The Dark Web: Understanding the Hidden Side of the Internet

The internet is separated into three parts: the surface web, the deep web, and the black web. The vast majority of websites we visit are on the surface web, with the deep and dark portions of the internet hiding underneath.

The dark web facts are the portions of the web that cannot be accessed without specific software or a machine with a particular Internet connection (such as TOR—the Onion Router, a form of proxy that is not accessible in standard browsers). Many dark web sites are harmful because they demand or include illicit content or other information that individuals want to keep concealed. Many of these information and material may be illegal; many journalists and activists have conducted research on these sites.

Moris Media, the fastest-growing Digital Marketing agency in India, demystifies the dark web through a deep analysis. 

What exactly is the dark web?

The Dark Web is the area of the Internet that is generally unaffected by the legally enforced content filters or "firewalls" most typically associated with the Internet. Because of these filters, individuals often use the terms "the black web" and "Tor" interchangeably. This, however, is a mistake. Although certain websites on the Dark Web may be blocked by content filters, many others are openly accessible.

The Dark Web is often connected with the TOR network's "Hidden Services." Hidden Servers are the onion routers at the core of most Dark Web sites, connecting to many other servers that together form a network that looks to everyone else on the Internet who does not have access to that network as a single site.

Let's take a deeper look at the three main components of the Internet: the surface web, deep web, and black web.

The Surface Web: 

This is the section that everyone who is online may access. Search engines like Google and Bing, as well as social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, explore this section of the web. It's where most people feel most at ease, and it's what we utilize every day.

The Deep Web: 

This is a large store of information that search engines are unable to locate. It contains databases for Netflix and Amazon Video, secure government websites, pages behind paywalls (like JSTOR), and many more accessible but difficult to access sources of information. The deep web is often confused with another word that comes up now and then: the "black web."

The Dark Web: 

The dark web, sometimes known as the darknet, is a portion of the Internet that may only be accessed with specific software, setups, or authorisation. The dark web facts are used for a variety of purposes and might be difficult to explain. It is generally categorised into three types:

Hidden Services: These websites can only be accessed by utilizing special software or a computer with particular built-in capabilities that regular internet users do not have access to.

Through I2P secret services: I2P is a technique that enables users to route their online traffic via other people's computers, making tracing the path of a user's internet activity difficult.

Tor is free software and an open network that allows you to circumvent web restrictions, access websites and messages, and keep your online identity secret.

How does Tor function?

Tor is available on the public domain and has no usage restrictions. To start using it, you need to download the Tor browser that has the unique ability of allowing you to surf anonymously, while giving you access to many secretive Dark Web sites. 

The Tor browser facilitates communication with Tor network through data encryption and routing using multiple sites, which makes interception of any conversations a highly challenging activity. Tor may be used for anything from texting family members living overseas to conducting anonymous commercial negotiations or testing website availability before opening a public website due to its encryption and anonymity characteristics (along with additional security precautions).

What Motivates Individuals to Utilize the 'Dark Web'?

Individuals may utilise the "Dark Web" for any of these three reasons:

Anonymisation: 

For a variety of reasons, individuals may want to protect their online identity. In other situations, exposing their name may put them in risk, such as in nations where the government prohibits free expression or there is political persecution. Others, such as individuals who have been cyberstalked or are worried about online banking security, may utilize it to lessen their chances of being a victim of crime. Tor is mostly used to access the Internet anonymously, with Hidden Services accounting for a minor portion of its traffic (below).

Accessing 'Hidden Services': 

The Tor browser is often used to access the "dark net," which is effectively a secret area of the Internet that needs special software or setup. They usually need you to go through a short registration procedure, which may involve answering questions about your identity and why you're using Tor, and they may have regulations that prohibit access to children.

Illegal activities: 

After all, this is the area of the internet to avoid if you want to engage in unlawful behavior. Paedophiles or drug traffickers, for example, may utilize the program to converse anonymously and conceal their identities. They may also want to escape notice by law authorities in their own nations.

How to use Tor for visiting the dark web?

Tor allows you to visit the dark web. Tor is open-source software that lets you protect against traffic analysis, network spying, and state security threats. The dark web protects you by routing your communications via a dispersed network of relays maintained by volunteers all over the world: it stops anybody observing your Internet connection from knowing which sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit from discovering your actual location.

Tor is compatible with many of your current programs, including web browsers, instant messaging clients, remote login clients, and other TCP-based apps.

How do you build a website on the dark web?

Creating a website on the dark web is not only straightforward but also free. There are several websites that provide free hosting and domain names. You simply need a domain name and an account with one of the supported providers to start a website.

The following are some of the most important phases in developing a website for the dark web:

You must get a domain name from one of the supported providers.

Now you must log in to your account and buy a dark web hosting space for your website.

After your website is finished, it will be happy to be hosted on the dark web! Like with everything else, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Is the dark web synonymous with the deep web?

Although they are comparable in some aspects, they are not the same. The deep web refers to the large amount of unindexed material on the internet, which includes photographs, videos, and other types of data. The deep web gets its name from the fact that it resides outside of search engines and other publicly accessible networks. Tor's hidden services are one way to access the deep web.

The term "black web" refers to websites that are provided through Tor servers, do not use a regular login method, and require physical access to certain IP addresses (such as onion sites). For gaining access to dark web, there is often the need for utilising custom software or the users need to use cryptographic encryption.

The darknet, dark web, or darknets are a collection of linked Internet networks that are either not indexed by search engines or are purposely inaccessible through regular web browsers. The darknet is a collection of secret, invite-only networks, sometimes known as hidden forums or darknets. Often, the word refers to collections of webpages maintained on servers that are inaccessible through regular web browsers.