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And while plenty of cybercrime does take place, the dark web is used legally as well. The dark web is an area of the internet where you can find unsavory information. The “dark web” is the internet behind paywalls, password protection, and non-persistent URLs. Most of us use some part of this web on a daily basis without realizing it, such as Facebook private messages, email, and various other common internet activities. Because it is so vast, it is difficult to quantify its size. In fact, the recommended way is to use the Onion Browser on your iOS device (iPhone/iPad).
Deep web refers to any website that isn’t indexed by a search engine like Google. Most of these websites have content you have to pay for. Screenshot credit — Apple app storeA Tor browser is essentially just a modified version of Firefox that you can use to hide your IP address. A Virtual Private Network or VPN is the easiest way to keep your personal information secure on the internet.
How to access the dark web
Another vital precaution is to ensure that your .onion URLs are correct. Onion URLs generally contain a string of seemingly random letters and numbers. Once you are certain that you have the correct URL, save it in an encrypted note—the Tor browser will not cache it for later.
You don’t have to pay a dime to get it or use it. You may wish to use a VPN and your current browser’s private/incognito mode to mask your Tor Browser download. The deep web is 500 times larger than the surface web yet only accounts for 4% of the entire internet. If you’ve always used browsers like Chrome or Firefox, you’ve only seen a small percentage of the internet.
Select the highest security level offered by the browser
Based on Firefox, Tor Browser lets you surf both the clear web and dark web. All your traffic is automatically routed through the Tor Network. Make sure to download the Tor Browser only from the official website, as not to risk downloading malware, spyware, or some other virus to your device.
Just remember to consider the legality of accessing the dark web depends on where you live, and take proper precautions before getting on the dark web. While the above tip is accurate, there is an exception to that rule. In countries where Tor access is heavily restricted or even illegal, you can use a Tor bridge connection to access the dark web.
Dark Web Hitman
The Tor network was created by the US military in the 1990s so that spies could secretly communicate over the internet. That effort was never fully realized, but the US military published the code under a free license in 2004. The big downside is that your ISP will know you are using Tor, which is cause for concern in some places and will put many people off using this method. In this instance, too, it is important to use a logless VPN and pay with Bitcoin if you can to stay anonymous.
- It’s the same for pages that aren’t accessible by clicking on a specific URL.
- You could consider the clear or surface web the “top” and visible layer of the internet, easily accessible using a browser such as Safari, Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.
- A common query among online users is how to access the dark web.
- We highly recommend employing another layer of security via a VPN.
- Lack of regulation by authorities or other users makes it easy for cybercriminals to carry out scams.
As I said, you can access the dark web only through a specialized browser. On iPhone, you’ll need to download Onion Browser which is a browser like Tor but for iOS. It corresponds to those hidden sites that are only reachable through a specialized browser like Tor.
The main distinction is more about the entry and exit points you use to get into the Tor network. If you plan on visiting .onion sites, you still need a Tor exit point and not a VPN at the other end of your connection, for example. I imagine double VPN + Tor would be very, very slow. I’d recommend using a pre-built Darknet Box or Darknet Key for maximum security when accessing the darknet. That way there’s no risk by using your own pc/laptop.
