Knowing how to access the dark web can be of significant benefit if you are trying to bypass censorship and gain access to information that has been blocked by the government. And it can allow you to exchange information securely if you are a whistleblower who wants to remain anonymous. That said, there are reasons some people use the dark web legitimately.
Don’t Use Your Main Device
However, keep in mind that the dark web is not organized like the regular internet. Instead of search engines, you’ll need to rely on directories or specific .onion links. Some governments actively monitor dark web activity through various methods, like analyzing internet traffic patterns or using high-end surveillance software. Governments also often set up “honeypot” sites on the dark web, which mimic illegal services and wait for users to enter their info. Of course, this sort of site poses no risk to legitimate dark web users, but it’s worth knowing that your usage of the dark web in general might draw attention to you.
Minimize Or Rescale Your Tor Browsing Window
The dark web is quite small when compared with the internet as a whole. No one truly knows the size of the dark web, but some estimate that it accounts for just 5% of the total internet. Just like when navigating the surface web, the dark web has similar risks that should be taken into account when protecting your personal information. For this reason, you do use this app to connect to the dark web at your own risk. Anybody wanting to connect to the dark web on an iPhone or iPad is advised that there is no official Tor app at the moment. Instead, Tor Project recommends iOS users to connect using the iOS Onion Browser app.
Why You Need A VPN To Be Safe On The Dark Web
Dark0de alone had over 69,000 listings, while Torrez offered around 57,000.2 By far the most infamous dark web marketplace is the Silk Road. Let’s take a closer look at it to see just how dark the dark web can be. There are a lot of misconceptions about it, but we’ll answer that question once and for all in this guide.
Social Media
If you’re trying to hide from an oppressive government or want to be a whistle-blower for something illegal, take as many steps as you can to be safe. Tor encrypts your traffic through multiple relay nodes, but it’s important to understand that this encryption is removed at the exit node before reaching its final destination. This means that if you’re accessing non-HTTPS websites, the exit node operator could potentially view your unencrypted traffic. For many people, the answer is by using regular websites such as Reddit. The moderators enforce a strict policy against posting links to illegal products or services, so you’re more likely to find safer dark web addresses here. There are also popular free legal websites which can be accessed via a .onion address.
- We’ll also shed light on some of the legal uses of the dark web and show you how to access it securely in a detailed step-by-step guide.
- Choose a VPN known for strong encryption, a no-logs policy, and compatibility with various devices.
- It’s not the only network on the Dark Web – for example, you may have heard of the Freenet anti-censorship network – but it’s by far the most popular.
- Additionally, make sure that you only download the Tor Browser from the official website.
- So, instead of “facebook.com”, the URL can look like “12ls834mfdg8.onion”.
Proton VPN is part of the Proton family of services provided by Proton Technologies AG. While ProtonMail has a solid commitment to privacy, its location has caused problems for users in the past. In 2021, it was forced by the Swiss courts to begin logging the IP addresses and browser fingerprint information of one of its customers. Proton VPN has decent connection speeds and has tools for giving long-distance connections a bump.
Is The Dark Web Illegal?
There are several whistleblower sites, including a dark web version of Wikileaks. Pirate Bay, a BitTorrent site that law enforcement officials have repeatedly shut down, is alive and well there. If you want to learn all about privacy protection or cryptocurrency, the dark web has plenty to offer.
Step 4: Configure Basic Settings
When there’s a fraud alert on your report, creditors can see that you might be the victim of identity theft and are instructed to verify your identity or contact you before extending credit in your name. However, mobile phone carriers now offer extra security measures that can help protect you from SIM swapping attacks. Look online or contact your carrier to find out what you need to do to enable them. Consider using a password manager to create and store complex passwords. You then only need to remember one complex password to access your password manager.
Let’s look at two popular browsers you can use to access the dark web on desktop computers and laptops. Take a look at your Tor Browser settings before you start your first dark web browsing session. It has a range of settings you can configure to help with security and privacy.
Many sites become defunct quickly, either because they are shut down due to illegal activity, their founders lose interest, or they change addresses and names to avoid detection. Unlike the publicly accessible surface web, the deep web includes sites requiring login credentials but is still accessible via traditional browsers. The dark web is a small, hidden subset of the deep web that requires special tools to access. By using a VPN to connect to Tor — a special browser designed to access the dark web — you can securely access the dark web using a technique known as Tor-over-VPN. Without a VPN, your ISP or network administrator may be able to detect, monitor, or block dark web access; Tor-over-VPN provides an extra layer of privacy. ExpressVPN is my top choice because it supports Tor traffic on all of its servers and works automatically without needing any additional configurations.
What’s more, in addition to providing anonymity for surfing websites, Tor also allows website publishers to remain anonymous thanks to the strong encryption provided by the Onion Router system. Check out our what is Tor page for information about it and the steps you need to follow to install it. Given the amount of illegal and unsettling content on the dark web, there is always a risk that you might encounter something that could disturb you.
- More importantly, even the VPN service will now see what you’re doing inside Tor.
- Then, once you connect to Tor, your connection is encrypted once again, so you basically get a double layer of encryption.
- Moreover, the “safest” settings will cause a significantly slower internet connection.
- For this reason, companies and services offer to monitor your sensitive information across common hacker forums and sites where it can appear after a data breach.
- The Tor network’s principal benefit is that it routes your traffic through numerous servers, wrapping it in several layers of encryption.
What Is The Dark Web? How Safe Is It And How To Access It? Your Questions Answered
And it can be dangerous if you slip up and your identity is discovered. Your traffic is relayed and encrypted three times as it passes over the Tor network. The network is comprised of thousands of volunteer-run servers known as Tor relays.
Criminals can use this information in a variety of ways, such as impersonating you, creating a fake identity, opening credit accounts in your name or getting a medical procedure using your insurance. Analytics Insight is an award-winning tech news publication that delivers in-depth insights into the major technology trends that impact the markets. The content produced on this website is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or recommendation.
Despite all the dangers, there are actually advantages to using the dark web. It’s a way to access a more open internet since the dark web is decentralized. You’d also enjoy anonymity and privacy thanks to Tor’s encryption and routing, something you don’t get from most normal browsers.
Mail providers Mailbox.org and Protonmail can also be accessed via an .onion link. This may be welcome news to those in states where security services have attempted to block ‘anonymous’ email websites like these from the open web. Since Tor can be used to access websites governments try to block, the dark web can be a useful tool for people living under dictatorships to access western media. It’s not really dangerous if we consider the protection of a VPN service. Generally speaking, most websites are legal and they’re safe to use.
