The dark web has a reputation for harboring and facilitating criminal activities such as hacking, drug trafficking, and even terrorism. But it's not as scary as it sounds. The dark web is a subset of the main internet on overlay networks called "darknets" and requires specific software to access.
As with the normal internet, you'll find the good and the bad on the dark web. If you want to search for something illegal, the dark web will provide that. But it's also a solid way to find new things and escape surveillance. If you're browsing the dark web, here's what you need to be wary of.
1 Don't Visit Illegal Sites on the Dark Web
Firstly, you need to know what the dark web actually is. It sounds scary and certainly not something you should be actively exploring. In fact, it sounds illegal. But depending on where you live, it's not illegal.
However, some of the activities on the dark web are. There's a big difference between going on the dark web (which is, on the whole, legal) and what you access through it (which could be illegal). Many who use the dark web have malicious intent, so government agencies and secret services monitor what happens there. Illicit activities that take place on the dark web include the trading of drugs, arms, and information obtained through scams and cyberattacks.
2 You Can Easily Fall for Scammers
The dark web isn't just useful for cybercriminals trading in stolen data. It's also a good way for fraudsters to scam you.
Sites on the dark web don't have the safety features you'd otherwise find on the surface web, so you're largely unprotected. Malware is rife and your browser won't scan downloads like it would if using a reputable one. A normal antivirus suite isn't enough if you're visiting the dark web.
Moreover, it's advisable to use cryptocurrency when purchasing anything on the dark web, and many sellers don't even accept traditional credit card payments. Cybercriminals love cryptocurrency, too, as it's largely untraceable, so you won't be able to get your money back.
3 Don't Download Tor From Unofficial Sources
The most popular way to access the dark web is through the Tor browser, akin to any other browser like Google Chrome and Firefox, but will let you view content other search engines don't index. Tor is a great way of thinking about the dark web. It stands for The Onion Router, so consider the main web as the primary layer of an onion. Tor lets you peel back the top layers to see the often-hidden third layer (the second layer being the deep web, which is different from the dark web).
But scammers know how easy it is to download fake copies of real apps. Fake apps put your data in the hands of scammers, and that's especially troublesome when it comes to fake browsers. The data transferred via a fraudulent browser that purports to be Tor or similar can be all-consuming, so everything you type and view is in the hands of a hacker.
Ensure you only download anything, including Tor, from official sources.
4 Don't Browse the Dark Web Without a VPN
Plenty of people use Tor for innocent reasons—you might even be reading this on Tor now!—so there's a big audience of people who aren't interested in illicit activity. Cookies and logs aren't kept, so your data remains more private. But dark web browsers don't keep everything secure. For one thing, your data is encrypted in transit and secure within Tor, but your ISP can see your data at entry and exit nodes. That means your ISP can still see you're using, for instance, Tor, and sites can still read your IP address. Your browser can, too.
A virtual private network (VPN), then, masks your data using end-to-end encryption, meaning everything is rendered unreadable without the correct decryption key. If you want to really be anonymous, using a VPN is the best way.
5 Beware of Black Markets on the Dark Web
Anonymity breeds criminal activity, and the dark web has a certain reputation. Sure enough, the dark web is full of black markets. This is where people go to find data retrieved from ransomware attacks and identity thefts, buy illegal goods, fund and promote terrorism, and sell their hacking services.
Another terrible reality of the dark web is the proliferation of child pornography.
Make no mistake: the dark web might not be wholly illicit, but that doesn't make it safe.
6 Don't Visit in Countries Where the Internet Is Policed
Is the dark web itself illegal? This entirely depends on territories. Typically, in countries where online activity is policed, accessing the dark web is illegal. That includes Russia, China, and Iran.
Why? The Tor browser (and other means of exploring the dark web) uses encryption, so anywhere that bans the use of VPNs, for instance, also bans citizens from other means of anonymizing their activities.
It's not illegal in the US, UK, or India, for example. But if you're used to government surveillance and restrictions, then the dark web is likely illegal in your territory.
7 Don't Browse the Dark Web Aimlessly
There are loads of great websites on the dark web that you won't find on Google. For instance, the news site ProPublica aims to "expose abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust by government, business, and other institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism."
Still, there are many dangers on the dark web. It's not something you can just easily browse. For one, you need to know the exact URL of a site, although there are dark web search engines you can use, like TorLinks and The Hidden Wiki.
You might be exposed to criminal activity if you find yourself on the wrong site. And yes, that could land you in jail time, especially if you purchase something illegal on any of the dark web's numerous marketplaces. You could also accidentally download malicious software, like ransomware, keyloggers, and botnets.
The dark web can be scary, but you can still use it safely once you know what to look out for. Still, if you're not sure, don't visit the dark web. It's not really worth the risk for the average user.