All you need are the right tools and knowledge of where you’ll be navigating. The best way to think of the shape of the internet is an iceberg — what you see on the surface is only a small fraction of the actual web. Below the surface of the water lies the deep web, with the Dark Web occupying a chunk of this gargantuan mass of data. If you have your GPS or location services enabled, turn it off. Research the sites you plan to make purchases through ahead of time. Instead of using your actual email address, sign up for a different one you can use solely for your dark web activity.
The main distinction is more about the entry and exit points you use to get into the Tor network. If you plan on visiting .onion sites, you still need a Tor exit point and not a VPN at the other end of your connection, for example. In fact, much of it may be illegal under your jurisdiction. As such, you should exercise caution when accessing any unofficial dark websites.
To ensure your info stays off sketchy online marketplaces, get a data-monitoring tool that can help you identify if your private information is ever compromised in a leak. Normal sites on the deep net sit behind secure logins, paywalls, passwords, and authentication forms, but you don’t need any special software. By contrast, to access dark web websites, you need special tools or software like Tor Browser. The deep web includes all internet content protected by passwords, authentication forms, and firewalls — like subscription services, banking information, and email accounts.
Download and install the free Tor browser — the whole process only takes 1–2 minutes. I also recommend getting a VPN like ExpressVPN, which allows Tor traffic on all of its servers. You also get pretty good streaming support, as the VPN can access top sites like Netflix, HBO Max, and BBC iPlayer — though it can’t access Disney+.
Open the Tor browser and access the dark web on your Android phone safely. Most individuals only use 4–10% of the internet, and the remainder is part of what we term the deep web or dark web. If you want to learn how to access the dark web on an Android phone safely.
Deep Dark Web
On the flipside, bank security staff will have their own deep web admin area that the public can’t access. It may permit them to view your transactions in the case of fraud, but there are all sorts of restrictions. They cannot just add new payees or move your money around as you can.
Tor also supports various privacy extensions, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to track users on the dark web. If you log into personal accounts on the dark web or visit websites with tracking scripts, then your activity may be tracked. Everyone from individual users to black/white hackers can find a reason to access the Darknet.
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It has military-grade encryption and privacy features that will ensure your digital security, plus — it’s currently offering 49% off. Configuring Freenet is simple — you just download and install. It runs automatically in your web browser when you open it, so I recommend using a different browser than you normally do to ensure privacy.
Considering how regularly dark web sites vanish and go offline, it’s better to have more than one source to help you find .onion URLs. Mail2Tor makes a good alternative as it allows users to send/receive messages anonymously through webmail or an email client. What’s more, all mail is secured using encryption, and the provider doesn’t store your IP address either. Then, DuckDuckGo is one of the best alternatives to Google. Your search activity isn’t stored, and you get decent answers for most queries without all the tracking. The search engine is also available on the dark web and offers an additional layer of anonymity and privacy with fast search results.
Surface Web vs. Deep Web vs. Dark Web
If you’re concerned about browsing the deep web safely, it’s smart to consider a trusted virtual private network like Norton Secure VPN that encrypts personal information you send and receive. The dark web refers to content on the internet that is intentionally hidden and requires special software, like Tor Browser, to access. The dark web is a subset of the deep web, which is all content on the internet that isn’t indexed by search engines. If you want to access an .onion site, it’s only possible through the use of a specialized browser known as Tor. There are also popular free legal websites which can be accessed via a .onion address. Facebook offers an onion link to access their services, although you may find logging in difficult, as you’ll most likely appear to be signing in from a different location each time.
- A hacked Uber rider account goes for just $4, and a Netflix account with a paid one-year subscription is worth $44.
- Silk Road was one of the first dark web marketplaces that emerged in 2011 and has allowed for the trading of weapons and identity fraud resources.
- Download and install it from the App Store — it shouldn’t take more than 2 minutes.
- First, it’s difficult to track and monitor activity on the dark web since much of it is encrypted.
MEMEX’s first mission was to help federal agents discover and disrupt human trafficking networks on the internet. The dark web’s inherent anonymity is helpful for political activists, journalists, and anyone living in regions that heavily restrict and monitor internet access. You can even organize decentralized communication networks to share benign memes if you want—though it’s probably easier to just use WhatsApp or Discord. The Dark Web isn’t accessible by Google and other search engines. VPNs can help you hide this information from websites so that you are protected at all times. We recommend ExpressVPN — the #1 VPN out of over 350 providers we’ve tested.
The most basic email services on the Dark Web share similarities to Gmail or Yahoo Mail. Yet you will also find many niche email services here that allow users to stay anonymous. These include “burner” email services or private email service providers.
I tested all the website links on The Hidden Wiki and almost all of them work . They are separated into several categories to make browsing easier. Moreover, Daniel’s site has an in-built test functionality. This means you can have the website check if any given Tor website is online. The list shows the last time a website was checked and whether it was online.