Is the Dark Web real?

One of the frequently asked questions by the people around the world is ‘Is the dark web real?’ Before we dive in this topic, we must know about the dark web. The dark web is a part of the internet that is hidden from conventional users. Accessing the dark web requires superior software along with different configuration and settings. What we call the ‘dark web’ is barely indexed by the regular search engines like Google, Bing etc., and therefore the dark websites do not appear to every user on the internet. Special software like Tor is required to access the dark web, allowing usersto access the dark web anonymously.Click here to read step by step guide to access deep web/dark web.

Deep Web vs Dark Web: The Difference

Most of the people tend to confuse deep web with the dark web. Though both of these terms are co-related to each other, yet there is a major difference between the two.

The deep web is a part of the internet that is unindexed by any search engine. The deep web consists of content and webpages not found by our conventional search engines. A variety of web pages and websites can be categorized under the deep web.

The dark web is a small subsection of the deep web. The dark web differs from the deep web in the fact that the content of the dark web is intentionally hidden from the users. This makes it an exceptional platform for all sorts of criminal and illegal activities. The contents of the dark web can be accessed by the help of superior software like Tor. But still the question haunts – is the dark web Illegal?

The Dark Web: Existence

While for some, the question ‘Is the dark web real?’ is a myth, there are many who believe that the dark web does exist. It is a place where people store their information and data which they do not want the general public to have access to. Even conventional search engines fail to find this information and content. The existence of the dark web also brings the question that ‘What type of content is stored in the dark web?’

What you can find on the Dark Web?

Mostly, one can find illicit and abusive content on the dark web, along with illegal services. Some of the content you can expect to find on the dark web is as follows -:

1. Arms trafficking: The dark web is also a primary hub for all sorts of arms trafficking. Convicts and the terrorist groups all around the globe have been using the dark web in recent years for trading weapons and ammunition’s. Since user anonymity is maintained on the dark web, it becomes easy for these terrorist groups and criminals to operate without the intervention of the law enforcement and security agencies.
2. Drug trade: Another major element that is traded on the dark web in is drugs. The dark web has become the key hotspot for the drug dealers to sell their products to their customers at competitive prices without the fear of getting caught by the government law agencies. The anonymity of the dark web ensures the protection of the identity of both the supplier and the dealer.
3. Black hat hackers: The dark web is also a prime hub for the operations of various black hat hackers. Data have a tremendous value on the dark web, and these black hat hackers sell confidential data and information to the highest bidder. One can even buy a subscription for malware, capable of ruining the system infrastructure of organizations etc.
4. Illegal services:The dark web also provides a platform for users to find different black hat services like a contract killing, extortion, cyber terrorism, kidnapping etc. The user anonymity on the dark web makes sure that the parties involved in these activities are not caught.

Precautions to Take while using the Dark Web

Now that we have answered the question ‘is the dark web real?’, one must understand the consequence of using the dark web and the deep web formal practices. Accessing the dark web is not illegal. However, one must exercise extreme caution while surfing on the dark web.

An effective countermeasure is to install dark web monitoring tools to add a layer of protection while surfing on the dark web, but if this is not feasible, you can do the following steps:

• No personal information must be disclosed.
• Suspicious links should not be clicked.
• As advised by the experts, do not to trust anyone on the darknet totally.
• As far as the software configuration goes, one must ensure that the Java script cookies are disabled.

The Verdict

It is obvious that the dark web is real and exists in some parts of the internet. However, it’s very difficult to know the actual size of the dark web, and it’s difficult to understand what kind of content and information gets flown around the dark web.