However, the dark web doesn’t only contain illicit material. There are other sites, such as a social network or even underground gaming clubs. A key difference between the conventional web, or the “surface web,” and the dark web, is that the latter can only be accessed by a special browser: Tor. In this article, we’ll talk about how to get on the dark web safely. But, before we get started, it’s important to explain what the dark web is.
What Is The Dark Web?
The dark web is all the web content that is hidden and not readily accessible, including all the sites on the darknets. These are special networks that are part of the internet but cannot be accessed with a conventional browser. While it was first created to facilitate military communication, the dark web has since been largely democratized and is now used by anyone who wants to remain anonymous. It’s proved really useful for journalists and whistleblowers, for instance. It’s a great place to exchange data without endangering the safety of informants. It’s also a safe haven for free speech advocates and privacy-minded individuals. But unfortunately, the dark web is also home to a lot of illegal activities. There are marketplaces on the dark web where one could buy all sorts of illicit items, ranging from firearms to narcotics to stolen credit cards. The dark web has also been used for human trafficking, for hiring professional gunmen, and for even purchasing hacked accounts or software that can be used to break into someone’s bank account, for instance.
Is the Dark Web Illegal?
The dark web by itself is perfectly legal. It’s actually just a section of the internet that you can’t access using Chrome or any other browser. Using the Tor browser, which is how you’ll usually visit the dark web, is also legal in most countries. Only a few countries, like Russia, China, or Turkmenistan, have blocked the Tor network. These countries also tend to have more far-reaching internet restrictions. Examples include China, Russia, Belarus, Turkey, and North Korea. As is obvious, if you engage in illicit or illegal activity on the dark web, then those acts will be considered illegal and could land you in legal trouble.
How to Get On The Dark Web
We can show you how to get on the dark web, but it’s important you stay safe all throughout. The dark web is more dangerous than the surface web, or the clear web, whatever you prefer to call it. So after you read our guide, make sure you stick around for an in-depth dive into the risks of the dark web, and safety steps that you can take. Here are the steps you must take: Safety is of the utmost importance on the dark web. Here are some risks of accessing the dark web without taking proper safety measures.
The Risks of Accessing the Dark Web
The dark web is a complex place where a lot can go wrong when you’re not taking protective measures. It is full of scammers, malware, and phishing websites and it’s vitally important that you hide your identity. First, let’s go over the most common cyber threats you’ll face on the dark web.
Scams and phishing attempts
The dark web is full of phishing sites, and there are many scams abound. Cybercriminals might try to steal your data, send you to fake websites, or hack your crucial accounts. That’s why the dark web has a relatively poor reputation. On top of that, fraud is very common on the dark web, perhaps even more than on the regular internet. That’s because there’s no buyer’s protection when you pay for something anonymously with cryptocurrency. Many people end up falling for scams or phishing attempts on the dark web, especially if they’re partaking in some illegal or illicit activity.
Botnets
Botnets are networks of computers infected with malware that let one person control them. They’re often used to spread viruses, facilitate DDoS attacks, or phish for private information through mass targeting. Botnets aren’t limited to the dark web. In fact, a lot of the computers in your average botnet haven’t ever been used to access the dark web. But the dark web is where most botnet hackers will sell the data they mined or even access to an entire botnet.
Illegal and disturbing content
You can go to the dark web for nothing more than a simple torrent tracker. In that case, as long as the content you download is not copyright-protected, there are no risks to using the dark web. Unfortunately, the dark web is home to a lot of harmful and gruesome content. From the infamous “red rooms” (which may or may not be a myth) to the very real and unsettling reality of illegal porn, the dark web hosts a lot of horrifying content. And a staggering majority of .onion traffic goes to these sites.
Problems with the law
If you don’t engage in any illegal activities while on the dark web, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have any problems with the law in your country, provided that using Tor is legal in your country. People use it every day to communicate anonymously. However, doing anything that’s outside the scope of the law can land you in troubled waters. Even if you take precautions like using a VPN to hide your IP address, or paying with untraceable cryptocurrency. Government agencies can track you down by other methods. And regardless of the consequences, we firmly advise you to never engage in illegal or dangerous activities. If you’re going to access the dark web, it’s important that you do so safely.
9 Tips to Access the Dark Web Safely
By now, you know how to get on the dark web. But, it’s important to stay safe. Here are 9 tips to access the dark web safely.
1. Use a VPN to encrypt your internet traffic
Even if you use the Tor browser, your traffic can still be traced back to you by anyone with sufficient time, resources, and know-how, especially in case of an IP leak. So to improve your safety, you should absolutely get a VPN to use alongside Tor. VPNs encrypt your web traffic and hide your IP address and add a layer of protection. Unfortunately, not every VPN provider is equally reliable. Free versions often suffer from slow service, data limits, and security leaks. To stay safe on the dark web, get a premium VPN service like NordVPN.
2. Download Tor from its official website
Mac, Linux, or Android users should be careful when downloading the Tor browser, because it’s a prime target for hackers. Fake versions of the Tor browser have been created to either breach users before they even access the dark web or monitor the behavior of a user while on the dark web. So always download the Tor browser from its official website: https://www.torproject.org/. Make sure you download the latest version, and always keep it up to date.
3. Secure your computer before accessing the dark web
Before you open the Tor browser, you should:
Close all non-essential apps on your machine, like Netflix, Spotify, browsers, or any other app that’s connected to the web. Cover your webcam with a piece of paper. This might seem unnecessary, but remember that webcams are surprisingly easy to hack. Install a reliable and fully updated antivirus program. We recommend Norton. Turn off your location on your device. Your location can be found through your IP address as well as your device itself. In Windows 10 and 11, you can turn off your location from Settings > Privacy > Location > Turn off location + erase location history For macOS: System Preferences > Security & Privacy panel > Privacy > uncheck “Enable location Services”
4. Change Tor’s security settings
You can change Tor’s level of security to ‘Safer’ or ‘Safest’. Naturally, the highest setting is the safest. Unfortunately, this setting significantly slows down your internet connection and causes some websites to load wrong. The highest security setting will disable most video and audio formats, some fonts, and even icons. JavaScript is disabled, and some images may not display properly. If you’re willing to sacrifice that for your safety, here’s what you need to do: The “Safer” option only disables JavaScript on websites that aren’t HTTPS protected. “Safest” disables JavaScript on all websites. You can also manually turn off scripts in Tor, without changing Tor’s general security level. Here’s how to do it: It is important to change these settings because websites often run scripts without notifying you. But you won’t need to do this if you already enabled the safety settings on Tor, as the scripts are already turned off. Tor also has other security settings that you might want to consider, like:
The option to clear all of your cookies. The option to clear your browsing history. A setting that warns you about potentially deceptive content,
If you visit the dark web, I highly recommend you enable this setting and clear your cookies and history regularly.
5. Be wary of how you share your data on the dark web
Hackers can steal your data without a hoodie, dark rooms, and green lines of code splashed on the computer screen. It’s enough to share your details by mistake, click on the wrong link, or sign-up with your regular name. So here are a few tips to limit data sharing on the dark web:
Don’t share your credentials with anyone, no matter what they say. Don’t click on links unless you know exactly where they’ll take you. Only access sites from trustworthy indexes, like The Hidden Wiki. Don’t change Tor’s screen size. If you do, there’s a chance you’ll have a unique viewport size, making you easy to identify. Don’t type straight into the Tor browser. Believe it or not, typing patterns can be used to identify you. So write your queries out in a Notes app, then copy and paste them into Tor. Analyze your browser’s identity with Cover Your Tracks.
6. Use safety and privacy-enhancing apps
All the care in the world will never replace a strong security suite. So make sure you use the best safety and privacy apps, including:
A private search engine, like DuckDuckGo. While most search engines won’t work on the dark web, DuckDuckGo does. Unlike most other search engines, DuckDuckGo also shows websites that end in “.onion”. The onion address for DuckDuckGo is: https://3g2upl4pq6kufc4m.onion/ A password manager to secure all of your accounts, on and off the dark web. Anonymous file-sharing apps like OnionShare. A secure messaging app like Signal or TorChat. An anonymous email address host like ProtonMail.
7. Use cryptocurrency to pay for stuff
There are tons of dark web commerce sites where you can buy all kinds of legal or illegal goods. The most infamous example was “The Silk Road”, but it was taken down by US law enforcement agencies. Still, dozens pop up every year. We advise you don’t purchase anything that’s illegal in your country. But if you want to buy legal items, pay with cryptocurrency when visiting dark web sites. It’s the only way to stay anonymous. Bitcoin is the most well-known cryptocurrency, but it’s not the safest. Bitcoin has a number of privacy issues (address reuse, connected nodes, tracking cookies, and blockchain analytics) that make it possible to link someone’s personal data to a Bitcoin transaction. Even though it’s quite hard to figure out someone’s identity through Bitcoin, you should use a privacy-focused coin like Monero.
8. Close everything when you are done
When you’re done accessing the dark web, make sure you close:
All of your browser windows and any other related content The Tor dark web browser Tails or any other operating system used to access the dark web
If you want to be completely safe, you should also clear browsing cookies and history, then do a complete reboot of your system. This ensures you won’t be tracked by any scripts or cookies you might’ve enabled in your browsing. It may take a while, but it’s an important step.
9. (Optional) Use a mobile live OS
The more anonymous you are on the dark web, the better. That’s why you might want to use a mobile live OS for this. Operating systems like Windows 10 are not very well suited for privacy, because:
Your data is continually synced: browser history, open websites, app settings, and Wi-Fi hotspots are all tracked. Your device is automatically linked to a unique advertising ID for third parties. Cortana collects data such as your keystrokes, search results, microphone audio messages, calendar information, music playlists, and even your online purchases. Microsoft can collect all sorts of personal data: your identity, your passwords, habits and interests, user data, contacts, and locations.
If a hacker manages to get into your system via the dark web, all of this information is in danger. Mobile operating systems like Tails, Whonix, ZeusGuard, and Qubes OS are all much safer and private. But they’re very difficult to install. So I don’t recommend you do this if you just want to visit the dark web once or twice. If you’re serious about this though, then definitely look into mobile live OS.
Dark Web vs. Deep Web: Key Differences
The deep web refers to all the web content that is not indexed by search engines. Most of the content on the internet is, in fact, part of the deep web. It includes things like your email inbox, company databases, member-only areas, and anything you won’t find on Google. The dark web is a very small part of the deep web. More specifically, it’s a series of networks that can only be accessed with specialized software. This software encrypts your data before you access anything, and routes it through multiple random points. This makes it anonymous (to some degree), and the perfect spot for anyone on the internet that wants privacy. Like the deep web, it’s not accessible by normal search engines, so you’ll need to do some digging for the dark web websites you want to visit. Here’s an overview of all the “webs” people refer to: Both the deep and dark web are hidden from popular search engines. Dark web content can be accessed with the help of specific web pages, like the Hidden Wiki. But deep web content is only accessible with the right credentials.
Tor Over VPN vs. VPN Over Tor: What You Need to Know
The specialized tool people generally use to access the dark web is the Tor browser. It’s a special app that can encrypt and decrypt traffic to access dark web websites. And it’s a way of hiding your identity online. But it’s not identical to using a VPN – the two apps have different security protocols and encryption methods. And that’s why there are two ways to use them together:
Tor over VPN – when you first connect to a VPN, then open the Tor network. VPN over Tor – when you open Tor, and then connect to a VPN.
But it’s simple to choose. If you want to access the dark web, you need to do Tor over VPN. It won’t be as secure, but it will give you access to onion sites. If you just want the best anonymity, but you’re visiting the surface or deep web, then VPN over Tor is the way to go.
What Will You Find on the Dark Web?
Like the regular internet, the dark web is home to all types of sites. If you don’t venture far, you’ll find normal things like forums, chat rooms, or torrent websites. To a lot of people, the dark web is just like the surface web – a place where they go to watch funny videos, chat with like-minded people and read up on the news. Thanks to its high-level encryption though, the dark web also features a lot of sites you won’t find on the surface web. Let’s first talk about the good stuff. The dark web is a place where a lot of journalists go to exchange information anonymously. Sites like ProPublica and Secure Drop are fundamental to investigative journalism. Unfortunately, the dark web’s criminal underbelly is very real. You can find black markets where people advertise drugs, guns, stolen IDs, and more. There is also an abundance of disturbing content like snuff films or illegal pornography. So you should always tread with care on the dark web. Some of the illicit stuff you can find on the dark web includes:
HIPAA sensitive information, such as medical records Stolen credit card numbers Stolen financial account details Sensitive legal documentation Malware, botnets, Trojans, keyloggers, and other harmful exploits Services like corporate espionage or DDoS targeting
Conclusion: How to Get on the Dark Web Safely
Our guide on how to get on the dark web is not the best solution for everyone. If you want to do an Edward Snowden-level leak, you might want to take some extra measures to protect yourself. But if you’re just curious and want to see what happens on the dark web, we hope this article shed some light on how to access it safely. For more guides and tips about the dark web, read our other pieces as well:
Dark web: facts vs. myths The best dark web documentaries How to stay safe on dark web marketplaces
