You may have heard the terms Tor and dark web in the media. However, accessing these websites isn’t as risky as they sound. In fact, it’s easy to get it up and running.
The dark web is comprised of pages that aren’t found by search engines like Google. The dark web is a section of the Internet that contains data and information that are normally kept private. Email inboxes and Google Drive folders are stored on the deep web. They’re not visible to the public when browsing with a standard browser.
On the dark web, there are several sites that have legitimate functions. For instance, the site SecureDrop is a dark web site that allows whistleblowers to send sensitive information to news organizations anonymously. There are other websites where people can buy and sell stolen credentials, like passwords https://topknow.org/virtual-data-room-providers-allow-extended-features and credit card numbers. These websites are commonly referred to as ‘marketplaces’ and the most well-known examples are Silk Road and AlphaBay, however there are many others that have gone out of business.
The key to browsing the dark web is a network dubbed Tor which routes your internet connection through a variety of servers run by volunteers that are scattered across the globe. This makes it hard for anyone to trace you. The name “Tor” comes from the fact that the traffic it encrypts is multi-layered, like the layers of a pizza. This helps protect anonymity.
