What is Dark Web? How Can You Access and What Can You Do With It?

Ever wondered what you see on the internet is everything that you need to see? Might be a little confusing for you, but did you know that only 4% of the internet content is available to be viewed by a common person, instead of 100%! this news may sound shocking, but this is true. Almost 96 percent of the websites are encrypted using Tor and join the community of deep or dark web. If you have no idea what dark web is, keep reading to know more.

What is Dark Web?

Dark web is a concept which specifically refers to a number of websites that may be visible to public, but the IP address of the servers are completely hidden. Thus, anyone can visit these websites but they might have no idea who is actually behind the sites. Moreover, these websites cannot be traced using search engines.

Using the Tor encryption tool, these sites hide their identity from the world. You might have an idea of Tor which is quite popular for its hiding properties. With Tor, a person can spoof his location and ultimately, hide the identity. There is not much difference if a website is run through Tor. However, it does multiply the effect. In an attempt to visit a Tor encrypted site, you need to be using Tor yourself. Just like the end user’s identity is concealed under several layers of encryption just to appear as another IP address on Tor network, the website goes through the same process. Therefore, for both parties, there are several layers of secrecy which need to be unveiled in case of visiting a website under Tor’s umbrella.

How to access the Dark Web

Technically, accessing the dark web is not a very trivial process. You simply need to install and know to use Tor. For this, visit Tor’s official site and download Tor browser bundle which encompasses all the required tools. Run the file, choose a suitable location for extraction, open the folder and start the Tor browser. The Vidalia control panel can handle the custom network setup automatically and as soon as Tor is ready, a browser will open which is supposed to be closed again in order to exit from the network.

It really depends on you what you want to surf on the dark web. Some of the users place a tape over the webcam of the system just to prevent the prying eyes that might be watching you. A tinfoil hat is also recommended.

What to do in the Dark Web?

The most difficult and alarming thing in a dark web is sensitivity to material.  As a web surfer, you might have an idea of the online trafficking and drug websites and these sites are the core reason why things like Tor exist in this world. Therefore, it is highly recommended to first decide what to look for in the dark web for your own safety.

The websites featured into the dark web also go down from time to time due to their dark nature, but if you really want to stay at the right side of the internet, dark web is not something for you to explore. The websites that work under the shed of dark web are mostly illegal and therefore, it is advised to not look into things which do not provide good customer services.