Author Totalist, forum user Piratskaya Bay
Many believe that simply being on the Dark Web makes them criminals.
However, this is not true, as being there is not illegal.
However, extra caution is of course required, because if you view prohibited content or buy illegal goods on the black market, you are clearly committing a criminal offense and should face criminal consequences. You must also remember that whenever you navigate the Dark Web, you are also putting yourself at risk. After all, there are hackers hiding among other users who are after your data.
Darknet for beginners – how to get there
So how do you get on the Dark Web? This does not automatically mean that you want to go into criminal activity, but many people are just curious and would like to visit this legendary place on the Internet and see it with their own eyes.
If you want to access the Dark Web, you must first install the Tor Browser. It is a browser based on Mozilla Firefox code and using the Tor network. Tor stands for “Onion Router” and the name speaks for itself because it uses different levels of encryption that resemble a layered onion. With Tor, you can not only access the Dark Web, but you can also browse regular sites anonymously.
But before diving into the Dark Web, you need to make sure your computer is as secure as possible. It is also recommended to use a VPN (virtual private network) because when you log into Tor, your IP address is displayed first. Therefore, it is better for the provider not to transmit any user data. Although many people think that VPN and Tor are essentially the same thing, they are two different technologies.
So, once you’ve downloaded and installed Tor, all you really have to do is click “Connect” and you’re done. A good dark web VPN encrypts your traffic and hides the fact that you are connecting to Tor from your ISP.
A Quick Guide to the Dark Web
In order to access pages from the Dark Web, you need to enter certain domains. They end with .onion. But there is also Torlinks and there is Onion-Wiki with appropriate links to the “dark sides”.
There are also dedicated search engines for the Dark Web. The most commonly used for this is Ahmia.fi. But you have to reckon with the fact that dark web search engines are not as algorithmic as, for example, Google, and that you sometimes end up with meaningless hits as a result.
What’s especially practical about the Tor Browser is that you can easily switch between the dark web and the regular web.
By the way, to the question “How to get into the Deep Web?” can be answered even more simply. Because most of us use it regularly without even realizing it. No special browser is needed here, the deep web only contains content that is not indexed by search engines such as Google and therefore inaccessible through them.
Which dark websites are particularly popular?
While it is true that the dark web is also home to shady characters who carry out their criminal activities, other sites are actually much more popular. For example, there is an onion version of Facebook with about a million users. This is especially convenient for people in Iran, China, or parts of Africa because it’s the only way for them to use Facebook. A deep web search engine called Grams is also extremely popular.
As you can see, the Darknet was originally invented not to give criminals a platform, but, for example, to give access to information unfiltered by the state or search engines. Unfortunately, criminals are increasingly using the dark web today, so you need to be very careful if you don’t want to be deceived or dragged into some kind of adventure by people when using the dark side, even with the best of intentions.
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