What is the Difference Between Deep Web and The Dark Web

The Surface Web is the part of that is readily available to the general users and can accessed using a standard web search engine such as Google, Bing. These are the websites and web content most users get as result when using a web browser such as Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Internet Explorer. These browsers index these webpages and make them available for their users. The Surface web consist of Social Media sites like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Blogs, News, Media content and much more things and all these contents can be accessed by a standard web browser. Even though we every time find what we want with these searches only about 4 percent of the World Wide Web is part of the Surface Web.

The depth and concept of these 3 layers are explained using an iceberg, while regular users interact with Surface web, but the larger part of web is not visible or easily accessible using a standard web browser. The Deep and Dark web comprises the remaining 96 percent of the web.

The Deep Web, invisible web, or hidden web content are parts of the Internet where content is not indexed to searches by standard search engines. The deep web content is well hidden using HTTP forms and includes many common functions and uses such as web mail, online banking, and some services where the users must pay, and services which are protected by paywalls (A paywall is a method of restricting access to content via a purchase or paid subscription.) while most people don’t know it, information and services on the Deep Web is frequently being used for regular purposes

Deep web is consisting of academic databases, subscription information, patient medical records, multi-language databases, company financial records, government resources, abandoned and forgotten websites that are not indexed, pay walled content and many so contents. There are some services you use on the deep Web maybe without you knowing such as checking your emails, checking your bank account details, reading or watching something with your subscription and basically if you have log into one of your personal accounts, the information displayed and the data you access is on the deep web.

Larger portion of Deep web contains perfectly legal content, but there some websites and web content in this layer which containing illegal and disturbing contents. Due to inaccurate reporting by media, most people refer terms Deep web and Dark an interchangeably. The Deep Web and Dark Web are not identical

The Dark Web is a portion of the deep web that has been hidden intentionally and cannot be accessed through standard browsers and methods. Instead, users have to use The Onion Router hidden service protocol to access dark web content. “Tor” servers — derived from “The Onion Router” — are undetectable and most of the time impossible to trace back users this Onion Router service offer user’s complete anonymity while surfing the web. The Dark Web operates with a high degree of anonymity. It hosts harmless activities and content, as well as criminal ones.

you have most likely heard about Silk Road if you interested in the Dark web, it was an online black marketplace and the first modern dark net market and was shut down after the arrest of Ross Ulbricht. Silk Road was operating for more than two years, with transactions exceeding $1 billion in Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Silk Road was known as a platform for selling illegal drugs and it was a major source of heroin, linked to multiple overdose deaths in the United States.

after it was taken down Silk Road 2.0 quickly took up and relaunched, and not long after that was taken down, Silk Road 3.0 popped up, and that’s where we are today. This is easily the largest and considered the best dark web market and Dark web marketplaces you can find basically anything you can think of here.

The Dark Web marketplaces can be used by people who are looking to purchase drugs, weapons, and other illegal items. But the Dark Web is better known for dark web content — meaning, illegal and sometimes very disturbing content 😲.

Here are some illegal contents you can find on the Dark Web:

· Infections or attacks, including malware, distributed denial of service (DDoS) and botnets

· Illicit substances

· Access, including remote access Trojans (RATs), keyloggers and exploits

· Stolen credential information

· Disturbing and dangerous items and services

· Phishing attack tools

· Stolen customer data

· Confidential financial data

· Intellectual property / trade secrets

Screenshot of some dark websites

It is safe but, the deep web is completely anonymous, provided you use an official browser like TOR with Onion Router Service Protocol. It’s only on the illegal sites that they have the resources are ingenuity to hack you. Here are some safety issues to consider when using the Deep Web:

· Criminal websites: There is a possible chance that you will find websites run by criminals or criminal groups. The sites might look like they are selling illegal goods and services but, they may seek to exploit you and steal information from you.

· Breaking the law. You can get arrested for things you do on the dark web. Just because you are doing something online, does not make it legal.

· Suspicious links. If you click on any links, you may be taken to material you might not want to see. It’s also possible that clicking a link or downloading a file could infect your device with malware.

· Law enforcement. Law enforcement officials operate on the dark web to catch people engaged in criminal activity. Like others on the dark web, law enforcement can do their work under a cloak of anonymity.

If you are interested and curious about the dark web and about to venture it is better to be smart about the links you click and sites you browse 😃.