The dark web is the hidden collective of internet sites only accessible by a specialized web browser. It is used for keeping internet activity anonymous and private, which can be helpful in both legal and illegal applications. While some use it to evade government censorship, it has also been known to be utilized for highly illegal activity.

What is the dark web, deep web, and surface web?

The Internet is sizable with millions of web pages, databases, and servers all run 24 hours a day. But the so-called "visible" Internet (aka surface web or open web) — sites that can be found using search engines like Google and Yahoo — is just the tip of the iceberg.

There are several terms surrounding the non-visible Web, but it's worth knowing how they differ if you're planning to browse off the beaten path.

THE SURFACE WEB OR OPEN WEB: is the “visible” surface layer. All commonly public-facing websites accessed via traditional browsers like Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox are contained here. Websites are usually labeled with registry operators like “.com” and “.org” and can be easily located with popular search engines.

Locating surface web websites is possible because search engines can index the web via visible links (a process called “crawling” due to the search engine traveling the web like a spider).

THE DEEP WEB : rests below the surface and accounts for approximately 90% of all websites. Carrying on with the analogy, big search engines could be considered like fishing boats that can only "catch" websites close to the surface. Everything else, from academic journals to private databases and more illicit content, is out of reach. This deep web also includes the portion that we know as the dark web. Some of the largest parts of the deep web include:

Databases: both public and privately protected file collections that are not connected to other areas of the web, only to be searched within the database itself.

Intranet : internal networks for enterprises, governments, and educational facilities used to communicate and control aspects privately within their organizations.

In case you’re wondering how to access the deep web, chances are you already use it daily. The term "deep web" refers to all web pages that that are unidentifiable by search engines. Deep web sites may be concealed behind passwords or other security walls, while others simply tell search engines to not “crawl” them. Without visible links, these pages are more hidden for various reasons.

THE DARK WEB : refers to sites that are not indexed and only accessible via specialized web browsers. The dark web, however, is a very concealed portion of the deep web that few will ever interact with or even see. In other words, the deep web covers everything under the surface that's still accessible with the right software, including the dark web. Breaking down the construction of the dark web reveals a few key layers that make it an anonymous haven:

No webpage indexing by surface web search engines. Google and other popular search tools cannot discover or display results for pages within the dark web.

“Virtual traffic tunnels” via a randomized network infrastructure.

Inaccessible by traditional browsers due to its unique registry operator. Also, it's further hidden by various network security measures like firewalls and encryption.



How to access the dark web

The dark web was once the province of hackers, law enforcement officers, and cybercriminals. However, new technology like encryption and the anonymization browser software, Tor, now makes it possible for anyone to dive dark if they're interested.

Tor (“The Onion Routing” project) network browser provides users access to visit websites with the “. onion” registry operator. This browser is a service originally developed in the latter part of the 1990s by the United States Naval Research Laboratory.

Understanding that the nature of the internet meant a lack of privacy, an early version of Tor was created to hide spy communications. Eventually, the framework was repurposed and has since been made public in the form of the browser we know today. Anyone can download it free of charge.

Think of Tor as a web browser like Google Chrome or Firefox. Notably, instead of taking the most direct route between your computer and the deep parts of the web, the Tor browser uses a random path of encrypted servers known as "nodes." This allows users to connect to the deep web without fear of their actions being tracked or their browser history being exposed.

Sites on the deep web also use Tor (or similar software such as I2P, the “Invisible Internet Project”) to remain anonymous, meaning you won't be able to find out who's running them or where they're being hosted.

Is it illegal to go on the dark web?

Simply put, no it is not illegal to access the dark web. In fact, some uses are perfectly legal and support the value of the “dark web.” On the dark web, users can seek out three clear benefits from its use:

User anonymity
Virtually untraceable services and sites
Ability to take illegal actions for both users and providers

As such, the dark web has attracted many parties who would otherwise be endangered by revealing their identities online. Abuse and persecution victims, whistleblowers, and political dissidents have been frequent users of these hidden sites. But of course, these benefits can be easily extended to those that want to act outside of the constraints of laws in other explicitly illegal ways.

When viewed through this lens, the dark web’s legality is based on how you as a user engage with it. You might fall to the wayside of legal lines for many reasons that are important for the protection of freedom. Others may act in ways that are illegal for the protection and safety of others. Let’s unpack both of these concepts in terms of the “dark web browser” and the websites themselves.

Is It Illegal to Access the Deep Web or the Dark Web?

In short, no, it is not illegal to go browsing on a non-indexed page. Or to use a high-privacy like Tor, traditionally associated with browsing the deep web and dark web.In fact, part of the deep web might include your old blog from 10 years ago which search engines fail to index because it’s very old and devoid of content. Seems pretty harmless, right?

The privacy offered by the Tor browser is important in the current digital age. Corporations and governing bodies alike currently participate in unauthorized surveillance of online activity. Some simply don't want government agencies or even Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to know what they're looking at online, while others have little choice. Users in countries with strict access and user laws are often prevented from accessing even public sites unless they use Tor clients and virtual private networks (VPNs).

However, you can still take illegal actions within Tor that could incriminate you regardless of the browser’s legality i.e what is illegal is not just to access and browse the overlay networks called the deep web or dark web, but to look into illegal services sold on these networks. Or to attempt to hack things without permission. . You could easily use Tor in an attempt to pirate copyrighted content from the deep web, share illegal pornography, or engage in cyber terrorism. Using a legal browser will not make your actions fall to the right side of the law.

Still, you should note that accessing the dark web without plenty of cybersecurity precautions can be dangerous for a layman. It can expose you to various dangers, which I’ll elaborate on below. If you absolutely must satisfy your curiosity on this, I will follow up with a guide on how to access the deep/dark web soon.

Are sites on the dark web illegal to use and visit?

On the network end, the dark web is a bit more of a grey area. The use of the dark web usually means that you are attempting to engage in activity that you could not otherwise carry out in the public eye.

For government critics and other outspoken advocates, they may fear backlash if their real identities were discovered. For those who have endured harm at the hands of others, they may not want their attackers to discover their conversations about the event. If an activity is deemed illegal by the governing bodies you fall under, then it would be illegal.

That said, anonymity comes with a dark side since criminals and malicious hackers also prefer to operate in the shadows. For example, cyberattacks and trafficking are activities that the participants know will be incriminating. They take these actions to the dark web to hide for this reason.

Ultimately, simply browsing these spaces is not illegal but can be an issue for you. While it is not illegal as a whole, unsavory activity does live in many parts of the dark web. It can expose you to unnecessary risks if you are not careful or an advanced, computer savvy user aware of its threats. So, what is the dark web used for when it’s used for illegal activity?

What Are the Main Dangers of the Dark Web?

Returning to cybersecurity issues, I need to stress that the dark web is a dangerous place, especially if you’re a non-technical person just looking to satisfy a curiosity. Don’t go snooping around there, or at least not without preparing.

In the meantime, you should know that the dark web can pose dangers to your safety even if you don’t meddle in it.

You know why?

Because one of the most often transactioned goods on the dark web marketplaces is your data. There are tons and tons of gigabytes of leaked credentials and personal information for sale for hackers. That’s where hackers get their data for credential stuffing attacks, identity theft, and other shady business.

7 Tips for safe access to the dark web

1. Trust your intuition. To avoid being scammed, you’ll want to protect yourself with smart behavior on the web. Not everyone is who they seem. Staying safe requires that you watch who you talk to and where you visit. You should always take action to remove yourself from a situation if something doesn’t feel right.

2. Detach your online persona from real life. Your username, email address, “real name,” password, and even your credit card should never be used anywhere else in your life. Create brand-new throwaway accounts and identifiers for yourself if necessary. Acquire prepaid, unidentifiable debit cards before making any purchases. Do not use anything that could be used to identify you — whether online or in real life.

3. Employ active monitoring of identify and financial theft. Many online security services now offer identity protection for your safety. Be sure to take advantage of these tools if they are made available to you.

4. Explicitly avoid dark web file downloads. Fear of malware infection is significantly higher in the lawless territory that is the dark web. Real-time file scanning from an antivirus program can help you check any incoming files in case you do opt to download.

5. Disable ActiveX and Java in any available network settings. These frameworks are notorious for being probed and exploited by malicious parties. Since you are traveling through a network filled with said threats, you’ll want to avoid this risk.

6. Use a secondary non-admin local user account for all daily activities. The native account on most computers will have full administrative permissions by default. Most malware must take advantage of this to execute its functions. As such, you can slow or halt the progress of exploitation by limiting the account in-use to strict privileges.

7. Always restrict access to your Tor-enabled device. Protect your children or other family members so they aren't at risk of stumbling across something no one should ever see. Visit the Deep Web if you're interested, but don't let kids anywhere near it.

I will put together a list of best websites on the dark web in my next write up.

What will i grean from it

ozome15:
What will i grean from it

Some of the main advantages of using a Dark web are

User anonymity.
Virtually untraceable services and sites.
Ability to take illegal actions for both users and providers.

Just download tor browser and your on the dark web

Hmmm very educating but I see yahoo yahoo boiz taking advantage of this write up.

OP, Which VPN is the best for surfing dark web?

Op I hope you know it's hidden for a reason

EMREX02:
OP, Which VPN is the best for surfing dark web?

It generates vpn for you automatically.


But the joy lies on accessing those dark sites that can’t be accessed via normal route

tolugar:


It generates vpn for you automatically.


But the joy lies on accessing those dark sites that can’t be accessed via normal route

Make sense

SenR:
Hmmm very educating but I see yahoo yahoo boiz taking advantage of this write up.

They already use, infact one of their basic tools.

Kraytur:
Just download tor browser and your on the dark web

just like that?

Is the tor browser on Google play?

Danmmm niggar food is done! This should be your best topic

bularuz:
Op I hope you know it's hidden for a reason

which yeye reason..I have been surfing the dark web for more than 8yrs now. Nothing really interesting there. More of scammers. The real and working onions are difficult to get access to this days. Back then the darkweb was filled with illicit stuffs like human beastiality and fetish(popular porn video like two men one horse, two girls one cup, video of a man sleeping with a python and a dead body, A man sleeping with a two months old baby etc some of these videos can now be viewed on utube), selling of weapons, hard drugs, forums about how to kill a human and you read other people's story of how they just killed someone, you can even come across pictures and videos of their victims. Darkweb had its own facebk and a special email. There was this darkweb marketplace called silk road where you can purchase illegal stuffs like fake passport, fake I'd, counterfeit money, weapons and bombs, Hire an assassin to do your dirty jobs. But trust me most of these adverts were posted by scammers. Credit card details, b*nk l*gins and western union mtcn were all sold on the darkweb. All these items were purchased using liberty reserve(LR no longer existing) and perfect money.
Bitcoin was first used as a digital currency on darkweb/deepweb forums. But most of the stuffs and sites on the darkweb back then can now be found on the main internet. Maybe you just have to remove the .com and add su, ru...etc
To search for the list of working onions( sites) you can try searching on "duckduckgo"( the search engine on the darkweb). If you are lucky enough you might gain access to an onion site where you can subscribe and view real life stuffs like the popular squid game series.

Yinksdavid:


Some of the main advantages of using a Dark web are

User anonymity.
Virtually untraceable services and sites.
Ability to take illegal actions for both users and providers.

Incognito mode on other browsers is supposed to provide these advantages too right?

studentwriter:
just like that?

Yes

Scammerrrrr

Mod this is a scammer
He will do like he’s going to teach you how to navigate dark web and then he will bill you money on how to get some tools on the dark web,

If you fall for this scam then you are moomoo

Can i access Twitter freely with Tor browser?

That is interested

soso208:
Can i access Twitter freely with Tor browser?

Puff in browser will do

I need to learn it..

Can someone learn dark web like programming...

Dark Web those years.


E no dey sweet me again jor.

Y'all need to be careful surfing the darkweb because over 70% of darkweb vendors there are scams,it's lucrative tho because you can get alot of useful stolen details from there like credit cards,bank logs, PayPal, social security number,fake university degrees,fake currencies and lots more.

Darkweb can make anyone rich very fast if you know how to navigate it without getting scammed because alot of those credit cards can be gotten cheap and you might be lucky to get a good balance on the card, during police raid on naira Marley alot of darkweb sites where found on his laptop.

I do use darkweb to get alot of stuffs and the payments are done using bitcoins,I only buy stuffs with monies I can afford to lose,this method helps me to know legit vendors.

WhatsAppZaddy8:
Dark Web those years.

E no dey sweet me again jor.

how do you get the list if web address to visit?

I don't think any of you have any reason to visit the dark web.
Please avoid the place

Y'all need to be careful surfing the darkweb because over 80% of vendors there are scams,it's lucrative thou because you can get alot of useful stuffs like Hacking tutorials stolen details from there like credit cards,bank logs, PayPal, social security number,fake university degrees,fake currencies and lots more.

Darkweb can make anyone rich very fast if you know how to navigate it without getting scammed because alot of those credit cards can be gotten cheap and you might be lucky to get a good balance on the card, I was shocked when I found a Nigeria Cc details with about
500k for just $30.
During police raid on naira Marley alot of darkweb sites where found on his laptop.

I do use darkweb to get alot of Tech Tutorials Like Bank And ATM hacking, Get Vital Credentials Of Some Company and Lot more stuffs and the payments are done using bitcoins,
I was even suprise that in 2020 when Iphone11 was realised A Sell Has All Ready Gotten 2 Half the Price of the The One From Original Which is 2 Iphone 11 Were Sold for $300, While from main source 1 was worth $700-$900 As at then.
I only buy stuffs with monies I can afford to lose,this method helps me to know legit vendors.

Unclesamo:


how do you get the list if web address to visit?

There are search engines to search for the specifics websites of what you want.

Kraytur:
Just download tor browser and your on the dark web

Spot on

tolugar:


It generates vpn for you automatically.


But the joy lies on accessing those dark sites that can’t be accessed via normal route

Although i get what you are trying to pass but they don't generate VPN for you. Your identity is already hidden but its advisable you also use your VPN when you are accessing the dark sites for buying, selling transacting, etc because of the high number of questionable characters available on the dark web.