What Is the Dark Web?

What Is the Dark Web?

The dark web refers to encrypted online content and allows individuals to hide their identity and location from others. Dark web content is not indexed by conventional search engines. To access the dark web, users must install a private browser, like the TOR Browser, use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), and ensure their computer remains safe and secure.

How the Dark Web Works

Due to anonymity on the dark web, many consider it a place where online marketplaces for drugs, exchanges for stolen data, and other illegal activities occur. Despite this, there may be legitimate reasons people choose to use the dark web, including political dissidents and those who want to keep certain information private.

The dark web can provide legal authorities with the additional tools they need to apprehend the perpetrators of unethical activities.The dark web is a secret network and a series of websites hidden from the general public, and unaccessible through traditional search engines like Google.

Traditional search engines return results from indexes of links to websites, ranked based on keywords and relevancy. The dark web uses information unavailable on other search engines, such as content from individual accounts, email, social media, banking, personal and professional databases, and medical and legal documents.

History of the Dark Web

The dark web officially appeared in the early 2000s with the creation of Freenet, developed by Ian Clarke to secure users against government intervention and cyber attacks. The system allows users to express themselves freely without being tracked online.

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory funded The Onion Router (TOR). TOR offered intelligence sources a way to communicate easily and safely, especially in hostile areas where personal safety is key. It is now one of the most common browsers used to access the dark web.

Cryptocurrency and the Dark Web

The rise of cryptocurrencies increased the popularity of the dark web, especially for cyber criminals. Digital currencies provide anonymity for people who buy and sell on the dark web. People often confuse the dark web with cryptocurrencies, because many crypto transactions for coins such as Bitcoin occur on the web. However, individuals do not have to use the dark web to purchase cryptocurrencies.

The G20 and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have both called for cryptocurrency companies to provide information on buyers and sellers in transactions conducted online. This is especially true, they say, to help law enforcement track criminal organizations and illicit activities.

Dark Web vs. Deep Web

The dark web and the deep web are also often erroneously used interchangeably. The dark web is one part of the deep web, also called the invisible web or the hidden web. The information found on the deep web is normally encrypted and isn't found on indexes. It includes the pages that don’t pop up when you run a web search. It also contains everything that requires a login, such as content from:

• Online banking
• Pay websites, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime
• File hosting services, such as Dropbox and its competitors
• Private databases

The information on the dark web can also include anything on subscriber-only databases rather than anything illegal.

Pros and Cons 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 popularity of the dark web with criminals makes it a perfect way for undercover police officers to communicate.

However, some may abuse the power of the dark web by making it easier to engage in criminal activity. 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.

The Bottom Line

The dark web is used to remain anonymous when using the internet. However, the dark web has gained a negative reputation as a forum for those who want to use it for illicit activities. Users install a private browser and use a VPN.