Dark Web

What is the Dark Web?

Dark Web – A part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and is generally found only on secret or encrypted servers and requires special software or configurations to access. It is thought to be used for illicit activities like black markets, illegal information sharing, and underground political discourse.

It refers to encrypted online content that is not indexed by conventional search engines. Also known as the “darknet,” the dark web is a component of the deep web that describes the wider breadth of content that does not appear through regular internet browsing activities.

Specific browsers like Tor are required to access to sites, which contain anonymous message boards, online marketplaces for drugs, exchanges for stolen financial and private data, and other illegal content. Transactions in this hidden economy are often paid for with bitcoin, and physical goods are routinely shipped in ways that cloak both buyers and sellers from the watchful eyes of law enforcement.

How it Works

The dark web has become an online marketplace for illegal goods. Many of the innovations from legitimate online sellers like Amazon and eBay, like customer reviews and seller ratings, have been adopted to facilitate the sales of black-market items.

It attracts users who seek anonymity when conducting business. Intentions can be noble, such as with journalists seeking to interview citizens of repressive countries, where communications are monitored. Contrarily, the anonymity of it criminal actors like drug-dealers, hackers, and child pornography peddlers. There is also a growing service economy within the dark web in which hitmen and other illegal operatives advertise their services in ways they could not over traditional channels.

Dark Web VS Deep Web

The web and the deep web are often erroneously used interchangeably. To clarify: the deep web includes all the pages that don’t pop up when you run a web search. This covers everything requiring a login, such as personal email, online banking, or other such sites. Conversely, the dark web relies on encryption to keep irrefutably nefarious content anonymous.