Surely you have heard of the Deep Web and the Dark Web, those dark parts of the Internet where almost anything goes and where we can find all kinds of different information, markets, bitcoins. But not all are advantages when browsing through them, so we explain what the main problems we encounter are , what we must take into account and all the possible solutions to avoid them.
If you want to enter and you do not know how or if you think that one of the problems of the Deep Web or Dark Web is its speed.
What is the deep web
Although there is much talk about the Deep Web, the Dark Web … do we really know what it is? Deep Web is a term in English that means deep Internet or hidden Internet. Its name sums up quite well what it is about: it is a part of Internet content that is not visible to most users. Why? Because it is not indexed by the conventional search engines that we use every day like Google or Bing or Yahoo.
It is not indexed but it is public , it has free access and you can enter or visit these sites without any problem. One of the most striking or known characteristics is that it is a “hidden” part that is used for all kinds of prohibited or illegal activities such as black market, account theft, etc. But in the Deep Web we also find very interesting databases, scientific publications or web with a lot of relevant information.
Deep web vs Dark web
Before clarifying the main problems of the Deep Web or the Dark Web, it is convenient that we differentiate between the two. It has become clear that the Deep Web is the deep, invisible, hidden Internet. Dark is “dark”, as we all know. What difference there are? Both are areas of the Internet that are not indexed, but it would be like going one step further, going a little deeper into the “depth of the Internet”.
In the Deep Web we can find research files , databases. On the Dark Web we continue to descend on this kind of Internet rungs and we can find all kinds of unlawful activities that take advantage of anonymity to develop here. Generally, both terms are confused and that is why we generalize with their dangers, etc.
What’s up
The big question for many people is: what is on the Deep Web or the Dark Web? We can find, as we have said in previous paragraphs, all kinds of content distribution (ebooks, etc.) and databases. We also find censored files that we don’t usually find in search engines but there is also room for pornography, the black market, cybercrime or scams. In addition, there are also services: for example, anonymous email services to create an account going unnoticed or hosting services on the Deep Web and Dark Web to host all kinds of files.
Problems on the Dark Web or Deep Web
Some of the problems that we can find are the following
Disinformation: Rumors and Myths
One of the main problems of the Deep Web or the Dark web is the misinformation, rumors and myths that surround it. You may find black market for stolen accounts or credit cards, but we live in a continuous bubble of rumors and myths about the dangerousness of the Dark Web. There are many problems that you can have in it but it is enough to use common sense to take a look at some pages and even take advantage of the amount of data and information that is in the Deep Web, for example.
To access
Accessing was a problem a long time ago but now it is quite easy thanks to the Tor Browser browser. One of the “problems” that many users may encounter is that they cannot access from Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, but installing Tor Browser will take a few minutes and it is a very easy to use browser so this is not a problem in the Today, yes years ago. You just have to follow these steps:
- Go to the web page of the browser, Tor Browser
- Choose the operating system you have (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android)
- Touch to download the file to your mobile, tablet or your computer
- Choose the destination folder in which to save it
- Follow the installation process
- Launch and open Tor Browser to start browsing
It is a browser based on Firefox so using it is simple. DuckDuckGo will automatically open as the default search engine and you simply have to click “Connect” to navigate.
Chaos
It may not be a serious problem, but it is one of the great drawbacks of any user who enters the Deep Web or the Dark Web for the first time: it is not as easy to navigate as when you enter Google and search everything for you. Finding sites here is somewhat more complicated than how you do it in your day to day but there are specialized search engines that help us put some order when browsing.
The most useful thing to solve one of the most frequent problems of the Dark Web or Deep Web is to use The Hidden Wiki. It is a kind of directory with links from which we can return to any site or website that interests us depending on what we are looking for. Here you will find everything and you do not have to visit everything it says (from black market for drugs to stolen accounts) but it can be useful if you are looking for an index, a guide to start moving or to find information.
Speed: Too slow
One of the most common problems and complaints is that Tor runs slow. Why is this happening? When we use the surface Internet on a regular basis, client and server connect in the most direct way possible, which means greater speed in the exchange of data. Now, this occurs when the exchange is direct and without encryption , so a simple SSL / TLS layer already minimally reduces the exchange, by processing the certificate to apply the security layer
In the case of Tor, the distances are extended between client and server , the intermediary nodes, as their name suggests, are located within the data exchange receiving and transmitting information from the input end to the output end, all this with encryption layered for the file, as well as for the instructions to the output node . Therefore, we are no longer depending on the response and speed of the server, but also on the different nodes to the extreme.
Understanding this, it is evident that the slowness is in the nodes. The point is that, by default the nodes are automatically assigned for our exchange route, and this is one of the factors on which security in communications depends, and therefore the fact of remaining anonymous during navigation.
Malware
You may find a lot of malware on the Deep Web or the Dark Web. Even if you use a VPN, which is the most recommended, you may see continuous advertisements or register in sections that are full of viruses. There are file downloads with less control than on the pages you visit regularly, but just be careful not to download everything you see.
Ads and content not suitable for sensitive
One of the common problems in the Dark Web is that it is not suitable for the sensitive : you can browse and find all kinds of ads and videos that the most delicate cannot like. Videos of explicit sex, advertisements for weapons, drugs, racist content… You will find all this and you may not like to “cross it ” when you are browsing the Internet. Although much of what you see are false images, you should keep it in mind.
Fake pages and scams
Sales of all kinds… and scams. They can take advantage of your ignorance to make you fall for fake purchases, scams, fake pages. Take care of your personal data, never enter confidential or personal information or provide any type of banking information on the Dark Web or the Deep Web. The most recommended thing is that you do not use your usual email or any type of information that could compromise you. They are general advice on the Internet but that you should take even more into account when browsing this part of the network.
Always use a VPN , free or paid, to access. One less VPN allows you to change the IP address, unblock pages or bypass geographic filters or achieve greater security in everything we send using it.
Be careful where you access from
In Spain it is not illegal to access the Deep Web or the Dark Web but it can be in some countries so this can become a problem that you should take into account if you do not want to get into trouble.
