What is Dark Web?

Dark Web

What is Dark Web?
What is 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

Develop digital forensic infrastructure to deal with Dark Web: NHRC chief

2 min read Last Updated : Nov 26 2023 | 7:32 PM IST
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Banks focusing on client acquisition, less on grievance redress: RBI's Rao

3 min read Last Updated : Nov 23 2023 | 11:05 PM IST
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Centre issues advisory for social media platforms regarding deepfakes

3 min read Last Updated : Nov 07 2023 | 8:36 PM IST
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Aadhaar data of 815 million on sale on the dark web, says report

2 min read Last Updated : Oct 30 2023 | 10:50 PM IST
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Govt launches hackathon to tackle 'dark patterns' on some online platform

3 min read Last Updated : Oct 26 2023 | 6:04 PM IST
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WormGPT: A malicious cousin of ChatGPT with no ethical boundaries

3 min read Last Updated : Jul 21 2023 | 4:19 PM IST
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Google to expand its Dark Web monitoring tool to all Gmail users in US

2 min read Last Updated : May 14 2023 | 12:13 PM IST
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Data of 600,000 HDFC Bank customers' leaked on dark web, bank denies

2 min read Last Updated : Mar 07 2023 | 4:54 PM IST
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Data of 30 mn railway users compromised, personal details on dark web

3 min read Last Updated : Dec 29 2022 | 11:00 AM IST
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Hackers now selling 150k patients' data of TN hospital on Dark Web: Report

3 min read Last Updated : Dec 02 2022 | 3:43 PM IST
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Hyderabad police arrests 2 after busting drug racket operating on dark web

1 min read Last Updated : Sep 02 2022 | 09:29 AM IST
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Twitter launches Dark Web Tor service amid Russian censorship

1 min read Last Updated : Mar 09 2022 | 12:08 PM IST
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Volume IconDecoded: What is dark web and is it really such a bad place to be in?

4 min read Last Updated : Nov 01 2021 | 09:00 AM IST
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Volume IconTMS, Ep 32: COP26, Shaktikanta Das 2.0, markets in Samvat 2078, dark web

2 min read Last Updated : Nov 01 2021 | 12:14 PM IST
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Algo Rhythm: Skilled scammers pose new security challenges

1 min read Last Updated : Oct 31 2021 | 10:34 PM IST
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United Nations' computer networks breached by hackers earlier this year

5 min read Last Updated : Sep 10 2021 | 11:19 PM IST
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Parliamentary panel's proposed VPN ban draws flak from users, industry

3 min read Last Updated : Sep 02 2021 | 7:34 PM IST
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Data breach menace

3 min read Last Updated : Apr 07 2021 | 11:09 PM IST
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Data breach allegations: MobiKwik forensic audit gets moving on RBI order

4 min read Last Updated : Apr 01 2021 | 06:10 AM IST
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3.5 million MobiKwik users' data up for sale, company denies claim

3 min read Last Updated : Mar 29 2021 | 11:43 PM IST
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