You’ve probably heard of the Dark Web, but if you’re like most people, you might not know what it is. This article is here to help by explaining everything you need to know about the Dark Web and how it’s used by scammers and hackers.
What Is the Dark Web?
The Dark Web is any part of the Internet that can’t be accessed by individuals without a specific type of software, a certain configuration of your computer, or some type of authorization. The term is most commonly used to refer to the Darknet that requires the Tor browser, but other major Darknets require Riffle, I2P software, or Freenet software.
How Is the Dark Web Used?
There are many things that the Dark Web is used for, and these uses range from dangerous criminals concealing illicit activities to legal uses, such as bloggers and journalists gathering information for news stories.
What’s on the Dark Web?
A study was done of the content of the Tor network in January of 2015, and this is what it found:
- 15.4% of domains were related to drugs
- 9% of domains were illegal marketplaces
- 9% were related to fraudulent activity
- 6.2% were related to Bitcoin
- 5.7% were Darknet email services
- 5.2% were Darknet Wiki sites
- 5.2% were whistleblowing websites
- 5.2% were related to counterfeit activities
- 4.75% were illicit forums
- 4.5% discussed anonymity
- 4.25% were search engines
- 4.25% were related to hacking
- 3.5% were related to hosting
- 2.75% were pornographic
- 2.75% were blogs
- 2.5% were directories
- 2.5% were related to free book downloads
- 2.2% were sites with illegal pornography
- 2.2% of sites were too new to be indexed
- 2.2% of sites were chat rooms
- 1.4% of sites were related to guns
- 0.4 of sites were related to gambling
Is It Illegal to Use the Dark Web?
Using the dark web is not illegal in the United States, but many websites on the Dark Web contain illegal content. However, some countries have banned certain Darknets, such as the Tor network.
What’s the Difference Between Darknet Types?
The Tor network operates by sending traffic from one user’s computer to another in order to hide the user’s IP address. Users can choose whether or not they wish to relay traffic. Freenet and I2P are peer-to-peer networks, and Riffle works off of the Tor browser but incorporates a verifiable shuffle.
Want More Info on the Dark Web?
So, what’s the bottom line on the Dark Web? Even though not everyone uses it for illegal or illicit activities, plenty of others do just that. If you want to stay safe from the cybercriminals that frequent the Dark Web to sell people’s private data, your best is signing up for identity protection services.
At FindReviews.com, we’ve made it easy to find the best identity protection services to keep you protected against scammers and hackers. Don’t let cybercriminals steal your identity! Stay safe with a reputable identity protection service.