WHAT IS DARK WEB?

What's Hiding In The Dark Web?

When you look at the sky, what do you see? A blazing sun, a band of clouds, an occasional airplane. It doesn't look like much, but you know there's more than meets the eye. Beyond your infinitesimal view of the universe are entire galaxies that stretch further than you could ever imagine.

And that's why our colossal universe is a fitting metaphor for the World Wide Web. Both are constantly expanding and changing — and completely misunderstood. No matter how much probing we do, we'll never fully grasp what's out there.

So, before we explore those outer reaches of cyberspace, let's start at ground zero: the origin of the internet.

A Brief History Of The World Wide Web

Before the internet, there was the ARPANET, a computer network used by the US government to share sensitive data in the 1970s. About a decade later, the ARPANET's limited networks gave way to a single, worldwide network we call the internet.

However, the internet as we know it didn't materialize until 1991. That's when an English programmer introduced the World Wide Web as a place to store information, not just send and receive it. Gone were the days of only using the internet to send emails or post articles in forums. Now users could create and find web pages for just about anything.

As the World Wide Web grew in popularity, users faced a new problem: learning to navigate it. Along came Google (and its predecessors) to give users a starting point for their web search. With the help of search engines, users could finally explore cyberspace without getting completely lost.

Why Google Won't Find Everything

Today's biggest search engines are much more adept than they were 20 years ago. They can predict your search, interpret multi-word inquiries, and serve trillions of (yes, we said trillions) of webpages.

However, despite Google's web prowess, it and other search engines have a very limited view of what's out there. (Some researchers say that search engines only show about 1% of what’s actually available online!)

Search engines work by "crawling" links on a website. If a site owner doesn't want a page on their site to be found, it won't include a direct link to that page. If a web page has no link, it can't be crawled or indexed in Google's massive search library. The page won't appear as a result on a search engine.

The Surface Web

Because search engines skim the surface of what's available online, the websites they show on their results pages are part of what's called the Surface Web. Using Google is like scanning the horizon with your naked eye. Sure, there's a lot to take in, but you're only seeing a tiny bit of what's happening in the world.

The Deep Web

When you find web pages that a typical search engine can't access, you're using the Deep Web. We know the Deep Websounds intimidating, but believe it or not, you use it every day. When you search for a place on Airbnb, or compare plane flights on Expedia, you're using the Deep Web. When you log in to your email account, online bank account, or Amazon account, you're using the Deep Web.

Anytime you log in to an account, or search for information directly on a web page, you're getting access to Deep Web content that won't show up on a search engine. And that's a good thing. If someone Googled your name, you wouldn't want your banking information or Amazon wish list showing up in results. That information is meant to be private, so those sensitive web pages aren't crawled by search engines.

Using the Deep Web is like looking at the world from an airplane. At such high elevations, you'll have a much broader vantage point than your friends on Earth.

How To Access The Deep Web

It's easy. Just go to TruthFinder, type in someone's name, and press enter. The results that show up come from TruthFinder's database of Deep Web sources.

Google will redirect you to public records search engines like TruthFinder, but it won't show you specific public records related to the name you're searching. Those records are held by local, state, and federal databases that Google can't show in search results. To get to that database of public records, you have to actually search a third-party provider, like TruthFinder.

Here's another example of the difference between Surface and Deep Web content: Before I published this blog post, I saved it as a draft on WordPress. The article existed as a web page on WordPress, but you weren't able to find it. Technically, that draft was part of the Deep Web. Once I posted this piece to Infomania, Google could crawl the page link I published. Since the piece now pulls up in search results, it's considered Surface Web content.

The Dark Web

The Dark Web still falls under the Deep Web umbrella; it's just a much, much smaller portion of the Deep Web. The Dark Web, or "Darknet," uses masked IP address to intentionally hide web pages from search engines, web page search forms, and even standard web browsers. In fact, according to Andy Greenberg at Wired, the Dark Web accounts for less than .01% of the Deep Web.

The Deep Web is the part of cyberspace that only a small proportion of internet users will ever access. If the typical internet browser has a view from the ground or an airplane, the Deep Web user has a view from space. They're the astronauts of the internet, the ones with the most expansive vantage point to the internet universe.

How To Access The Dark Web

Dark Web sites are so bent on anonymity, they require a special web browser to access them.

The majority of Dark Web sites in America use the TOR Network (short for The Onion Router). A TOR network is a collection of "volunteer" computer networks that send users' encrypted traffic to multiple servers before pulling up content. That way, a user's browsing session is so jumbled up, their identity and location is almost untraceable.

The Good, Bad, And Downright Ugly Of The Dark Web

Because the TOR network allows users to browse anonymously, it's used by secret service agents, law enforcement, activists, researchers, whistleblowers, and users who are banned from Internet access.

WikiLeaks is a notorious Dark Web site that allows whistleblowers to anonymously upload classified information to the press. While the legality of leaking classified information is a hot topic in the US, no formal charges have been made against WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange. (He does, however, have an arrest warrant for allegations of rape and molestation against two women in 2010.)

Even Facebook has a Dark Web site. Last October, the social media giant launched a Tor hidden service so users could avoid surveillance or censorship.
Anonymity, however, has a dark side. The TOR network can also be used to hide the identities of users involved in criminal activity.

Here are the types of illegal operations you could find on the TOR network:

Sale of unlicensed firearms
Child pornography
Sale of malware, pirated software, and hacking guides
Sale of illegal drugs
Identity hacks and sale of stolen credit card information and user accounts
Sale of forged documents and currency
Hiring hit men
Gambling
Money laundering
Insider trading

The Silk Road is the best-known source of nefarious activity on the Dark Web. Known as the "Amazon of drugs," the site sold high-grade, illegal drugs — that is, until it got shut down by the FBI. Evolution, Agora Marketplace, and Nucleus Marketplace are three additional examples of popular black market sites.

Get The Best View With A Deep Web Search

Now that we've covered all of cyberspace, here's a short recap of the depths you can go online:

The Surface Web: Web pages that show up on search engine results. If you can find it on a Google search, it's typically part part of the Surface Web.

The Deep Web: All content that a search engine can't access. Deep Web pages include information protected by a login, a website database, or a page that doesn't have a link.

The Dark Web: A small, anonymous niche of the Deep Web that's intentionally hidden from search engines. It requires a special web browser for users to access it.

Next time you do a Google search, keep in mind that you're seeing a very limited version of what's available in cyberspace. Sure, you'll be glad you can't see it all. But if you want the best view of what's out there, you need access to databases that Google can't show.

Start searching the Deep Web today with a TruthFinder membership. You'll be able to uncover details about almost anyone (including yourself) pulled directly from public records, including property ownership, social media profiles, location history, and even criminal records.

You can also use TruthFinder to keep tabs on your personal information with Dark Web Monitoring. Data breaches are becoming more and more common in the digital age, and your sensitive information will sell to the highest bidder on the Dark Web.That means your credit card info, medical ID numbers, and even Social Security numbers are all vulnerable — but with Dark Web Monitoring, you'll find out instantly if your data is compromised. Then, you can take action to protect yourself before your identity falls into the wrong hands.

Comments

SOME FACTS ABOUT OXYGEN! SHORT ESSAY

Did You Know? Oxygen is the most common element in the Earth's crust. The rigid, top layer of the Earth is called the lithosphere. It consists of the Earth's crust and the top-most part of the mantle. Most geological activities that affect the Earth take place on the lithosphere. It is the most rigid of all of Earth's layers. The lithosphere consists of oceanic and continental lithospheres. Oceanic lithosphere consists of Oceanic crust which forms the floors of seas and oceans while continental lithosphere consists of continental crust made of land masses. The Earth's crust is important as it supports human and plant life and contains elements and such as aluminum which facilitate technological development. The most abundant elements in the Earth's crust are presented below: Oxygen - 46.6% Oxygen is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust. Oxygen makes up 467,100 ppm (parts per million) of the Earth's crust, or 46.6%. It exists as a major compound of ...

Sneezing with Open Eyes

Did You Know? It's extremely hard to sneeze with your eyes open. Although you can focus to keep your eyes open when sneezing, your body's blinking response is likely there to protect itself from germs. The changing weather brings about many things: holiday excitement, a different wardrobe and -- perhaps most annoyingly -- cold and flu season. Those around you have likely been sneezing more frequently, which may have prompted you to ponder, perhaps while applying mascara or driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic, if it is possible to sneeze with your eyes open. David Huston, MD, associate dean of the Texas A&M College of Medicine Houston campus and an allergist at Houston Methodist Hospital, said it is "absolutely possible" to sneeze without closing the eyes, but most people tend to automatically close their eyes when sneezing. It is an autonomic reflex, which is an unconscious motor action in response to a stimulus: in this case, sneezing. "The fact that it ...

ÀLL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONA VIRUS

Please see the image below All details are provided below in image Wuhan Virus Mains-GS2-Social Justice 1. Chinese scientists have confirmed that the mysterious coronavirus had killed at least six individuals. 2. Coronavirus is a type of virus named after its spiky, solar corona-like appearance under an electron microscope. 3. There is a possibility of a public health crisis in the peak travel season as the virus is transmitted through human-to-human interaction. About the virus 1. The first cases emerged in Wuhan and have remained the epicentre of the outbreak. 2. The virus has also been reported from South Korea, Hongkong, and nearby regions. 3. The virus is known also as ‘2019-nCoV’ is a new strain of coronavirus that has not previously been identified in humans. 4. Animals are likely regarded as a primary source. Novel CoV 1. Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that are common among animals. 2. They are zoonotic in nature in rare cases. It means they can be transmitted from...

Article: Apple Watch Users Can Now Monitor How Bodies React To Coronavirus

Apple Watch has been lauded by most to be the best smartwatch out there. This is not only because of how well it works but also because of the sheer health and wellness features it brings to the table. Now, Cardiogram - a heart health application for Apple Watch - is introducing a new feature that will give users more information on how their body is responding to a COVID-19/flu. The new feature called Sleeping BPM revolves around how our body reacts while we're fighting an infection like COVID-19."Cardiogram's new Sleeping BPM feature can help users become more aware of how their body is responding to symptoms of the flu or other illnesses including COVID-19," said Johnson Hsieh, Cardiogram's co-founder to Apple Insider . He further went on to explain how this feature works. When we're sick, cells in our immune system release small proteins called histamines which cause inflammation and expansion of blood cells. This process sends signals to our brain to in...

Cat Breeds

Did You Know? There are more than 40 cat breeds. The two largest organizations are the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), which operates mostly in North America, and its European counterpart, Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe). CFA recognizes 45 cat breeds at present. The newest additions are the Khao Manee and Lykoi. Both allowed to compete in cat shows starting in 2018. FIFe recognizes 51 cat breeds. These differing numbers do not mean that FIFe recognizes five more breeds than CFA does. There are quite a few breeds that are unique to each organization; for example, the German Rex is one that FIFe acknowledges, while only the CFA recognizes the Ragamuffin. In general, Europeans seem to be more open to recognizing short- and long-haired versions as different breeds, such as long- and short-haired American curls and Selkirk Rexes, while the CFA says that these are two versions of the same breed. The total number of distinct breeds recognized by either or both the CFA and FIFe is 64. ...

Brain Connections

Did You Know? New brain connections are created every time you form a memory. People often compare the brain to a computer, but the brain doesn't have USB slots that allow you to pick up new information by jamming a flash drive in your ear. That would be convenient, if a little painful. So where do we get all this information sloshing around in our skulls? You might imagine human memory is a bit like a Santa's sack filled with life events, song lyrics and the first half of jokes. But in truth, "memory" is not one single solid thing. It is a term covering lots of types of recollections that are surprisingly distinct, and used constantly in different combinations by a typical human.

LIMIT OF RUNNING! IS HUMAN BETTER THAN OTHER ANIMALS?

Did You Know? Humans can outrun almost every animal on earth over long distances. When it comes to long distances, humans can outrun almost any animal. Because we cool by sweating rather than panting, we can stay cool at speeds and distances that would overheat other animals. On a hot day, a human could even outrun a horse in a 26.2-mile marathon.

Men vs Women Running | amazing facts

Did You Know? Because men's hearts are 20 - 25% larger than women's, especially the left ventricle, men can run longer and more easily than women. Men's hearts are 20-25% larger than women's, particularly in the left ventricle. This increases the ability to pump oxygenated blood around the body to be used in the muscles, making it easier for males to run faster for longer. The primary male hormone is testosterone, which stimulates muscle mass development. The female primary hormone is estrogen, which stimulates fat accumulation. Testosterone also increases the concentration of red blood cells, and hemoglobin, both critical for transporting oxygen around the body. This means that on average male blood can carry around 11% more oxygen than female blood to increase efficiency to run faster.

HORSE CAN SLEEP WHILE STANDING!

Horses first lived in the wild where their flight-or-fight instinct became very strong. As a result, sleeping standing up enabled the horse to flee quickly when danger was sensed. Lying down to sleep significantly reduced the horse's ability to run away fast. Do horses ever lie down and sleep? Yes! In fact, many horses prefer to sleep lying down than standing up simply because it is much more comfortable. It is not uncommon to see a herd of horses, many of them lying down, but with at least one standing up. The standing horse is keeping watch over the others, keeping eye on any potential predators or other signs of danger. HORSE When a horse is sleeping while standing they are not in a deep sleep, but are in a lighter sleep or snoozing. However, like humans, horses do need to have REM or rapid eye movement sleep that occurs during deep sleep. Also like humans, horses engage in slow-wave sleep (also known as SWS). To do this, the horse must lie down, not just with its legs tucked un...

Tree Hugging in China

Did You Know? Tree hugging is forbidden in China. Tree hugging is forbidden in china. In China, you can get into trouble for hugging trees. After the mass tree hugging outside China's imperial garden, Zhongnanhai, a few years ago, the Chinese government concluded that the tree huggers were a dangerous cult and a threat to national unity.

KNOWLEDGE TO GAIN

Search This Blog