You’ve probably heard the terms dark web and Tor used in the media, however, accessing them isn’t as hazardous as it sounds. In fact, it’s quite easy to get it up and running.
The dark web is a set of websites that are not searched by a search engine such as Google. The dark web is the area of the internet in which data and content would normally be kept private. For example, email inboxes, online banking logins and Google Drive folders live on the deep web. They aren’t accessible to the general public using a standard browser.
There are many other websites on the dark web that have legitimate functions. For instance, the website SecureDrop is a dark web site that permits whistleblowers to submit sensitive information to news agencies anonymously. There are sites that help people buy and sell stolen credentials, such as credit card numbers, passwords and social security numbers. These sites are often referred to “marketplaces” and the most well-known examples are Silk Road and AlphaBay, however there are many others that have been around for a while.
The key to browsing the dark web is a network called Tor that carries your data through a series of servers that are run by volunteers, which are spread around the world. This makes it impossible for anyone to monitor your activity. Tor is named so because the traffic it encrypts goes through https://topknow.org/downloading-proxy-script-chrome-in-windows-10 a number of layers, similar to the onion layering of pizza, which helps keep your identity safe.