A special browser is required to access the dark web. The most popular are the Tor browser and I2P (Invisible Internet Project), which specializes in anonymous hosting of sites on the Dark Web.
After installation, the browser works like a regular web browser. However, the user will not find the desired material immediately. The addresses of pages on the Dark Web contain a collection of random numbers and letters and often change due to the temporary nature of many participants in the dark web. Since the dark web directs all traffic through several proxy servers, information retrieval is usually very slow.
What can be found on the Dark Web?
The Dark Web is a wide range of services and content, most of which are illegal. Regardless of the user’s intentions, the Dark Web is an alternative and anonymous ecosystem for interacting with other users on the Internet.
Activities on the Dark Web
One site can serve online chess matches, and the other can be an anonymous messenger or email service. In countries with restricted freedom of speech, the Dark Web has allowed people to communicate freely.
The Dark Web is dominated by criminal activity, the posting of pirated content, the sale of prohibited substances and weapons, or the distribution of pornography. Cybercriminals also sell stolen confidential information, bank data, credentials, IP addresses or trade secrets of companies on the Dark Web.
Although the activity on the Dark Web is anonymous, law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity specialists often find cybercriminals.
To preserve anonymity, all transactions on the dark web are carried out using bitcoin and other untraceable digital currencies. Cryptocurrency allows users to interact, share files and conduct business confidentially.