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

Some tips to limit damage if you've fallen prey to financial data theft
Breaking down the steps you can take if your information is stolen and how you can limit your exposure to fraud| January 05, 2021, Tuesday
Cardholders' data leaked on Dark Web: What it means and how it affects you
Data of nearly 100 million credit and debit card holders in the country is being sold for an undisclosed amount on the Dark Web. ...| January 05, 2021, Tuesday
Data of 100 million credit, debit cardholders leaked on Dark Web
Breach after attack on Bengaluru-based fintech service provider Juspay's server| January 05, 2021, Tuesday
BigBasket breach: How can people check if their data was hacked?
Most net users have at some time or the other used some service, which has been compromised. You can probe further to check what ...| November 10, 2020, Tuesday
Buyers, beware! Darknet websites are taking advantage of Covid-19 pandemic
Darknet vendors are also selling medications and cures, including effective treatments, like Remdesivir, and ineffective ...| September 05, 2020, Saturday
Online marketplace LimeRoad's user data leaked, firm denies allegations
LimeRoad was co-founded in 2012 by Suchi Mukherjee, Manish Saksena and Ankush Mehra as a fashion marketplace for women.| June 30, 2020, Tuesday
Zoom video app logins were put on sale on the dark web, says report
The logins were put up for sale at 1 pence (1.25 cents) each and were discovered and bought by cybersecurity intelligence company ...| May 03, 2020, Sunday
Firearms anonymously bought and sold around the world on dark web: Study
The dark web is World Wide Web content that exists on networks that use the Internet but require specific software, ...| April 21, 2019, Sunday