The Dark Web: A Dangerous Place or a Haven for Whistleblowers?

Dark Web A portion of the internet known as the "dark web" is hidden and unavailable to standard search engines. It may only be accessed with specific configurations or software. Illegitimate activities are frequently connected with access through Dark Web sites, such as those revolving around weapons sales, depraved pornography, or the drug trade, respectively, alongside cybercrimes including hacking, amongst many others. Maintaining their privacy is highly coveted by many dark-web users, so extensive concealment methods deployed in terms of identity protection remain necessary. However important it may seem, it is worth noting that just because one accesses this part of the deep web does not mean they support or participate in destructive activities. Access is highly regulated with specialized software like Tor, with anonymity features being core to these websites' operating systems. What requires attention, though, is that accessing the Dark Web can be potentially hazardous and even illegal, so extensive due diligence should always be undertaken before attempting to access it.

The dark web has become infamous for being a hub for illegal endeavors like trafficking drugs or selling firearms. In response to this worrisome trend. The US government launched a confidential network called Tor (The Onion Router) during the 90s when internet usage began increasing rapidly. It aimed to create a secure channel for military and intelligence organizations.

History of Dark Web

Tor accomplished this by encrypting data and disguising its origin by sending it across a network of servers or nodes. When Tor was made available to the public as free and open-source software in 2002, privacy advocates, journalists, and human rights campaigners who required a safe means of communication soon adopted it. The dark web soon became a hub for internet activism and anonymous communication. On account of its anonymity combined with a lack of regulation, the dark web underwent a gradual shift towards serving as a sanctuary for illegal activities. This progression augmented significantly after cybercriminals discovered online marketplaces such as Silk Road that facilitated trades involving prohibited commodities ranging from weaponry to stolen information.

Despite increased efforts by law enforcement organizations all over the globe in recent times, combating illegal activities on the dark web remains tough. This is because of its anonymous and encrypted setup that makes identifying individuals quite tricky. In essence, authorities face ongoing challenges in managing regulations and enforcing laws with regards to this matter.

Surface Web, Deep Web, and Dark Web

The Surface Web, Deep Web, and Dark Web are the three primary categories into which the internet can be divided.

Surface web: A significant number of internet users browse the surface web on a daily basis. It is composed of easily found websites on search engines like Google or Bing.It contains publicly accessible web pages that search engines have indexed. Websites for social media, online commerce, entertainment, and news are a few examples of Surface websites.

 Deep Web: This term describes the portion of the internet that search engines do not index and is consequently difficult to access using standard search. It consists of password-protected websites including online banking portals, business intranet pages, and subscription-based services. It is believed that the Deep Web is 400–500 times larger than the Surface Web, which is substantially smaller.

 Dark Web: A section of the internet that requires particular software, setups, and authorization in order to access. The Dark Web is frequently linked to unlawful operations including child abuse, credit card fraud, the selling of firearms, and drug trafficking. Users of the Dark Web are anonymous, and search engines frequently do not index the websites they visit. In conclusion, the Surface Web, Deep Web, and Dark Web are distinct areas of the internet that serve various functions and have varied degrees of accessibility.

A well-known search engine that prioritizes anonymity, DuckDuckGo, has said that it would start crawling pages on the DarkWeb. Users will be able to use DuckDuckGo to search for DarkWeb domains just as they would any other website, according to this. Different people have had different views to DuckDuckGo's chosen to index DarkWeb domains. Some see it as a move in the right direction since it will make it simpler for users to locate reliable DarkWeb sites. Some individuals worry that this would make it simpler for people to visit illegitimate websites.    

0 Comments