Deep Web vs Dark Web: What’s the Difference?

In 2001, they estimated the deep web to be around 400 to 550 times as big as the surface web which contains 4.5 billion sites. The deep web is the 99% of the internet that you can’t search on a search engine. Cyber hygiene refers to cybersecurity best practices that everyone who actively uses the internet should be implementing to keep themselves and their data protected from common cyber threats. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is an extra layer of security you can enable on your accounts. MFA protects you in the event that someone is able to gain access to your login credentials since it requires a second method of authentication before they’re able to successfully log in. These dangers can interrupt business operations, defraud a company and devalue a brand’s integrity.

These enable safe, anonymous access to the dark web, allowing researchers to interrogate and analyse information in a careful, granular way, converting the dark web into a safe resource for investigations. It would be a site that’s possibly reasonably designed, but they didn’t bother to register it with any of the search engines. Yes, you can access the dark web on a smartphone, but you’ll need an appropriate browser, like Tor browser for Android or Onion browser for iPhone. Remember that phones can get viruses just as easily as computers, and the chances of getting a virus likely increase when you’re browsing dark web mobile sites, no matter your platform. Sci-Hub provides free access to scientific papers, with millions of documents.

Safely Accessing The Deep Web And Dark Web

The deep web and dark web are often used interchangeably, but they are actually two different things. While both are hidden parts of the internet, they have different levels of accessibility and purposes.

• The deep web — also known as the deep net — is a collective term for non-indexed websites that are invisible to traditional search engines.
• But if this is not possible, it’s important to employ reliable security measures, including antivirus software, and to access dark web sites only via a VPN.
• To locate and access a particular website or service, users must log in or know the unique URL or IP address.

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What is the Deep Web?

The deep web refers to the parts of the internet that are not indexed by search engines like Google. This includes databases, intranets, and other sites that require login credentials or are otherwise not accessible to the general public. The deep web makes up a significant portion of the internet, and much of it is perfectly legal and safe.

How To Access The Dark Web Safely?

Keep reading this guide to learn more about what these terms actually mean, and how you can find your way into the underbelly of the internet. If you’ve followed the news in the last two decades, you’ve probably heard stories and seen headlines about the deep web or dark web. However, you might have found yourself asking, What is the deep web? As news outlets rarely concern themselves with explaining exactly what it is besides being a place where you can anonymously acquire illegal goods. Cloudwards.net may earn a small commission from some purchases made through our site. The internet has transformed the world in unexpected and profound ways.

What is the Dark Web?

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The dark web, on the other hand, is a small subset of the deep web that is intentionally hidden and requires special software to access. It is often associated with illegal activities, such as the sale of drugs, weapons, and stolen data. However, there are also legitimate uses for the dark web, such as whistleblowing and secure communication.

How to Access the Dark Web

To access the dark web, you will need to use the Tor network, which is a free software that allows you to browse the internet anonymously. Tor encrypts your internet connection and routes it through a series of servers around the world, making it difficult to trace your online activity. However, it’s important to note that using Tor does not make your activity completely anonymous, and you should still take precautions to protect your privacy.

Ivan Novikov is a white hat security professional with over 12 years of experience in security services and products. He is an inventor of memcached injection, and SSRF exploit class as well as a recipient of bounty awards from Google, Facebook and others. Ivan has recently been a speaker at HITB, Black Hat and other industry events. This Python sequence harnesses Tor to access a .onion URL, a specific aspect of the Obscure Web that’s unreachable by standard browsers. Many dark websites are perfectly legal and safe to use and, in many cases, are better for your privacy than clear websites.

FAQs about the Deep Web and Dark Web

• Is it illegal to access the deep web or dark web? No, it is not illegal to access either the deep web or dark web. However, engaging in illegal activities on the dark web is, of course, against the law.
• Can I get a virus from visiting the deep web or dark web? While there is always a risk of malware when browsing the internet, the deep web and dark web are no more dangerous than the surface web. As long as you use common sense and take precautions, such as keeping your software up to date and not clicking on suspicious links, you should be fine.
• Is the deep web or dark web a breeding ground for hackers? While there are certainly hackers and cybercriminals who use the deep web and dark web, they are not the only users. There are also many legitimate users, such as journalists, activists, and researchers, who use these parts of the internet for privacy and security reasons.

Conclusion

While the deep web and dark web may seem mysterious and even a little scary, they are simply hidden parts of the internet that require special software to access. While the dark web is often associated with illegal activities, it is not inherently dangerous, and there are legitimate uses for it as well. As with any part of the internet, it’s important to use common sense and take precautions to protect your privacy and security.