What is the Dark Web, and why do I need to worry about it?
The term "dark web" usually makes people think of a mysterious, lawless part of the internet where illegal activities thrive. Some of these ideas are true, but the dark web is more complicated and subtle than that. This mysterious part of the digital world can be made less mysterious by learning what it is, what it holds, who uses it, and why. But, put simply, you really don’t have to worry about it, but be aware it is exactly where your private information may end up if it has been subject of a hack.
What is the Dark Web?
There are three different parts of the internet: the public web (AKA, the surface web or clear web/net), the deep web, and the dark web. The surface web is made up of websites and pages that search engines like Google have indexed. Anyone with a web browser can reach this web. Private databases, academic journals, and websites that only members can access are examples of information on the deep web that search engines don't crawl.
The deep web is not as sexy as it sounds, but be aware if you are interested in online intelligence gathering, the deep web often holds the key pieces of intelligence or evidence you need. The deep web is also significantly larger than the surface web, so if you aren’t looking here, you are not doing your job!
To get to the dark web, which is a small part of the deep web, you need special tools like the Tor (The Onion Router) browser. The onion references the layers of encryption that Tor utilises when transferring your data around the network.
By sending users' communications through different servers run by volunteers, this network hides their identities and activities. This gives you privacy and safety, but it also makes it easier for illegal actions to happen without being caught. Just like in the physical world, if a criminal spots an opportunity to remain obfuscated and operate under the radar, so to speak, they take it!
What is on the Dark Web?
There is a lot of material and services on the dark web. Some of them are legal, but some are not:
Illegal Markets: These are probably the most well-known parts of the dark web. People can buy and sell drugs, guns, fake money, data that has been stolen, and other things. Taking down well-known dark web markets like Silk Road and AlphaBay has brought these actions to people's attention.
If you have never seen it, I highly recommend a cool documentary called Deep Web – a (2015) Documentary. This is a really good account of The Silk Road operations, but also the dark web in more detail (even though it is called deep web, weird!).
Stolen Information: Credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and login information that have been stolen can be bought and sold on the dark web. Criminals often buy this information and use it to steal identities and commit financial scams.
Hacking Services: People can pay hackers to do illegal things like hacking email accounts, launching cyberattacks, or creating malware.
Political Activism and Whistleblowing: On the plus side, the dark web is a safe place for political activists, journalists, and spies who work in oppressive governments. They can talk to each other, share information, and report violations of human rights without worrying about being watched by the government. This has become more active since the Edward Snowden disclosures back in 2013.
Private Communications: The dark web has places where people can talk to each other privately and anonymously. People who care a lot about their privacy use these, even in places where the internet is heavily censored.
Who Goes to the Dark Web?
A wide range of people visit the dark web:
Me: If you work in cyber-security you are bound to end up navigating around the dark web looking for clues and intelligence about hacking groups and where they may end up dumping client details. I (and my company) also pro-actively monitor the dark web for any of our client details, their email addresses, phone-numbers, physical addresses, SSN’s, and any other personal data that they really do need to be alerted of if ending up in this murky space of the internet. If we find details of clients we can deal with it head on, and not wait until the damage is done. Our company moto is ‘Forewarned is Forearmed’. This is very true is terms of digital security.
Criminals: People who do illegal things are common on the dark web, where they can stay anonymous and do their work.
Privacy advocates: People who value their privacy and don't want to be watched by the government or companies can use the dark web because it is anonymous.Journalists and whistle-blowers use the dark web's safe ways to talk to each other to share private information without worrying about getting caught.
Political Dissidents: People who live in countries with harsh governments use the dark web to organise, talk, and share information without the government getting in the way. Law enforcement keeps an eye on what's going on in the dark web to catch criminals and stop them, while researchers study it to learn more about cyber threats and privacy problems.
Should I be worried about the Dark Web?
The dark web is not a threat to most people who use the internet right now. But it's important to know that it exists and that there are risks that come with it:
Data Security: Make sure you keep your personal information safe. A lot of stolen information ends up on the "dark web," where it can be bought and used in bad ways. To keep your accounts safe, use strong, unique passwords and turn on two-factor security.
Cyber Hygiene: Use good cybersecurity habits, like keeping software up to date, staying away from dodgy links, and only using trusted security software. Be aware of possible scams and phishing efforts, as they can cause your information to be stolen and sold on the dark web.
The dark web is a complicated and diverse part of the internet that helps criminals do their work and gives privacy activists a safe place to hang out. The risks are there, but knowing about them and using good safety practices can help lessen them. Figuring out what the dark web is and how it works will help you feel safer and more knowledgeable when you're online.
Ben Owen Recommends
Recommendations can normally be drawn out and laborious, and as a result people don’t bother implementing them. I’ll always aim to keep mine brief as a result of our human impulse to want things a little easier to action in this busy world we live in.
Aside from the above recommendations around passwords and MFA (which, by the way, if you aren’t doing already, you REALLY need to), I want to advise that ongoing and pro-active monitoring of your personal and business information is crucial in today’s modern digital world.
Concise, informative and doesn’t make my brain explode - always a plus when it comes to technological stuff! What other delights do you have lined up and/or am I able to make suggestions? 🧐 😂 in all seriousness thanks 🙏 great blog post!