Chief Editor In our previous work and posts, when we discuss cyberattacks and related attacks, one word keeps coming up, and we have never discussed it in detail or explained what it is. We avoided explaining it in shorter versions because we wanted to discuss the topic in detail, which is a key source of leaked data. This leaked data plays a key role in cybersecurity and cyberattack networks.
As the heading says, the word is the dark web. It is one of the most controversial topics on the internet.
In this article, we will discuss the dark web in depth, how it emerged, how to access the dark web, what tools you need to access the dark web, and how it plays a key role in data leaks, cybersecurity, ransomware, and more.
Start and rise of the dark web:
Everyone who knows the dark web today sees it as a criminal platform for underground activities, but they don’t know who started it or why.
In the mid-1990s, a US naval research laboratory wanted to create highly encrypted communication software for its spy activities. But encrypted communication still shows who sends the data and where it is being transferred. So, they solved this by creating onion routing, a multiple-relay traffic system, each wrapped in a layer of encryption so no one can find the origin or the destination. It is called onion routing because if you keep searching for the origin and destination, you can never find them, and it can be related to onion peeling.
If only the naval uses this tool, one can identify the communication and the traffic that who is using it. There is no point in being anonymous. So they opened it to the public and open-sourced it in 2004.
This led to the non-profit organization “The Tor Project”. We will discuss the Tor Project in more detail below.
The dark web was initially considered a boon for journalists, whistleblowers, activists, undercover government operations, and people who love anonymity and don’t want to be tracked.
But later on, this technology was adopted by criminals.
This led to the rise of the first illegal market on the dark web, called Silk Road.
Note that after the rise and fall of the Silk Road, the dark web became famous among the common people. But people still do not know much about the dark web.
Most people know it for criminal activity, but the real reason it was built was different.
What is the dark web, and how to access the dark web?
Now we understand the very basics of the dark web about when and why the dark web was built(although it was never named the dark web, we can still call it that as per today’s understanding)
Now we’ll look at what the dark web is and how to access it.
The dark web is the hidden part of the internet that no one learns about in school or college.
People often learn about the dark web only after they accidentally discover it.
Your daily internet activities, like using a search engine such as Google, Bing, or other websites, are part of the surface web. You can access these websites without any specific tools.
While there is a myth that the dark web contains most of the internet’s data, it is wrong.
The deep web is bigger than the surface web; it includes everything search engines don’t index. This includes your email inbox, medical records, and corporate databases.
You can access the dark web only through the Tor browser. This is because all the websites on the dark web have a unique extension “.onion.” These websites will not work in regular browsers.
Say, for example, “thecuriouslabkjhakjdkjbdhsvbfkhdsfvbkhdsvfhdbf.onion.” This is an example domain to illustrate an onion domain/website, and it is not a real domain.
So, the first tool you need is a Tor Browser. You can download it at https://www.torproject.org/
The Tor Browser is available for almost all operating systems, and it is safe and secure to use.
Once you install the Tor Browser, you can access any known dark web website if you have the link. We will provide some existing dark web links below for your reference, you can access them and get to know what the hidden part of the internet contains.
Although the Tor Browser only loads onion websites, it does not host or provide search engine services for dark web websites. It is just a browser, like Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc.
DuckDuckGo is the default search engine in the Tor Browser. Unlike other browsers, DuckDuckGo does not track your activities and sell them. It doesnot store your data, nor does it use it. As mentioned earlier, some people use the Tor Browser to stay anonymous and avoid tracking.
So, now you have the Tor Browser and the internet to access the dark web.
What to consider before visiting a dark web website?
If you have a link to a dark web-hosted website, consider the following before entering it.
No organization controls these illegally hosted websites. They don’t work on ethics.
Using Tor and visiting .onion websites is legal in almost all countries, except China, Iran, and Russia.
Always think and decide. Ethics and morality come into play.
Think about why you are going unless it is for legitimate uses like using SecureDrop to contact journalists, visiting BBC mirror and Wikipedia mirrors, privacy forums, or academic research.
People are curious, no matter what, and no matter how many lessons they learn, some people still want to see what is happening on the dark web and its illegally hosted websites and markets.
Before you visit these websites, consider the following safety tips.
Safety tips to visit the dark web:
- Only use the official Tor Browser installed from torproject.org, and keep it updated.
- Always turn off JavaScript.
- Never trust anyone on the dark web.
- Do not download or open any files from the forum. That can be dangerous.
- If you have doubts, leave the website.
- Do not buy anything from the dark web.
- Never engage in any illegal activities on the dark web.
- Don’t use any of the usernames or passwords that you use on the surface web.
- Create a new identity, a new email, and a dummy name.
Remember, any activity you do on the dark web can be illegal and can lead to serious consequences from law enforcement.
Do we need a VPN to access the dark web?
Honestly No. A VPN is not required to access the dark web. Tor already encrypts your traffic and sends it through three relay volunteers’ network before it drops.
A VPN can help by hiding from your Internet Service Provider (ISP) that you are connecting to Tor.
Using a VPN adds a secure layer to your internet usage. One can use it or not depends on the user’s needs.
We will not promote any VPN networks in this post, but we do recommend using a premium VPN if you take anonymity seriously.
Using a VPN over TOR is a personal option, but we do recommend that users use any VPN to hide your IP.
Connection between the Silk Road and the rise of the dark web?
We consider that the Silk Road played a major role in the rise of the dark web. It may be a reason for the popularity of the word.
Silk Road was the first dark web market.
Consider it as a modern e-commerce market, such as eBay.com or Amazon.com or any other e-commerce website that is popular in your country.
It was so popular because one can buy and sell illegal goods without being caught.
It operated transactions with the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, which offered anonymous transactions. This made that no banks were involved in the transaction, which made it hard to trace and monitor the money.
As per Wikipedia, 9,519,664 bitcoin had been handled at the time when the founder was arrested. It is worth about $685 billion dollars worth in today’s Bitcoin price (As we write today, Bitcoin is priced at $75000)
This is one of the biggest seizures in FBI history.
So, after Silk Road, there was a rise in traffic on the dark web.
New illegal markets emerged, but all of them have been caught and shut down.
Even today, there are so many illegal markets operating on the dark web; they will either be caught or make an exit scam.
After its popularity in the news, the dark web had a steady rise in popularity and traffic.
We consider Silk Road to be one of the key reasons that common people today know about the dark web.
Dark web links – Links to the website that work or have hosted their website on the Tor network:
Unlike regular domains, dark web links have a special extension: “.onion”. We have already stated this above.
But to imagine what these websites will be in real time is a question.
So, here we provide a few links to news websites, social media, search engines, CIA, tech, and software to get an idea of what these links look like in real life.
Most probably, you will find these websites look the same as regular clearweb websites. But when accessing them over the Tor network and .onion links, you will not be tracked.
BBC :
Link – https://www.bbcnewsd73hkzno2ini43t4gblxvycyac5aw4gnv7t2rccijh7745uqd.onion/
Link 2 – https://www.bbcweb3hytmzhn5d532owbu6oqadra5z3ar726vq5kgwwn6aucdccrad.onion/
While comparing their website on the clearnet, the website theme is slightly different, and the news on the clearnet website is the same, but there are quite different new posts on the onion website.
Also, you can add a country name at the end of the domain, for example /russia or /europe to read articles or news according to your country and language.
Below is a screenshot of the website.
Hidden wiki:
Link – http://wiki47qqn6tey4id7xeqb6l7uj6jueacxlqtk3adshox3zdohvo35vad.onion/
The Hidden Wiki is a popular dark web-associated term. This is because there was a website named Hidden Wiki that served as a directory of dark web links. Above is a mirror of something like that, but we found an incredible number of links that run as a directory.
Deutsche Welle (DW News):
Link – https://dwnewsgngmhlplxy6o2twtfgjnrnjxbegbwqx6wnotdhkzt562tszfid.onion
DW is a global English-language news agency from Germany.
When compared with the clear web link dw.com, unlike the BBC, the website has the same news across its clear web and onion links.
Below is the screenshot.
Facebook:
Link – https://www.facebookwkhpilnemxj7asaniu7vnjjbiltxjqhye3mhbshg7kx5tfyd.onion/
The Social Media giant Facebook has its very own onion link domain.
We believe that this is the link to Facebook. When we tried loading it, the link didn’t work. We will update if there is a change in the link or if the link works.
DuckDuckGo:
Link – https://duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion/
DuckDuckGo is a popular search engine that is loved by privacy lovers. It doesnot track or store your browsing data, unlike other search engines.
The default search engine in Tor is Duckduckgo.
Reddit:
Link – https://www.reddittorjg6rue252oqsxryoxengawnmo46qy4kyii5wtqnwfj4ooad.onion
Like Facebook, Reddit also provides its service on the onion domain.
It was great using this on the onion address, rather than the application.
Below is the screenshot.
Twitter:
Link – https://twitter3e4tixl4xyajtrzo62zg5vztmjuricljdp2c5kshju4avyoid.onion/
After Twitter was acquired and changed its name to X, the services on the onion domain have been discontinued. The domain no longer works, so don’t try to open it.
CIA:
Link – http://ciadotgov4sjwlzihbbgxnqg3xiyrg7so2r2o3lt5wz5ypk4sxyjstad.onion/index.html
CIA, the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America, has its website hosted on the onion network.
This is because if you live in a country where you cannot communicate directly with the CIA, you can use their link to reach them without the government noticing it.
Tor Project:
Link – http://2gzyxa5ihm7nsggfxnu52rck2vv4rvmdlkiu3zzui5du4xyclen53wid.onion/
This is nothing but a mirror of its clear web domain, torproject.org, with download links and other information.
Qubes OS:
Link – http://www.qubesosfasa4zl44o4tws22di6kepyzfeqv3tg4e3ztknltfxqrymdad.onion/
Qubes is an OS company that hosts its domain on the Tor network.
ProtonMail:
Link – https://protonmailrmez3lotccipshtkleegetolb73fuirgj7r4o4vfu7ozyd.onion/
The famous Proton Mail service has its domain service on Tor. Users can access their email with the above link. This gives privacy, but not sure if Proton screens and encrypts the emails.
How does the dark web play a key role in cybersecurity?
The dark web plays a key role in cybersecurity. It plays a major role in handling stolen data and communicating more safely for hackers and their associated groups.
Most cyberattacks start when an attacker buys stolen data on the dark web. Mostly, these trades happen in a forum on the dark web.
Stolen data serves as a first step in any cyberattack.
Almost all credential theft from larger organizations and corporations ends up on a forum or a marketplace on the dark web.
Hackers do have sophisticated websites designed only for themselves, which are secret and invite-only. These websites are mostly a communication tool for them, where one exchanges stolen data with others as a trade.
Popular hacker groups only communicate on these specially designed websites, which are safe and encrypted.
Only the person who has the link and login details can know what is happening inside the website.
So, as said, these unknown, non-indexed websites and illegal hacking forums all together play a major role in cybersecurity.
Whenever a major attack happens on any organization, the stolen credentials immediately start to show up in any major marketplace or a new marketplace created by the hackers. These data will be listed with a price next to them.
Sometimes, a ransomware group targets and locks an organization and demands ransom; those websites are hosted on Tor.
So, before and after an attack, the dark web is a place for trading services for stolen data. Without the dark web, these trades would be impossible to happen.
Bitcoin and the dark web :
Cryptocurrency is the main trading currency on the dark web.
Silk Road had Bitcoin as its payment method. Because no bank is involved, it can be cashed out easily with an exchange rather than traditional banking methods.
It is a myth that Bitcoin is famous only because of the dark web. It is famous for its very own use case.
Also, there are other stablecoins that are used as trading currency.
People believe Bitcoin was created to make illegal trades.
Bitcoin transactions provide anonymity, but all the transactions are publicly available and can be traced back. It has other use-case scenarios, so learn about it and know the basics of cryptocurrency to avoid any confusion.
Final Thoughts:
We have learned the basics of the dark web and how it is associated with cyberattacks.
These are basics that every cybersecurity expert will know. But for beginners in cybersecurity, this post will give you a basic idea of what the dark web is, what happens around there, and why we consider it to play a key role in cyberattacks.
Always consider privacy as your priority. To be anonymous and protect your identity from ISPs and other trackers, use the Tor Browser.
Safety comes first. Use and browse the internet safely.
We will update the post if we find any interesting facts that we have missed out on discussing about the dark web.
Fredric Sherman 
Chief Editor