For those intrigued, the “Dark Web” is a part of the internet that cannot be located via a simple search engine. It is known mostly as an indexer for criminal or illegal activity.

 

On the Dark Web, information such as: credit card numbers, email and individuals personal information, login credentials for various services and subscriptions, as well as software that can be used for malicious intent, also reside here. That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Illegal items such as guns, drugs, counterfeit money and for hire services can also be found, if looked for.

 

To access the Dark Web, you would need to use an anonymizing browser called Tor. This browser routes your web page requests through several proxy servers, allowing for your IP address to become untraceable. Once accessed, the dark web itself is vast, while also unreliable and very slow.

 

Once accessed, Dark web sites display like regular websites though they are indexed differently than those you would find on the regular internet. These sites usually use often jumbled URLs that are hard to remember to keep their anonymity (a fake example: sjrejfjhfd323dsda.onion). Many of these sites are usually set up by scammers, who constantly move around and change their domains. Once they’ve reached what they consider profitability from their illegal sales, they usually disappear, making it hard for victims or purchasers to get in contact with them. Lots of times, these purchases are made via bitcoin.

 

So, is the Dark Web illegal? Here’s the thing, while there is plenty of illegal or unsavory activity to be found on the Dark Web, it also serves the purpose of helping people communicate in environments that are hostile to free speech or in countries where there’s censorship. It can also be said that there are legitimate reasons to search or use the dark web. Of late, it has become a safe haven for journalists, whistleblowers, activists and journalists. Law enforcement also use it to monitor terrorist groups as well as allowing them to keep tabs on cyber-criminals. The take away from this, not illegal but dangerous, especially if being used by a novice with limited knowledge of its capabilities.

 

We do advise against searching for or seeking out the Dark Web, though we have had clients try to access it for fear that their personal information might be found on it. For this, we now offer a “Dark Web Search”. This service takes the guesswork, as well as risk out of searching it yourself. We search for information you would deem sensitive and provide a report of our findings. For more information on this service, please contact us.

For more tips or for any questions you may have, please feel free to contact us at CEO Computers at 818-501-2281 or at info@ceocomputers.com.

 

 Tech Tip Tuesday is a weekly column that focuses on customer based questions that are frequently asked or of interest. If you have a question that you would like to be featured, send us an email to: info@ceocomputers.com*