Did you know that there is a Dark Internet? The internet you haven’t ever known of? You probably haven’t. In fact, search engines can only count for about 4 to 10% of the existing internet. What is the other 90%? That is what’s known as the Deep Web (or Dark Net).
What is the deep web?
The deep web contains any website that cannot be accessed by a normal search engine. When you look for something, on google, for instance, you’re actually searching for as much of the internet surface web has been able to ‘find’. By ‘find’, I mean search engines use web crawler software, sometimes referred to as ‘spiders’ to find and index web pages. They start by finding a few webpages at first, then they follow links on those web pages to other webpages and so on forth until they have a pretty hefty catalogue of the internet. However, there are some things that those crawlers just cannot access.
What can you find on the deep web?
So, what’s in this nefarious seedy part of the Internet? Drugs? Weapons? Murder? Well, as outrageous as it may sound, these are the easily accessible items. It also has your bank account and all sorts of other catalogues. The deep web is mostly comprised of database-driven websites or any part of the website that’s past the login page. Also, websites can simply choose to be omitted from search engine results; by not using SEOs (Search Engine Optimizers) or tags. Here is the concerning part for you, all the private information in your online phone you think is really secure because you have a password protecting it, hate to break it but it’s all available on the deep web, though it is really hard to access.
The Dark Net
However, there is a small subsection of anonymous networks within the deep web, known as the dark net. A normal person can only access the dark net; the deep web is well secured and just a waste of time because it takes a lot of time to access. The dark net, however, is easy to access and uses free services like Tor network to browse the web and host websites anonymously.
How to access the Dark Net?
It’s quite easy to access the dark net, however, I do not condone the usage of drugs, weapons or any illegal activities. [The writer and Daily Pakistan Global do not take responsibility for anyone’s actions, and this is for educational and informational purposes only.] Moving on, you need to download Tor, a browsing service much like Microsoft edge or google but uses DuckDuckGo as its search engine. Tor uses .onion links that are out of bounds for common search engines. Usual search engines can only access .com, .org, .tech and so on. You can even host your own dark net websites, though due to the volume of hackers, it will probably be hacked in a few hours.
After downloading Tor, the curious ones search for the ‘Hidden Wiki’ to find links to other dark net websites. The community religiously adopts these safety measures”
- Uses a VPN app.
- Never goes into full-screen mode.
- Keeps the webcam covered with a piece of cloth etc.
- To remain secure and elusive, an enthusiast downloads TAILS, a Linux-based portable distro which works on RAM and doesn’t take hard drive storage. TAILS basically allows him to be completely safe and anonymous.
What is Tor?
It is basically a portal to the dark net. Tor also provides services that operate on the internet but can only be accessed through the private network. Some of the services have included the internet black-markets such as ‘Silk Road’ where users have access to drugs, weapons and even assassins/hitmen. You can also hire hackers to do various shady tasks. The dark net punters can only use the untraceable currency called ‘bitcoin’, which is basically the internet’s currency.
It is basically a portal to the dark net. Tor also provides services that operate on the internet but can only be accessed through the private network. Some of the services have included the internet black-markets such as ‘Silk Road’ where users have access to drugs, weapons and even assassins/hitmen. You can also hire hackers to do various shady tasks. The dark net punters can only use the untraceable currency called ‘bitcoin’, which is basically the internet’s currency.
Despite this criminal activity, privacy advocates have applauded programs like Tor for their ability to keep online activity hidden within the deep web, especially from government agencies like the NSA.
Like rest of the world, Pakistanis not only visit the deep web or dark net but also engage in business there. They can’t be show offs there, thus anonymity and security keep their cover.
