Why it is recommended not to visit the dark web
The internet, or more specifically, the “dark web,” has become a popular destination for many people. Nowadays this means that many of us are unwisely visiting websites that operate on the strange and hidden side of digital life.
Of course, sounds enticing, but if you’re not careful you could easily get more than just an unsustainable amount of viruses or get ripped off by someone using your account for illegal activity.
So before you go poking around in strange corners of the internet where anything goes (in theory), make sure to check out some tips on how not to get caught up in any trouble! Let’s begin with…
The Dark Side Of The Web
This is the part of the internet that you access through sites that are not indexed by common search engines. This means they can’t be found by Google, Yahoo, or Bing. Sites on the dark web are only accessible using the Tor browser.
This is why it is often referred to as “the Deep Web.” It’s so named because it’s not just a collection of sites that are hidden from traditional search engines but also because it contains vast amounts of information that is difficult for even experts to navigate.
While all internet users should be aware of potential online dangers, people who use apps or websites like Tor should be especially cautious.
The Dark Web Is A Dangerous Place
“On the Deep Web, there are also, among other things, websites that promote terrorism, child pornography, and illegal drugs. That’s why the FBI calls it the most active area on the internet for cybercriminals.” — German newspaper Die Zeit
Despite these dangers, many people are still drawn to places like the Dark Web because of its anonymity. If you use Tor, you can browse through websites without having to reveal your identity. It’s easy to see why this feature would appeal to some users.
Risks Of Being On The Dark Web
In the same way that many people think they’re anonymous when surfing the Deep Web, they’re actually quite easy to track down. Researchers have even found that if you use Tor, the government has a much better chance of finding you than if you used standard internet connections.
The reason for this is that while it’s relatively difficult to track activities on the “ordinary” internet through methods like search engines and other online spyware, it’s almost impossible to hide your identity when using an anonymizing service like Tor.
The real danger here isn’t so much in being caught by your ISP or national security agencies but rather in releasing information about yourself without knowing it.
What Happens When You’re Tracked By Government Agencies
“If you’re doing things that are against the law, you should be worried about being tracked. So if you’re engaging in activities that are dubious or services that are dubious, then there’s a chance that you can be tracked by your ISP or law enforcement. But I think most people who are using Tor are probably not doing anything illegal, maybe it’s just to protect their privacy.” — Kevin Bocek, VP of Security Strategy at Venafi
As mentioned above, using Tor can make it much easier for government agencies to track you down. The reason for this is a bit complex, but basically, the amount of data that has to be collected from a Tor user is much greater than from a standard internet user.
This means that it is easier for government agencies to provide evidence against you if you’re running afoul of the law. In most cases, they’re not going to just spot you with a simple Google search, however. Rather, they’re going to monitor all of your activity closely to create comprehensive dossiers about everything you do online using the Dark Web (and sometimes in other areas too).
This isn’t necessarily illegal or immoral; it’s simply how law enforcement often works. They don’t want to go around randomly snooping through people’s private lives in search of crimes, but instead, they want to gather enough evidence against you to take you down.
This is why when law enforcement agencies like the FBI use Tor, it’s not uncommon for them to request data about all the websites visited by the suspect (including things like emails and instant messages).
So in this way, it is indeed possible that you could get caught by your own government for visiting websites on the Dark Web. Of course, if this happens then you will be held accountable under criminal charges.
Learn What The Tor Browser Is and How to Use it hereHow To Protect Yourself From Being Caught By The Police
There are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from being caught by law enforcement. If you’re going deep into the darkness on the Dark Web, these steps will likely not be enough for you to avoid getting caught. In this case, it’s more important to use some other measures to stay safe once you get caught. Firstly, let’s go over…
Tor protects your identity by encrypting your communications with a “cover browser” that lets your internet traffic appear normal to everyone but the Tor Project.
In the same way that you don’t want to walk around in public with a signed confession on your shirt, you don’t want to use Tor unless your communications remain anonymous.
The software is designed for this purpose and it’s easy to get caught if you’re not careful. To make sure your use of Tor is ethical, please check out the following tutorials:
If you’re going over the Dark Web anyway, then it’s best to use it in a proper way where possible. That means using Tor with everyday browsing/browsing apps like Google Chrome and Firefox rather than just apps like iTorchLight. While this isn’t always possible, it should be the focus of your activities.
This is because Google Chrome and Firefox are designed to protect your privacy, whereas apps like iTorchLight are not. So while it’s likely that your IP address will still be exposed while using iTorchLight, it’s much less likely because the app is not designed for anonymity.
Despite these precautions against being caught by law enforcement, you might still want to use a proxy or VPN service for added privacy. These services encrypt all the data that travels through them before sending it along to its final destination. This means that your information is encrypted twice: once as it enters the proxy server and again as it leaves.
Any smart attackers would need to go through double encryption in order to get your data and there’s a good chance they will not be able to do so.
Of course, these services can be used for more than just surfing websites anonymously, so we recommend researching them deeper if you’re really concerned about your online privacy.
Although not generally considered a method of securely browsing the Dark Web (because most cloud providers aren’t considered secure enough), you still might want to use them for added security. This is because your data is unlikely to be intercepted by anyone who is not the actual owner of the cloud you’re using. However, there are still some risks involved, so you really should use this as a last resort. If you do decide on using the cloud for added security, then there are three ways to do it:
Use The Dark Web To Make Money
“The biggest risks associated with using Tor involve money laundering and fraud. Most people don’t realize that Tor also facilitates money laundering and other illegal activities (like selling illegal drugs or trafficking in children). So while Tor may be used to hide the identities of people who are browsing the internet anonymously, it can also be used to hide the identities of criminals.” — Electronic Frontier Foundation
Despite everything we’ve said so far, you should know that the Dark Web has also become a hotbed for unethical activities. Ever since Silk Road was shut down in 2013, law enforcement agencies have been scrambling to find ways to stop other Dark Web marketplaces from becoming too popular. The main problem is that these marketplaces often sell drugs and other illegal substances under the guise of providing “anonymous” services to their clients. However, there are still other ways that users can get involved in illegal activity on the Dark Web. For example, the Silk Road was one of the first “darknet markets” to emerge. These sites sell various illegal items under the guise of offering customers privacy. But it’s not really anonymous since they are still logging your data to deliver targeted ads to you.
Tor has also become a common way for people to send money over the Dark Web in an effort to “hide their identity.” It’s incredibly easy for anyone with a few dollars worth of Bitcoin (or other cryptocurrencies) to pay someone else using Tor. In fact, people have been using it to buy guns as well as drugs and other illegal substances. In October 2015, the Silk Road 3.0 was shut down by the FBI for being a large-scale dealer of illegal substances.
This is why we recommend not using the Dark Web for any type of illegal activity even though it might be tempting to do so. Furthermore, Tor has minimal security features that you can use to protect yourself from hacking attacks. This means that if your information was stolen by a hacker while browsing on Tor, then you might not have very much recourse against the individual either.
Use The Dark Web To Make Money:
Despite this general advice against using the Dark Web for illegal purposes, you might still want to use it in order to make money. This is because there are some legitimate marketplaces that operate on the Dark Web and they sell a lot of different things. For example, there’s a large and thriving marketplace called OPSkins that operates on Tor and handles all of its sales using the cryptocurrency known as BitCoin. Some other markets like Silk Road 3.0 also accept BitCoin payments, but most of their sales do not take place on Tor at all.
Why You Need To Be Careful When Using The Dark Web
Like we’ve mentioned earlier, law enforcement agencies have been struggling to find ways of dealing with Tor and its users ever since it first emerged. The reason for this is because Tor provides an excellent way for anyone to browse the internet anonymously.
In fact, more than 3 million users visit Tor every single day and a lot of them are not doing anything illegal.
In any case, law enforcement agencies have been trying to find ways to track down illegal activities that happen on Tor. Some of these attempts have been successful, while others have failed completely.
“The Dark Web is a bit of a wild west: it’s uncontrolled and ungoverned, and there are no rules to protect you. When you’re on the Dark Web, there’s no one to help you if you’re caught up in wrongdoing, so use the Dark Web as little as possible.” — Electronic Frontier Foundation
This is why you need to be very careful when using the Dark Web. You may think that you’re using it for legal purposes, but it’s still easy for someone else to use your IP address in order to do something illegal on the Dark Web.
If you find yourself in this type of situation, then there isn’t much you can really do. That’s why we recommend not using the Dark Web for anything even remotely illegal.
Even if law enforcement agencies cannot actively track your data on the Dark Web, there are still some risks involved that you need to be mindful of. For example, it’s possible to get hacked and stolen while browsing Tor and no one will ever know who did it to you either.
Furthermore, there isn’t much protection against identity theft if someone else steals your data or otherwise gains access to your information while you’re browsing on Tor. These are just some of the dangers that you need to be aware of when browsing the Dark Web.
Conclusion
The Dark Web isn’t bad, it has promise and can be useful if used correctly. To be honest, you might even want to use the Dark Web in order to make money since there are some thriving marketplaces that accept payments in BitCoin. But for the most part, you should consider using Tor for your everyday needs because it offers so much value to everyone.
Not only does it give you more privacy than regular browsers like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, but it can also help you avoid tracking by advertisers which gives website owners an unfair advantage over regular consumers.
At the end of the day, using Tor is always better than not using it at all.
Originally published at https://deepdotnet.com on September 2, 2021.
