The Dangers of the Dark Web

A dark web 101

First, you must understand what the dark web is and what it implies. To tell a long story short, the dark web is only a small part of the so-called deep web and it’s important that these two terms don’t get confused and used arbitrarily, as it usually happens. Dark web content exists on darknets, a group of overlay networks that use public internet while also remaining invisible to everyone. Therefore, these don’t appear on random Google searches and even if you know the accurate domain name of a determined website you won’t be able to access it without the proper software. In order to give access to these hidden internet pages TOR, I2P and other alternatives were created.

However, it didn’t take very long for these to get corrupted by real dark web users. In fact, nowadays this is where you’ll find some of the most dangerous content such as black markets selling weapons, drugs, sexual slavery, child pornography sites, terrorist organizations, phishing and fraud schemes, hitmen for hire services, ransomware attacks and a whole lot more shady stuff. Last but not least, many hacker groups, even the ones acting under benevolent premises, use the deep web corridors to maintain their anonymity and carry on with their activities.

What we’ve mentioned above are the main reasons why the dark web is labeled as it is and why everything happening there is encrypted, hiding the locations and content from the outer world. Many of the world’s strongest crime fighting corporations already include dark web training programs to track and hunt down those using TOR for malicious purposes. With the rise of intrusive measures to cease even the most unaware user’s online privacy, more and more users are already turning to the dark web and even more are expected to change their mind in the near future, as a simple means to achieve an anonymous online life. Could this be the solution to make the dark web become clearer?

Dark web flaws

In the government’s eyes, the dark web is nothing more than a safe haven for cybercriminals. Some of the hidden sites lack adequate safety standards, which are promptly exploited by these entities to track down and arrest their creators and users. In October 2014 for instance, a dark web weapons vendor was arrested by undercover agents who purchased a firearm from the marketplace. The encryption level wasn’t high enough, thus the real name and address popped up on the agent’s end.

From an anonymous and safety point of view it is understandable that people may want to make the dark web their home turf. In fact, if we stay away from all the hazardous risks, there are interesting .onion pages on Reddit that allow you to discover a new part of the internet. Combining the use of TOR with a VPN brings great benefits. Not only is the encryption level higher with a VPN, you’ll also have the chance of constantly changing your location, avoiding geo-blocks, besides some providers letting you access smart DNS features for streaming too.