The Dark Web & Deep Web also known as the Hidden World of Internet. We all use the internet every day but websites that are found through search engines are only made up of .004% of total pages available, the remaining 99.996% of the internet is made up of UN-index pages.
The internet contains at least 5.75 billion websites that have been indexed by search engines that huge number barely scratches the surface of what’s really out there, however. The rest is known as the deep web, which is 400 to 500 time larger than the surface internet.
Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo are able to search and index websites because of links. They use links to rank search results according to things like relevancy, inbound links, and keywords. Browsers search the so-called “surface web,” but that’s where the search stops.
The internet is a much, much bigger place than you probably realize. You know about Facebook, Google, Amazon and many of like them but do you really know what’s hiding beyond those user-friendly and respectable websites?
Let’s take a tour to find more about the hidden world
What is the Deep Web?
It is the part of the internet that is hidden from view. It is below the surface but not completely dark. The deep web is made up of all manner of information that cannot be indexed (or searched) by familiar search engines.
What’s on Deep Web?
The deep web holds the content that’s invisible to search engines. Here are a few examples of what’s on the deep web:
- The content of your personal email accounts
- The content of your social media accounts
- The content of your online banking accounts
- Data that companies store on their private databases
- Content contained within scientific and academic databases
- Medical records
A lot of what exists on the deep web consists of information that you probably wouldn’t want to turn up in a web search — like your checking account information — because it’s private and could be misused.
A rule of thumb: If you have to log in to one of your accounts, the information you access is on the deep web. That’s a good thing. The deep web can help protect your personal information and privacy.
Is the deep web safe?
If we compare it from the dark web – it is a safe place.
Accessing content on the deep web is relatively safe. Think about it. You probably check your email and your credit card statements online without worry. But that doesn’t mean that accessing that personal information has no risks.
For instance, your accounts on the deep web contain a lot of your personal information that criminals might value. That’s one reason why it’s important to use strong, unique passwords on all your accounts. That might include a hard-to-guess combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.
While the deep web is relatively safe, it’s always smart to practice safe internet habits.
What is the Dark Web?
Known throughout the world as the Dark Net, the Dark Internet, or most commonly, the Dark Web, this corner of the internet lies within the deepest points of the internet abyss.
Accessing the Dark Web requires a certain degree of savvy internet prowess, with a required list of steps that must be taken to not only enter this enshrouded world while maintaining the utmost privacy.
What’s on Dark Web?
The dark web operates with a high degree of anonymity. It hosts harmless activities and content, as well as criminal ones.
The dark web is better known for dark content — meaning, illegal and sometimes disturbing content. For instance, here’s a sample of illegal things you can find on the dark web.
- Credit card numbers
- Fake passports
- Marijuana
- Stolen/Hacked Accounts
- Murder for hire/Assassination
- Plastic Explosives
- Drugs/Narcotics
- Weapons
- Hacked Government Data
Is the dark web safe?
The dark web may be safe in some cases — think, legitimate content — but not in others.
Here are a few safety issues to consider.
- Criminal element – There’s a chance you will find websites run by criminals. Beyond selling illegal goods and services, they may seek to exploit you and steal from you.
- Breaking the law –You can be prosecuted for things you do on the dark web. It’s important to behave in an appropriate and legal manner.
- Suspicious links – If you click on any links, you may be taken to the material you might not want to see. It’s also possible that clicking a link or downloading a file could infect your device with malware.
- Law enforcement – Law enforcement officials operate on the dark web to catch people engaged in criminal activity. Like others on the dark web, law enforcement can do their work under a cloak of anonymity.
If you decide to venture to the dark web, it’s smart to be selective about the websites you access.
Accessing the dark web with Tor browser!
Getting to the dark web is actually a lot easier than you might think. All you have to do is download a dark web browser, like the Tor browser.
Once you install this browser on your device, it functions just like any other browser: type in a URL, and off you go.
However, finding the material you’re looking for on the dark web is more difficult than using a search engine like Google. The dark web doesn’t have an index or ranking system to help you find what you need.
There are such things as dark web search engines. One called the Uncensored Hidden Wiki offers some guidance to content on the dark web, but it may include illegal websites.
Here are a few tips and tools to help stay safe when using Tor and other browsers. There’s a lot more to consider, but this should give you an idea of some of the issues — good and bad — to consider.
- Tor is known for providing online anonymity, so it can be effective for sharing sensitive information with family or reporting corruption or abuse.
- Keep Tor and Tor applications updated. Make sure your device’s operating system is also up to date.
- Tor is designed with anonymity in mind, providing your regular email address could expose your identity. So don’t use your regular email address.
Anonymity can have positive effects — like being able to express views that are unpopular, but not illegal. And the dark web helps make things like that possible.
