin foil hat
brigade, convinced the government is spying on them at all times.

Whilst using Tor isn’t illegal, the encrypted data packets it uses make it fairly easy
to detect. Given its relationship with crime, some ISPs and companies
automatically block Tor traffic.
If the dark web’s secret, how does anyone find
anything?
For many people, the answer is by using regular websites such as Reddit.
Dedicated subreddits guide newcomers around the Dark Web. The moderators
enforce a strict policy against posting links to illegal products or services, so
you’re more likely to find safer dark web addresses here.

On the open web, there are certain Wikis which are like a kind of Yahoo! for
destinations on the Tor network - albeit a Yahoo! where many of the links are
likely to land you in prison, which is why we aren't naming or linking to them.

When viewing dark web links, you’ll see that the sites have the .onion extension:
that means you need the Tor browser to open them. You'll also see that the
majority of sites you can find are marketplaces, because those sites want to
attract as many customers as possible. That means they're the tip of the Dark
Web iceberg, as many sites are secret and only available to people with the right
credentials and/or contacts.

Can I protect my privacy without going onto the

dark web?
You don't need the dark web to protect your identity online. While Tor is a
powerful tool for defending your privacy, it isn't the only one.

Tor doesn’t protect the data on your device itself, for example. But you can do
this through using open-source encryption software such as Veracrypt. Using open-
source means there’s far less chance of any security flaws or deliberate
backdoors as the code is constantly reviewed by the community.
There are also privacy and anonymous browsers, which are designed to keep you
safe on the regular ‘open’ web. For example, the Epic browser is programmed to
always run in private mode, so it doesn't store data about which sites you visit. It
is based on Chromium, the open-source of Google chrome but the developers
claim to have removed all Google tracking software and that the browser stops
other companies from tracing you too.
If you do just want to stop ad networks tracking you, browser plugins such as
Ghostery can block trackers. You should also consider installing an ad blocker,
which will prevent most harmful or marketing URLs from loading in the first
place.
While ad blockers can prevent most harmful links from loading, you should also
take steps to protect yourself from malware to keep your data safe from hackers
and scammers. Consider installing antivirus software.
As most malware is designed for Windows, another way to stay safe is to switch
to a different operating system. Most versions of Linux such as Ubuntu are free of
charge and a the best Linux distros makes it easy to get set up and started in this
environment, especially if you’re coming from an OS like Windows.
VPNs will anonymise your browsing by encrypting the connection between your
device and VPN provider. This makes it extremely difficult for your ISP or anyone
with access to your internet records to know which sites you visit or apps you
use. You can also find a few free VPN services, but be aware of the risks if you're
still using legacy VPNs in your organization.
But don't forget the basics, either: if you're dealing with documents that could
make you the next Edward Snowden, use an "air gap" - that is, a device that isn't
connected to anything else at all. Your data can't be remotely intercepted if you
aren't connected to any networks.

Your data could be everywhere

You, or data about you, could already be at all three levels of the internet – and
this should concern you.

For the open web, just type your name into Google and see what comes up.
Whether this is a Linkedin profile, Facebook, social media, or any community
involvement, chances are that you already have some online presence.

Your data is almost certainly in the deep internet – and you can only hope that it
stays there. This would include doctor records on the hospital intranet or even
school records. Your data is being stored, and you can only hope that the
companies are keeping it according to GDPR standards, which requires them to
keep it safe via various methods like using encryption.
The cloud has also fueled growth of the deep internet. If a company puts its files
on an Amazon web server, it has placed you on the deep web. This is not a privacy
issue – unless they configure the account incorrectly and leave it open to
hackers or researchers.
If that happens, you can only hope that they will inform you in accordance with
GDPR procedures and that the data has not been copied and added to a
database for sale on the dark web.

You should also consider this if you choose to visit the dark web. The Tor
browser can conceal your true location by shunting your traffic through various
relays. But it can’t stop you from entering personal information on websites to
say where you are. Your connection also may be encrypted but if you do
something like send an email from your personal account, then anyone with
access to your inbox will know that you were online at that time.

The dark web can be a dangerous place and may not be for everyone. There are
also some excellent ways to protect your privacy from most bad actors. Take
some time to decide if this is the right option for you before downloading the
Tor browser.

What is the open web?

The open or surface web is what you access daily through search engines
like Bing or Google. Before you even turn on the device, search engines have
crawled through the web, looking for information, evaluating the sources, and
listing your options.

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This is like the general reading room in your local library. The books are there,
they’re precisely organized by theme and title, and you’re free and able to look
everywhere. By accessing the normal internet, your device is accessing central
servers which will then display the website.

If you have time on your hands, you can just wander through the aisles of a
library looking at every book. But if you want to find something specific, you can
also ask a Librarian to help you locate it.

Browsers such as Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo act like virtual librarians, sorting and
cataloging materials so they can be easily searched. They do this through using
“crawlers”, sometimes also known as “spiders” or “robots”. Crawlers can
automatically scan websites and their links, then record them. This makes it easy
for them (and you) to find websites.
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Most corporate and public sites work hard to make sure that these web crawlers
can easily find them. This makes perfect sense as the entire purpose of creating
a website is so that people can access your content and/or buy your products.
Most sites do this by deliberately placing “meta tags” in their website code to
make it easier for crawlers to catalog them properly.

Knowing where online materials are – and who is searching for them – makes it
possible for search engines like Google to sell advertisements. This accounts for
well over 80 percent of the company’s revenue, linking people who are searching
with the millions of sites out there that pay Google to list their content.

Still, this open and cataloged “crawled” web content is still estimated to make up
less than 1% of the internet.

Dark web definition

The dark web is a part of the internet that isn’t indexed by search engines. You’ve no doubt
heard talk of the “dark web” as a hotbed of criminal activity — and it is. Researchers Daniel
Moore and Thomas Rid of King’s College in London classified the contents of 2,723 live dark
web sites over a five-week period in 2015 and found that 57% host illicit material.

A study, Into the Web of Profit, conducted by Dr. Michael McGuires at the University of
Surrey, shows that things have become worse. The number of dark web listings that could harm
an enterprise has risen by 20% from 2016 to 2019. Of all listings (excluding those selling
drugs), 60% could potentially harm enterprises.

What can you buy on the dark web?

You can buy credit card numbers, all manner of drugs, guns, counterfeit money, stolen
subscription credentials, hacked Netflix accounts and software that helps you break into other
people’s computers. Buy login credentials to a $50,000 Bank of America account, counterfeit
$20 bills, prepaid debit cards, or a “lifetime” Netflix premium account. You can hire hackers to
attack computers for you. You can buy usernames and passwords.

Not everything is illegal, the dark web also has a legitimate side. For example, you can join
a chess club or BlackBook, a social network described as the “the Facebook of Tor.”

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Note: This post contains links to dark web sites that can only be accessed with the Tor
browser, which can be downloaded for free at https://www.torproject.org.

What is the dark web used for?

Patrick Tiquet, Director of Security & Architecture at Keeper Security and the company’s
resident expert on the topic, checks in on the dark web regularly because it’s important for him
to be on top of what’s happening in the hacker underground. “I use the dark web for situational
awareness, threat analysis and keeping an eye on what’s going on,” he said will. “I want to
know what information is available and have an external lens into the digital assets that are
being monetized – this gives us insight on what hackers are targeting.”
There are also many tools that can be use to monitor the dark web and scan for personally
identifiable information and even respond to attacks.

If you find your own information on the dark web, there’s precious little you can do about it,
but at least you’ll know you’ve been compromised. Bottom line: If you can tolerate the lousy
performance, unpredictable availability, and occasional shock factor of the dark web, it’s worth
a visit. Just don’t buy anything there.

Deep web vs. dark web: What’s the difference?

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 tools and services

The Into the Web of Profit report identified 12 categories of tools or services that could present
a risk in the form of a network breach or data compromise:

 Infection or attacks, including malware, distributed denial of service (DDoS) and botnets

 Access, including remote access Trojans (RATs), keyloggers and exploits

 Espionage, including services, customization and targeting

 Support services such as tutorials

 Credentials
  Phishing

 Refunds

 Customer data

 Operational data

 Financial data

 Intellectual property/trade secrets

 Other emerging threats

The report also outlined three risk variables for each category:

 Devaluing the enterprise, which could include undermining brand trust, reputational damage
or losing ground to a competitor

 Disrupting the enterprise, which could include DDoS attacks or other malware that affects
business operations

 Defrauding the enterprise, which could include IP theft or espionage that impairs a
company’s ability to compete or causes a direct financial loss

Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) kits have been available on the dark web for several years,
but those offerings have become far more dangerous with the rise of specialized criminal
groups like REvil or GandCrab. These groups develop their own sophisticated malware,
sometimes combined with pre-existing tools, and distribute them through “affiliates”.

The affiliates distribute the ransomware packages through the dark web. These attacks often
include stealing victims’ data and threatening to release it on the dark web if the ransom isn’t
paid.

This business model is successful and lucrative. IBM Security X-Force, for example, reported
that 29% of its ransomware engagements in 2020 involved REvil. The criminal groups that
developed the malware gets a cut of the affiliates’ earnings, typically between 20% and 30%.
IBM estimates that REvil’s profits in the past year were $81 million.

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.

Still, for those willing to put up with the inconvenience, the dark web provides a memorable
glimpse at the seamy underbelly of the human experience – without the risk of skulking around
in a dark alley.

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 1990s. 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 websites

Dark web websites 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 websites 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 websites also use a scrambled naming structure that creates URLs that are often
impossible to remember. For example, a popular commerce site called Dream Market goes by
the unintelligible address of “eajwlvm3z2lcca76.onion.”

Many dark websites are set up by scammers, who constantly move around to avoid the wrath of
their victims. Even commerce sites that may have existed for a year or more can suddenly
disappear if the owners decide to cash in and flee with the escrow money they’re holding on
behalf of customers.

Law enforcement officials are getting better at finding and prosecuting owners of sites that sell
illicit goods and services. In the summer of 2017, a team of cyber cops from three
countries successfully shut down AlphaBay, the dark web’s largest source of contraband,
sending shudders throughout the network. But many merchants simply migrated elsewhere.
The anonymous nature of the Tor network also makes it especially vulnerable to DDoS, said
Keeper’s Tiquet. “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.”

For sale on the dark web

The dark web has flourished thanks to bitcoin, the crypto-currency that enables two parties to
conduct a trusted transaction without knowing each other’s identity. “Bitcoin has been a major
factor in the growth of the dark web, and the dark web has been a big factor in the growth of
bitcoin,” says Tiquet.

Nearly all dark web commerce sites conduct transactions in bitcoin or some variant, but that
doesn’t mean it’s safe to do business there. The inherent anonymity of the place attracts
scammers and thieves, but what do you expect when buying guns or drugs is your objective?

Dark web commerce sites have the same features as any e-retail operation, including
ratings/reviews, shopping carts and forums, but there are important differences. One is quality
control. When both buyers and sellers are anonymous, the credibility of any ratings system is
dubious. Ratings are easily manipulated, and even sellers with long track records have been
known to suddenly disappear with their customers’ crypto-coins, only to set up shop later under
a different alias.

Most e-commerce providers offer some kind of escrow service that keeps customer funds on
hold until the product has been delivered. However, in the event of a dispute don’t expect
service with a smile. It’s pretty much up to the buyer and the seller to duke it out. Every
communication is encrypted, so even the simplest transaction requires a PGP key.

Even completing a transaction is no guarantee that the goods will arrive. Many need to cross
international borders, and customs officials are cracking down on suspicious packages. The
dark web news site Deep.Dot.Web teems with stories of buyers who have been arrested or
jailed for attempted purchases.

As in the real world, the price you pay for stolen data fluctuates as the market changes.
According to Privacy Affair’s Dark Web Price Index 2021, these are the most current prices for
some of the data and services commonly traded over the dark web:

 Cloned credit card with PIN: $25 to $35

 Credit card details with account balance up to $5,000: $240

  Stolen online banking logins with at least $2,000 in the account: $120

 PayPal transfers from stolen accounts: $50 to $340

 Hacked Coinbase verified account: $610

 Hacked social media account: $1 to $60

 Hacked Gmail account: $80

 Hacked eBay account with good reputation: $1,000

Is the dark web illegal?

We don’t want to leave you with the impression that everything on the dark web is nefarious or
illegal. The Tor network began as an anonymous communications channel, and it still serves a
valuable purpose in helping people communicate in environments that are hostile to free
speech. “A lot of people use it in countries where there’s eavesdropping or where internet
access is criminalized,” Tiquet said.

If you want to learn all about privacy protection or cryptocurrency, the dark web has plenty to
offer. There are a variety of private and encrypted email services, instructions for installing an
anonymous operating system and advanced tips for the privacy-conscious.

There’s also material that you wouldn’t be surprised to find on the public web, such as links to
full-text editions of hard-to-find books, collections of political news from mainstream websites
and a guide to the steam tunnels under the Virginia Tech campus. You can conduct discussions
about current events anonymously on Intel Exchange. There are several whistleblower sites,
including a dark web version of Wikileaks. Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent site that law enforcement
officials have repeatedly shut down, is alive and well there. Even Facebook has a dark web
presence.

“More and more legitimate web companies are starting to have presences there,” Tiquet said.
“It shows that they’re aware, they’re cutting edge and in the know.”

There’s also plenty of practical value for some organizations. Law enforcement agencies keep
an ear to the ground on the dark web looking for stolen data from recent security breaches that
might lead to a trail to the perpetrators. Many mainstream media organizations monitor
whistleblower sites looking for news.

Editor’s note: This article, originally published in January 2018, was subsequently updated to
add information on ransomware as a service and data on prices paid for stolen data.
More on the dark web:

 10 things you should know about navigating the dark web

 Coming from inside the building: dark web recruitment of malicious insiders

 10 dark web monitoring tools

 Booming dark web gig economy is a rising threat

 The state of the dark web: Insights from the underground

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Engineering. Additionally, Darren is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
Darren is a community board member of the Chicago Entrepreneurial Center
(1871) supporting the development of early stage companies and an advisor
to TechStars – a Chicago-based technology incubator for innovative startups.
Formerly, Darren served on the Committee of Technology Infrastructure
under Mayor Richard Daley.
The opinions expressed in this blog are those of Darren Guccione and do not
necessarily represent those of IDG Communications, Inc., its parent,
subsidiary or affiliated companies.

What Is the Surface Web?

Sites on the surface web (or open web) are those visible to average users without
the use of Tor or any other special browsers or software. Sites on the surface web
are also indexable and can be easily found using search engines. Although the
surface web is made up of many of the most popular .com, .net, and .org sites, it's
estimated that it represents only around 5% of the total content available on the
internet, with the rest being found on the deep web or dark web. In a classic
example, the surface web can be imagined as the tip of a large iceberg whose bulk
remains hidden just under the surface.

What's the Difference Between the Deep Web and the

Dark Web?
Millions of regular internet users access private databases such as email inboxes
and credit card accounts daily. These pages are not indexed by search engines and
are protected behind security walls, authentication forms, and passwords on the
deep web.

Approximately 90% of all websites are on the deep web, and many are used by
entities such as corporations, government agencies, and nonprofits. What's known
as the dark web exists within the deep web; it's an area of the internet that is only
accessible by users who have a Tor browser installed. In general, most average
internet users will never need to access content on the dark web, although it is
perfectly legal to use Tor.

When and Why Was the Dark Web Created?

The dark web is known to have begun in 2000 with the release of Freenet, the
thesis project of University of Edinburgh student Ian Clarke, who set out to create
a "Distributed Decentralised Information Storage and Retrieval System." Clarke
aimed to create a new way to anonymously communicate and share files online.
That groundwork was the basis for the Tor Project, which was released in 2002 and
launched a browser in 2008. With the creation of Tor, users could now browse the
internet completely anonymously and explore sites that were deemed part of the
"dark web."

How the Dark Web Works

Originally used by the United States Department of Defense to communicate
anonymously, the dark web has now become a hub for users wishing to remain
anonymous around the world. People use the dark web for both legal and illegal
purposes. It uses a technology called "onion routing," which protects users from
surveillance and tracking through a random path of encrypted servers. When users
access a site through Tor, their information is routed through thousands of relay
points that cover the user's tracks and make their browsing virtually impossible to
trace.
Legal Uses of the Dark Web
While using the dark web may seem suspect on the surface, it is perfectly legal,
and there are many legitimate uses of Tor and anonymous browsing. For example,
in countries where government surveillance may be used to spy on and oppress
political dissidents, the dark web is often a place for communication that avoids
government censorship and scrutiny. Despite these added layers of security, users
should still be cautious using the dark web and take proper security measures, such
as periodically updating their security software, browsing with a robust VPN, and
avoiding the use of a standard email address.

Illegal Uses of the Dark Web

Given its anonymous nature, the dark web is also used for illicit and even illegal
purposes. These include the buying and selling of illegal drugs, weapons,
passwords, and stolen identities, as well as the trading of illegal pornography and
other potentially harmful materials. Several sites hosting illegal material have been
discovered by government agencies and shut down in recent years, including Silk
Road, AlphaBay, and Hansa. The dark web's anonymity has also led to
cybersecurity threats and various data breaches over the last few decades.

Help Address Today's Biggest Cybersecurity Challenges

Luckily, the cybersecurity and international threats posed by the anonymity of the
dark web are continuously being thwarted by government bodies, law enforcement
agencies, and thousands of information technology professionals. If you're
interested in being at the forefront of defense against cyber attacks and online
threats to national security, consider the many career pathways in IT and
cybersecurity offered by the Tulane School of Professional Advancement. We have
degree and certificate programs in Information Technology, Cyber Defense,
and Cybersecurity Management that can teach you how to protect internet users
online and prepare you for a number of rewarding career paths. Learn more about
our various degree and certification programs today by requesting more
information.