You’ve probably heard of the terms dark web and Tor bandied about in the media, however, accessing them isn’t as risky as it sounds. Actually, it’s easy to get up and top know org running.
The dark web is comprised of websites that aren’t being indexed by search engines like Google. It’s the area of the web where data and other information that would otherwise be private is stored. Email inboxes as well as Google Drive folders are stored on the deep web. They’re not visible to the public when browsing using a standard browser.
On the dark web, there are several sites that have legitimate goals. For instance, the site SecureDrop is a dark web site that permits whistleblowers to provide sensitive information to news agencies anonymously. There are sites that allow people to purchase and sell stolen credentials such as credit card numbers, passwords and social security numbers. These websites are commonly referred to as “marketplaces” and some of the most well-known examples are Silk Road and AlphaBay, but there are lots of others which have been shut down.
Tor is the key to the dark web. It connects you via a number of volunteer servers scattered across the globe. This makes it impossible for anyone to track your activities. Tor is so named because the information it encrypts traverses a variety of layers similar to the onion layering in pizza, which helps to ensure your privacy.