The dark Web is the World Wide Web content that exists on darknets that use the Internet but require particular software or authorization to access. The dark-nets which constitute the dark Web include small, friend-to-friend peer-to-peer networks, as well as large, popular networks like Freenet, I2P, and Riffle operated by public organizations and individuals. Users of the dark Web refer to the regular Web as Clearnet due to its encrypted nature.
The dark Web forms a small part of the deep Web, and it is that part which is not indexed by search engines like Google, Firefox, etc. Sometimes, Deep Web is confused with dark Web more often despite being quite different. Identities and locations of darknet users are anonymous and cannot be tracked. Darknet technology uses data through a varied number of intermediate services that protect identity and anonymity.
The darknet is famous for illegal activities such as illegal trading, forums, media exchanges, and terrorism. The dark Web is comprised of websites that are visible to the public, but their IP address details are intentionally hidden. Anyone on the Internet can use these websites, but it is not easy to find the server details on which the site runs, and it is almost impossible to track the hosting site.
The dark Web concept is achievable with the help of anonymity tools. Some popular tools are Tor and I2P. The dark Web is famous for both black market and user protection, so it has both positive and negative aspects.
Most dark websites cannot be directly accessed via a standard search made through a search engine; they effectively hide. They are accessible only if the addresses of those sites are known to the user.
The Dark Web is also used in other ways, like communication between whistle-blowers and protecting users from attacks or surveillance to ensure privacy in communication. But the dark Web is mostly used in black markets as it promises total anonymity.
The Internet is a vast and sometimes a much-disorganized place, almost like a huge flea market. With billions of sites and addresses, it is impressive that we can search and find anything without much effort and time taking.
Author: Rishika Chhabra
