The Dark Side of the Web
The internet, as we know it, has served us with a plethora of conveniences, and opened new possibilities to make our life as easy as we can. It allows us to get all the updates we might want throughout the day, order stuff we might want, have a quick chat with a friend sitting all the way across the globe, and whatnot, all this at our fingertips!
But as famously said by the Canadian Novelist Margaret Atwood,
Every aspect of human technology has a dark side, including the bow and arrow.
This is no exception to the very existence of the Internet itself. There exists a corner of the internet that is very commonly referred to as the Dark Web. Although calling this a corner would be an understatement as the part of the internet that we know and can use merely contributes to about 5% of the entirety of the World Wide Web. So, what exactly is there in the “remaining” 95%?
What exactly is Dark Web?
Everyone has their very own preconceived understanding of the term “Dark Web”, and it is extremely ominous almost every time. So, let us try to get a hold of what the actual definition for this term is, we refer to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary:
The set of web pages on the World Wide Web that cannot be indexed by search engines, are not viewable in a standard Web browser, require specific means (such as specialized software or network configuration) in order to access, and use encryption to provide anonymity and privacy for users
It isn’t as ominous as most of us think it is supposed to be. Well, there are a few reasons for that. The very first one is that there exists another term called “Deep Web” which is often used interchangeably with “Dark Web”, but they are not the same. Deep Web refers to anything and everything on the World Wide Web that is not indexed by a search engine. Its content includes anything that requires sign-in credentials or is behind a paywall or any content that its owners have blocked regular web crawlers from indexing. Examples of this can be, Fee-based content, Membership websites, Medical records, and confidential corporate web pages. And this is what most of the definitions refer to when talking about the Dark Web, which is why the definition presented earlier might have not sounded ominous at all because it was actually referring to the Deep Web.
It might amuse many that only a tiny bit of the internet, as little as about 5%, is accessible through a standard, daily-use Internet Browser. This portion of the internet is referred to as the “Surface Web”.
So, all of this clears up what Deep Web is but still, our primary question remains unanswered, What is Dark Web?
Deep Web vs Dark Web
Dark Web is indeed a subset of the Deep Web. Where the Deep Web is majorly used for Intranets or Subscription-based applications or applications that require credential-based authentication or databases and much more, the primary usage of the Dark Web is to provide anonymity to the website owners as well as the visitors. This directly or indirectly points to the fact that it is a safe haven for anyone that wishes to commit illicit activities online. But again, anonymity is not necessarily used exclusively for illegal activity. For instance, whistle-blowers can use it to leak classified information on the dark web using websites such as Wikileaks or political dissidents under an oppressive government might use the dark web for communication.
How does the Dark Web work and how to access it?
Dark Web is nothing but a collection of websites that require a specific web browser to access. Usually, these sites feature a .onion domain and are accessed through the anonymous Tor Browser. And there’s nothing more to it, it is just like what we do with our standard browser and the Surface Web.
What is Tor and is it legal?
Tor is short for The Onion Routing project. It is an open-source privacy network that enables the user to browse privately. It relies on its worldwide Tor computer network which uses extremely secure, encrypted protocols for communication. Tor ensures that the users’ data is shielded using a layered approach that resembles the nested layers of an onion hence the name.
And YES, Tor is legal in every sense unless used for illegal activities. In fact, it was developed by the U.S. Navy as a measure to protect their sensitive communications.
But how does it work?
As mentioned earlier, it uses a layered approach that resembles the nested layers of an onion. Whenever a user uses the Tor browser to access a website, the Tor network does not directly connect their computer to that website. Instead, all of the traffic from your browser is intercepted by Tor and routed through a random number of other Tor users’ computers before passing the request to its final destination. This same process is reversed to enable the destination website to communicate with the user.
Excited to pay the Dark Web a visit?
Now, the real questions arise,
Should you visit the Dark Web?
It’s a little grey area, there’s no harm in paying it a visit as long as you are taking the necessary precautions.
What are the precautions we need to take and why so?
Even though Dark Web isn’t necessarily all sinister, it is still an open playground for anyone who wishes to cause any sort of trouble. Accessing Dark Web without any precautions is as good as going into a Gunfight without a Bulletproof vest… extremely RISKY!
So, there are a few steps we might suggest you follow if it is your first rodeo peeking into the darker side of the internet:
- Use a Virtual Machine (VM).
This adds an extra layer of security to your system and prevents any harm from being caused to your actual OS or machine hardware
- Keep your Tor Browser up to date
Even though Tor Browser is one of the most secure Browsers out there, it is not 100% safe from attacks. For instance, the Tor network was targeted in 2013 by a Trojan called Chewbacca, who stole banking details or in 2016, it was revealed that the FBI had used specially created malware called Torsploit to ‘deanonymize’ Tor users and track their real IP addresses
- Disable JavaScript in Tor Browser
This is also an effort to add another layer of security to prevent websites from running malicious code
- Don’t share or enter your actual credentials or identity anywhere
This is extremely obvious, using Tor is pointless if the user ends up sharing their personal details.
Even these measures cannot guarantee safety on the Dark Web, hence the user has to be very cautious while browsing through the said network.
Conclusion
Even though Dark Web has earned its reputation as home to a plethora of illicit activities, it is merely a collection of websites that require a specific, anonymity-powered web browser to access. It has its own perfectly legal use cases.
Just like pretty much everything else, Dark Web is what you make of it.
Only remember to be vigilant against Cyber Attacks. A mere transaction with the wrong person or a seemingly simple harmless click could destroy your personal or business records or reputation.
Authors:
Atharva Patilpate, Ratan Patil, Shreyas Kapse, Pranita Maske
