Dark web definition

The Dark Web is a hidden collection of Internet sites accessible only by a specialized web browser. It is used to keep internet activity anonymous and private, which can be helpful in both legal and illegal applications. Although some use it to evade government censorship, it is also known to be used for highly illegal activities.

What is Dark Web, Deep Web and Surface Web?

The Internet is massive with millions of web pages, databases and servers, all running 24 hours a day. But the so-called “visible” Internet (aka Surface Web or Open Web) — sites that can be found using search engines like Google and Yahoo — is the tip of the iceberg.

There are several terms around the non-visible web, but it’s worth knowing how they differ if you plan to browse off the beaten path.

What is the Deep and Dark Web?

The Dark Web is a hidden collection of Internet sites accessible only by a specialized web browser. It is used to keep internet activity anonymous and private, which can be helpful in both legal and illegal applications. Although some use it to evade government censorship, it is also known to be used for highly illegal activities.

What is Dark Web, Deep Web and Surface Web?

The Internet is massive with millions of web pages, databases and servers, all running 24 hours a day. But the so-called “visible” Internet (aka Surface Web or Open Web) — sites that can be found using search engines like Google and Yahoo — is the tip of the iceberg.

There are several terms around the non-visible web, but it’s worth knowing how they differ if you plan to browse off the beaten path.

Surface Web or Open Web

The open web or surface web is the “visible” surface layer. If we were to imagine the entire web as an iceberg, the open web would be the tip above the water. From a statistical point of view, this aggregate of websites and data is less than 5% of the total Internet.

Here are the most common public-facing websites accessed through traditional browsers such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox. Websites are usually labeled with registry operators such as “.com” and “.org” and can be easily located with popular search engines.

Surface Web websites are identifiable because search engines can index the Web through visible links (a process called “crawling” because search engines travel the Web like spiders).

deep web

The deep web lies beneath the surface and accounts for about 90% of all websites. It would be part of an iceberg under water, much larger than the surface web. In fact, this hidden web is so large that it is impossible to discover exactly how many pages or websites are active at any given time

Continuing with the analogy, large search engines can be thought of as fishing boats that can only “catch” websites close to the surface. Everything from academic journals to private databases and more illegal content is out of reach. This deep web also includes the part we know as the dark web.

Although many news outlets use “deep web” and “dark web” interchangeably, overall most of the deep web is completely legal and safe. Some of the largest parts of the Deep Web include:

Database: A collection of files, both public and privately protected, that are not linked to other areas of the Web, searchable only within the database.

Intranets: Internal networks for enterprise, government, and educational facilities used to control private communications and aspects within their organization.

If you’re wondering how to access the deep web, chances are you already use it every day. The term “deep web” refers to all web pages that cannot be detected by search engines Deep Web sites may be hidden behind passwords or other security walls, while others simply tell search engines not to “crawl” them. Without visible links, these pages are more hidden for various reasons.

On the larger deep web, its “hidden” content is generally clean and safe. From blog post reviews and pending web page redesigns, the pages you access when you bank online are all part of the deep web. Furthermore, they pose no threat to your computer or security at large. Many of these pages are hidden from the open web to protect user information and privacy, such as:

• Financial accounts such as banking and retirement
• Email and social messaging accounts
• Private enterprise database
• HIPPA sensitive information such as medical documentation
• Legal file

Delving further into the deep web brings a little more danger for the light. For some users, parts of the deep web offer the opportunity to bypass local restrictions and access TV or movie services that may not be available in their local area. Others go a little deeper to download pirated music or steal movies that aren’t in theaters yet.

On the dark side of the web, you’ll find more dangerous content and activity. Tor websites are located at this end of the deep web, which is considered the “dark web” and is only accessible by an anonymous browser.

Deep web security is more relevant to the average internet user than dark web security, because you can accidentally go into dangerous areas: many parts of the deep web can still be accessed with a normal internet browser. Thus users may travel through a fairly tangential path and end up on a piracy site, a politically radical forum, or view disturbingly violent content.

The dark web

The dark web refers to sites that are not indexed and can only be accessed through special web browsers. Significantly smaller than the tiny surface web, the dark web is considered a subset of the deep web. Using our ocean and iceberg visuals, the dark web will be the bottom tip of the submerged iceberg.

The dark web, however, is a very secretive part of the deep web that very few people can interact with or see. In other words, the Deep Web covers everything below the surface that can still be accessed with the right software, including the Dark Web.

Breaking down the construction of the dark web reveals some of the key layers that make it an anonymous haven:

No webpage indexing by surface web search engines. Google and other popular search tools cannot discover or display results for pages within the dark web.

“Virtual traffic tunnels” through a random network infrastructure.

It is inaccessible by traditional browsers due to its unique registry operator. Also, it is further hidden by various network security measures such as firewalls and encryption.

The dark web’s reputation is often associated with criminal intent or illegal content, and with “commerce” sites where users can buy illegal goods or services. However, legal teams have also used this framework.

When it comes to dark web security, the dangers of the deep web are very different from the dangers of the dark web. Illegal cyber activity is not necessarily easy to stumble upon but can be much more extreme and threatening if you spot it. Before we unpack the threats of the dark web, let’s explore how and why users access these sites.