You’ve probably heard the terms Tor and dark web in the media. However, using these sites is not as dangerous as they appear. In fact, it’s simple to get them up and running.
The dark web is a collection of websites that are not found by search engines such as Google. It’s a part of the internet where data and content that would otherwise be private is stored. For example email inboxes and emails online banking logins, online banking inboxes and Google Drive folders live on the deep web – they aren’t accessible to the general public using a regular browser.
There are also many websites on the dark web which serve legitimate reasons. SecureDrop is one example. It is a dark-web website that allows anonymous submission of sensitive information by whistleblowers. There are sites that help people buy and sell stolen credentials, such as credit card numbers, passwords and social security numbers. These sites are often referred to “marketplaces,” and the most well-known examples are Silk Road is total av better than avast and AlphaBay, however there are many others which have been shut down.
The key to accessing the dark web is a system called Tor which routes your internet connection through a set of servers that are run by volunteers, which are distributed throughout the world. This makes it difficult for anyone to track your activity. The name Tor comes from the fact that the traffic it encrypts is layered, like the layers of pizza. This protects the privacy of users.