What Is the Dark Web?

What Is the Dark Web?

The dark web is a part of the internet that's intentionally decentralized and privacy-preserving. The privacy makes it attractive for criminals and for people who have other reasons to hide their identity, such as political dissidents and whistleblowers.

As with the other parts of the internet, the dark web doesn't refer to a specific website or page. There are different dark networks, or darknets, within the dark web. If you set up a private and secure network with a group of friends, that could be an example of a darknet. But the Tor (The Onion Router) darknet is one of the largest and most well-known darknets and is what people generally refer to when discussing the dark web.

Dark Web vs. Deep Web vs. Surface Web

To better understand what the dark web is, it can be helpful to learn about the three levels of the internet.

Dark Web

The dark web is a relatively private and difficult-to-navigate part of the internet. On the Tor darknet, information goes through a series of encrypted layers (like an onion) that make it difficult for people and companies to track which websites you visit. You have to download special software, such as the Tor browser, to navigate the Tor network, and most search engines don't index the .onion pages that are part of the darknet.

Deep Web

The deep web, also known as the invisible or hidden web, is the majority of the internet. You won't find these pages in search engine results, but you likely visit them every day. The deep web includes:

• Pages that require a login: Social media sites, streaming services, email and banking sites all have home pages that are in the surface web. However, once you log in to your account, you enter the deep web.
• Content that isn't indexed: A website, page or piece of content might be excluded from the list that search engines crawl and therefore won't show up in the search results. You can still access non-indexed pages if you know the URL or are linked there from another page.
• Secure storage: Much of the deep web is made up of photos, videos, research papers, medical records and other data that's only accessible with the proper credentials.
• Intranets: Businesses, schools and governments may maintain their own private networks that are built for the organization's use and connected to the internet. This intranet might provide a way for employees to communicate, store files or view informational pages regarding company policy.

The separation between the deep web and the surface web is essential for how we use the internet. After all, you don't want your bank statements appearing in someone's search results. However, the deep web is still connected to the internet, which means a hacker could break through a company's security systems and steal or leak data.

Learn more: What Is a Data Breach?

Surface Web

The surface web, or clear web, is the public part of the internet that anyone can easily access with an internet browser and search engine. Search engines "crawl" the surface web for new websites and pages, and index their findings. When you search for a website or term, the search engine shows you results from its index that it thinks best match your query.

News and informational websites (including this blog), e-commerce sites, video-hosting platforms and many other types of websites are all part of the surface web. While you may spend a lot of time on the surface web, it makes up less than 5% of the internet.

What Is the Dark Web Used For?

Some people create a blog or browse the dark web for fun or out of curiosity. But most people are on the dark web for:

• Browsing forums and marketplaces: Criminals create and participate in online forums to share information and expand their networks. There are also large marketplaces on the dark web where people buy and sell drugs, counterfeit documents, malware, exploitation material, illegal services and information from data breaches.
• Private conversation: Whistleblowers, journalists, activists and law enforcement officers use the dark web to gather and share information without revealing their identity.
• Private browsing: Users may want to use the dark web to evade government censorship and surveillance while browsing the internet.
• Research: Academics who study criminal activity might try to infiltrate dark web forums and marketplaces to better understand how criminals think and act.
• Threat analysis: Government and private organizations also monitor the dark web to understand potential threats and conduct investigations.

Learn more: Here's What Your Data Sells for on the Dark Web

Is The Dark Web Dangerous?

The Tor network makes it easier to hide your identity and allows people to anonymously create and host onion services. As a result, criminals often use the dark web to buy and sell illicit goods and services. That doesn't make visiting a site on the dark web inherently dangerous, but you might be more likely to get scammed or tricked into installing malware.

If you find yourself on a darknet marketplace, you might be surprised at how similar the sites are to what you find on the surface web. Some of them even have customer reviews, star ratings and frequently asked questions. However, criminals use these marketplaces to sell illegal products and services, including drugs, weapons, cyberattacks and hacking software. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, are the preferred means of payment.

Is It Illegal to Access the Dark Web?

It's not illegal or particularly difficult to access the dark web. For example, you can download and install the free Tor browser to access the Tor darknet. There's no law against it in the U.S., and the U.S. government is a major funder of the Tor Project, which creates the browser.

But having access to the browser is only the first step. Although there are some directories and search engines, navigating the dark web can be difficult, and websites' names aren't easy to remember.

Example: Both the CIA and nonprofit newsroom ProPublica have onion addresses.

These are two examples of legitimate organizations that have sites on the dark web. But the dark web is best known for illegal activity.

How to Protect Yourself From Dark Web Threats

If you choose to browse the dark web, the best way to protect yourself is to:

• Be cautious. You don't know where an onion address will take you, and you could unwittingly wind up on a site that tries to install malware on your device. Also, even if you see someone has a high rating, you might not have any recourse if they scam you.
• Don't share your personal information. You don't necessarily know who you're talking to and what their intentions are, so try not to share information that could reveal your identity.

Many of the threats associated with the dark web, such as identity theft, scams and blackmail, aren't intrinsically linked to the dark web. After all, someone selling your personal data on the surface web or deep web is just as troubling as someone selling it on the dark web. However, here are a few things you can do to protect yourself from criminals who purchase stolen data and scam-related tools.

• Stay informed. Continuously learn about different types of scams, including the latest AI-powered scams.
• Limit what you share online. Try to limit how much an attacker could learn about you online. For example, be mindful of what you share on social media, delete old accountsand try to remove your information from people search sites.
• Use unique passwords for your accounts. Creating unique passwords for all your online accounts can help limit the danger if someone steals one of your passwords. Using passkeys or a password manager is a relatively easy way to avoid reusing passwords.

Learn more: Identity Theft Protection Tools and Measures You Can Use

What Do I Do if My Information Is on the Dark Web?

If you're the victim of identity theft or affected by a data breach, your information could be sold on the dark web. There are some steps you can take to help protect yourself and stay ahead of identity thieves.

• Update your passwords. If you suspect your account information was compromised, change your password immediately. You can also check HaveIBeenPwned to see if your email address or password was in one of the tracked data breaches.
• Enable multifactor authentication on your accounts. If your accounts offer it, sign up for multifactor authentication (MFA) to make it more difficult for someone to sign in to your account.
• Sign up for dark web monitoring. A dark web monitoring service will look for your information on the dark web and inform you if it finds anything. The forewarning will let you know what's compromised, and give you a chance to secure your identity and accounts.
• You have a right to lock or freeze your credit reports. Locking or freezing your credit reports can keep someone from opening an account in your name, even if they have your personal information.

Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do to get your information removed from a dark web forum or marketplace once it's been leaked. Law enforcement occasionally shuts down marketplaces. But, even then, you don't know how many people have already bought your personal information.

Learn more: What to Do if Your Information Is Found on the Dark Web

Get a Free Dark Web Scan

While there's no way to ensure all your information stays private, putting protective measures in place can help. If you want to know whether your information is already on the dark web, Experian offers a free, one-time dark web scan for your Social Security number, email and phone number. If you want ongoing dark web surveillance, it's one of the many benefits included with a paid premium membership.