The deep web refers to the region of the internet which is inaccessible by standard search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. The dark web is also part of the deep web and other constituents like unindexed pages, free-for-service sites, and private databases.
So, if you think of an iceberg, then the World Wide Web or the surface is just the tip constituting only 4%. The rest, 96%, comprises both the deep web and below that is the dark web, i.e., the deepest region of the iceberg.
What is the Dark Web?
The deep and the dark web cannot be accessed from any search engine or searched from any search engine. This could be because the pages might be old with a lack of identifiable keywords, or the website contains private information which can be unlocked and accessed by the members only.
The next lower level is the dark web, which can only be accessed using encrypted browsers like The Onion Router. The dark web consists of websites that are kept hidden on purpose. Finding any information on the dark web is not easy.
You have to be extremely patient to find the things you want because of the lack of indexing. There is no search engine for the dark web making it tough to find what you are searching for. Also, once you find the information, you have to ensure that it is authentic and from a relevant source.
Dark Web: Interesting Facts
Here are five interesting facts about the dark web.
- A 300% increase in the activity on the dark web is seen in the last three years.
- In 2020, credentials for about 133,927 C-level Fortune 1000 executives were available on the dark web, including 25,927,476 employee passwords.
- New records, exceeding 22 billion in number, were added to the dark web in 2020.
- Satellite associates of cybercrime organizations pay the chief gang 10 – 20% of the take on each successful job.
- 60% of the information can be a potential threat to the enterprises available on the Dark Web.
Final Words
The dark web can be extremely dangerous to access due to hackers who can steal your private info at any moment.
Also, apart from information, the dark web deals with nefarious things like criminal services, espionage, illegal collectibles or animals, human trafficking, drugs, guns, credit card numbers, counterfeit money, cybercrime software, stolen goods, cracked credentials, and other unlawful items.