Dark Web Definition
The dark web is an area of the internet that is not visible to search engines. To gain access, you will need to make use of Tor (an anonymous browser) to gain access. There has been much talk about the "dark internet" being a central hub for criminal activities. Thomas Rid of King's College London and Daniel Moore classified the contents of 273 websites that were live on the dark web within five weeks in the year 2015. They found that 57% of them hosted illegal content. A study in 2019, Into the Web of Profit, carried out by Dr. Michael McGuires at the University of Surrey, shows that things have become worse. The number of dark-web listings that could harm businesses has increased by 20 percent since 2016. 60% of all online listings (except those that offer illegal drugs) can cause harm to businesses. It is possible to buy credit cards, counterfeit cash or guns, fake cash or stolen account credentials. Buy login credentials to an account with a value of $10,000 Bank of America account, counterfeit $20 bills, debit cards that are prepaid or an "lifetime" Netflix premium account. Hackers can be hired to hack computers. You can also buy passwords and usernames. It's not necessary to do it illegally. The dark web has its legitimate side. For instance, you could join a chess club or BlackBook which is a social network described as "the Facebook of Tor." See this recommended hidden wiki link for tips.
Deep Web Vs. Dark Web: What’S The Difference?
The terms "deep web" and "dark web" are sometimes used interchangeably, however they're not exactly the identical. The term "deep web" refers to anything that is not found by Google search engines, and thus cannot be accessed via their search engine. Any content that is behind a paywall with a password restriction or that requires sign-in credentials is considered deep web content. Also, it includes content that has been blocked by the owners of web crawlers that allow indexing. Also, it includes content that is fee-based like medical records and membership websites. It is estimated that the deep internet comprises 96 9 to 99 percent of the web. A tiny fraction of the internet is accessible through a standard web browser--generally called the "clear web". Dark webs are a part of the deep web which is deliberately hidden. It requires an additional browser called Tor to access it, as explained in the following. It's not clear what the size of the dark internet is, but estimates suggest it around 5%. Although it's a scary name there aren't any dark web site is used illicitly.
Dark Web Browser
All this activity, this image of a bustling marketplace, may make you believe that getting around the dark web is easy. However, it's not. The web is just as messy and chaotic as you'd think in a world where everyone is anonymous and a substantial minority are out to scam others. Tor is an anonymizing browser that is able to connect to the dark web. The requests you make to your web pages are routed through Tor's proxy servers, which are run by thousands of volunteers from all over the world. This renders your IP address unreadable to track and inaccessible. Tor performs like magic, but the end result is unpredictable, slow, and insecure. However, for those who are willing to bear the inconvenience, the dark web provides a memorable glimpse at the seamy underbelly of the human experience - without the risk of running through a dark alley.
Dark Web Search Engine
There are dark web search engines however, they can be hard to keep up. It's similar to surfing the web in the late 1990s. One of the most popular search engines, known as Grams gives results that are repetitive and often not relevant to the search. Link lists such as The Hidden Wiki are another option, but even indexes can result in a frustrating number of connections that have timed out as well as errors 404.
Dark Web Websites
Dark web sites look just like other sites However, there are some important differences. The structure of their names is just one. Dark web sites do not have a domain name ending in.co or.com. They have a suffix in.onion. Wikipedia explains that it is a "special-use top level domain suffix that indicates a secret service accessible via the Tor network." The sites are only accessible to those who have the correct proxy. Dark web websites also use an univocal naming scheme which creates URLs that are usually difficult 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 sites that have been in existence for many years may suddenly cease operation if the owners decide not to pay out or leave with the escrow funds they are holding on behalf of customers.