You are here » Home » Dark Web

WHAT IS DARK WEB?

Dark Web

The Dark Web is a reality that has existed since the beginning of the internet. While there is a load of information indexed on the web, easily accessible by anyone with internet connectivity irrespective of geography, there is even more information and data that do not come to notice because it is hidden and requires special privileges to access. This unchartered portion of the web is called Dark Web.

How is Dark Web different from Web

Information on the dark web is not defined by regulations and content policies. Moreover, web pages serving information on the dark web do not appear on search engines result pages (SERP) like those from Google and Bing because they are hidden and not indexed. Therefore, the dark web includes information that is not easily accessible by everyone. Besides, the web pages serving information on the dark web are marked unsafe by browsers and do not open on Chrome, Firefox, Opera, etc.

What is there on Dark Web

Dark Web is home to all sorts of information but it has gained bad reputation because of prevalence of widespread illegal content such as illicit pornography, sale of black market drugs, sale of illegal firearms, illegally acquired users’ database, etc. The availability of such content of illegal nature makes the dark web a suitable place for criminals. However, it is not just for criminals; journalists can use it to gather information from sources without risking their identity, whistleblowers can use it to expose corporate and government corruption, etc.

Is Dark Web illegal

While accessing the Dark Web is not illegal, its use to acquire illegal content and procure prohibited items is. For example, surfing the dark web is legal but procuring pirated copies of movies and games is illegal. Similarly, accessing information is not illegal unless the information is classified and crucial to the nation's security. Using Dark Web to access illicit content like child pornography, and procure prohibited items like drugs and guns is also illegal.

How to safely access Dark Web

To access dark web, one needs a specialised software with peer-to-peer networking support built-in besides other browser features. Currently, there are two software that support these – Tor and I2P. These are web browsers with added tools to encrypt web traffic for safety and security. It is possible to access the dark web anonymously through these software. Moreover, virtual private network (VPN) service adds another layer of security here. However, these software offer no fool-proof protection and one must be careful accessing dark web. As best practice, it is evoked not to reveal real identity on the dark web. Moreover, one should not use banking and other financial services through these software.

LATEST UPDATES ON DARK WEB

Data of 30 mn railway users compromised, personal details on dark web
Breach not from IRCTC, says railways; ticketer's private partners on the govt's radar| December 28, 2022, Wednesday
Hackers now selling 150k patients' data of TN hospital on Dark Web: Report
The cyber attack came on the heels of the massive AIIMS ransomware attack that has crippled nation's premier healthcare ...| December 02, 2022, Friday
Hyderabad police arrests 2 after busting drug racket operating on dark web
The Hyderabad Narcotic Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) has busted a gang of drug traffickers operating through the dark web and ...| September 02, 2022, Friday
Twitter launches Dark Web Tor service amid Russian censorship
Blocked by the Russian government, Twitter has entered the Dark Web and people can now access the platform via a Tor Onion ...| March 09, 2022, Wednesday
Decoded: What is dark web and is it really such a bad place to be in?
There is a whole lot more to the web not accessible to everyone. People call it the dark web. Curious to know what the dark web ...| November 01, 2021, Monday
TMS, Ep 32: COP26, Shaktikanta Das 2.0, markets in Samvat 2078, dark web
What can India hope to achieve at COP26 summit? What does Shaktikanta Das' reappointment as RBI Governor mean for markets? Which ...| November 01, 2021, Monday
Algo Rhythm: Skilled scammers pose new security challenges
Many commodities that can be purchased in the dark markets are inexpensive, making attacks cheaper and easier to conduct| October 31, 2021, Sunday
United Nations' computer networks breached by hackers earlier this year
The hackers' method for gaining access to the UN network appears to be unsophisticated: They likely got in using the stolen ...| September 10, 2021, Friday
Parliamentary panel's proposed VPN ban draws flak from users, industry
A ban would open the door to increased censorship, including blocks to popular apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter that a ...| September 02, 2021, Thursday
Data breach menace
India needs an effective privacy law quickly| April 07, 2021, Wednesday