The dark web is a hidden section of the internet that can only be accessed through specialized tools such as the Tor browser. Despite its reputation for being a hub for illegal activities, it is important to understand that not all content on the dark web is illicit. The anonymity provided by the dark web can serve various positive purposes, such as secure communication for journalists, activists, and whistleblowers who wish to protect their privacy and exercise freedom of speech. While the dark web can be used for illegal activities, it is not inherently illegal. The dark web serves as a platform that can be utilized for both positive and negative purposes.
The Surface Internet
The surface internet, also known as the clear web or visible web, is the portion of the internet that is easily accessible and indexed by traditional search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo. This part of the internet consists of websites and web pages that are publicly accessible, and can be found through a simple search query. The surface internet is where the majority of internet users spend their time and it is estimated to only make up a small portion (less than 10%) of the entire internet. The surface internet is characterized by its ease of use and accessibility, and it is where users can find a wide range of information, including news, entertainment, e-commerce, and educational resources.
Dark Web vs Deep Web
The deep web refers to all parts of the internet that are not indexed by search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. This means that even though these websites and their contents exist, they are not easily discoverable through standard search engines. Examples of the deep web include online databases, internal company networks, and password-protected websites. The deep web makes up the vast majority of the internet, and its contents are not meant to be hidden from the public.
The dark web, on the other hand, is a small subset of the deep web that is intentionally hidden and can only be accessed with special software, such as the Tor browser. It is often associated with illegal activities such as the sale of drugs, weapons, and stolen personal information. The dark web operates on a network of servers that use encryption and routing techniques to hide the location and identity of the servers and their users. This anonymity makes it an attractive platform for criminal activities and has led to the development of a thriving black market.
Onion Routing
The name “Onion Routing” is inspired by the layers of an onion, with each layer representing an encryption step. The technique works by routing the communication through multiple layers of encryption and relays, making it extremely difficult to trace the origin of the communication. The user’s message is encrypted multiple times, and each layer of encryption is peeled off at a relay, until the message reaches its intended recipient.
To understand how Onion Routing works, let’s consider a simple example. Suppose Alice wants to send a message to Bob, but wants to keep her identity anonymous. Alice uses an Onion Routing client to encrypt her message multiple times, creating multiple layers of encryption. Each layer is then wrapped around the previous one, creating an “onion” of encrypted data. The encrypted message is then sent to the first relay in the network, which removes the outermost layer of encryption and passes the message on to the next relay. This process is repeated at each relay until the message reaches the last relay, which decrypts the final layer of encryption and delivers the message to Bob.
The use of multiple layers of encryption and relays makes it extremely difficult for anyone to trace the origin of the communication. Even if an attacker were to intercept the message at one of the relays, they would only see the encrypted data and would not be able to trace it back to its source.
Indexing Onion Websites
One of the unique features of the dark web is the use of Onion addresses, which are a type of web address that use a special domain name suffix of “.onion”. These addresses are encrypted and can only be accessed using the Tor browser. This makes them ideal for creating secure, anonymous websites.
However, because of the encrypted nature of these addresses, traditional search engines are not able to index them, making it difficult for users to discover and access dark web sites. To solve this problem, there are specialized search engines that have been developed specifically for the dark web, which allow users to search and find onion websites.
One of the most popular dark web search engines is Ahmia, which has been specifically designed to index onion websites. The process of indexing onion websites on the dark web is complex and requires specialized knowledge and tools. First, the search engine must be able to access the onion website and crawl its contents. This is typically achieved by running a Tor node, which is a component of the Tor network that relays traffic between users and the dark web.
Once the search engine has access to the onion website, it must then crawl the website and extract relevant information such as the page title, description, and keywords. This information is then added to the search engine’s database, allowing users to search for and find the website.
It is important to note that not all onion websites are indexed by dark web search engines. Some websites may choose to remain unlisted for privacy or security reasons, while others may be deliberately hiding their presence from search engines.
My Tor Websites
I’ve got Tor proxies in place for each of my websites. Each with a custom vanity hash, see here: