DARK TRUTHS OF DARK WEB

3 minutes read

Since the inception of the internet, the Dark Web has been a fact. The majority of people use a computer or other device with an IP (Internet Protocol) address—a distinct online identity—when they go online.

An IP address helps networks to send the appropriate information to the appropriate location, such as ensuring that an email reaches its intended recipient. A person’s IP address can be used to trace and keep an eye on their online behaviour. Since the genuine IP address of a user is anonymized on the “Dark Web,” it is incredibly challenging to determine which websites a device has visited. It is often accessed with specialised software, with Tor being the most well-known (The Onion Router).

Every day, almost 2.5 million users utilise Tor. Instead of being the “Dark Web,” Tor is a way to browse both the Open and Dark Web without being recognised or having their behaviour tracked. Even though there is a tonne of information that has been indexed on the web and is readily available to anyone with internet access, regardless of location, there is still additional information and data that is hidden and requires special access that is not widely known. The Dark Web is the unexplored area of the internet.

Regulations and content guidelines do not apply to information on the dark web. Additionally, because they are hidden and not indexed, web pages providing information on the dark web do not show up on search engine result pages (SERP) like those from Google and Bing. As a result, the dark web contains information that is not widely available. Additionally, browsers have flagged the websites that provide information on the dark web as hazardous, so they won’t open in Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.

There is a wealth of information on the dark web, but it has a poor reputation due to the abundance of unlawful material including illicit pornography, the selling of illegal narcotics on the black market, the sale of illegal firearms, illegally obtained user databases, etc. The dark web is a good site for criminals because it has access to such unlawful content. However, Skype is not only useful for criminals; journalists can use it to interview sources anonymously and whistleblowers can use it to reveal corporate and governmental malfeasance, among other uses. The act of using Tor or a dark web browser to access the dark web is not unlawful in and of itself, similar to using a conventional web browser to access the open web. No matter how much anonymity the dark web offers, it is illegal to carry out illegal activities there. Despite the fact that their activity on the dark web is ostensibly anonymous, users should be aware that collaborating with others who are engaging in criminal activity may have legal

repercussions. The consequences of engaging in criminal activity in any way have recently been highlighted by several high-profile takedowns of dark web markets including Silk Road, Alpha Bay, and Wall Street Market that led to hundreds of arrests worldwide.

Because hackers and other cybercriminals frequently congregate on the dark web, using it for browsing might be perilous. When downloading files from the dark web, users should proceed with the utmost caution because they could infect their devices with viruses, malware, trojan horses, ransomware, or other harmful files. Users should at the very least make sure that their cyber security protections are turned on and current.

However, a lot of the dark web players are expert cybercriminals who can readily defeat even the most basic security measures. As a top cyber security provider, Crowd Strike advises all businesses and people to avoid accessing the dark web. Because of this, accessing the internet responsibly requires that you always be aware of the law, think carefully about why you are using the dark web, and try to use VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) for security and privacy. Dark webs and the risks associated with them are unimportant if you adhere to all safety precautions.