The Dark Web has always been a topic of discussion among Internet enthusiasts. It is also home to many myths, general queries, cyber-criminals, all kinds of good and bad that don’t want to be seen, and controversies.
If you are new to the term Dark Web and Deep Web, I would suggest you go through my previous blog on the topic – All About Dark Web and Deep Web before you continue to this blog as this is about How to ACCESS dark web.
Preliminaries about Accessing Dark Web
As mentioned above, Dark Web is a mysterious place for people who haven’t been there. And it is definitely dangerous even for the pros. Dark Web has been here since the year 2000, at least according to the earliest record that could be found.
Is it Illegal to access the Dark Web?
NO, it isn’t illegal to go on the Dark Web. It totally depends upon your purpose of visit. Because Dark Web offers both legal and illegal products and services, it is on the user to understand the difference between both.
Will you be charged if you mistakenly visit an Illegal Website on Dark Web? – NO, you have to make a purchase or sales of an illegal product or service to be a culprit to begin with. Also, because TOR Browser is completely anonymous, you, in fact, can’t be charged based on your browsing history.
Dark Web Browser:
TOR Browser (The Onion Router) is the browser that a person needs in order to access dark web. TOR Browser was initially a project restricted to be used only by the US Army to exchange information without anyone noticing. Later on, it was made open for the general public to use.
We will not be getting into the Working of TOR Browser; it is enough to say that the people who use TOR Browser are anonymous even to the most advanced of the agencies of the world.
However, you can also use TOR browser to access your daily content. A lot of people use TOR as their primary browser for the sake of anonymity and privacy.
You can download TOR Browser here. It is available for both PCs and Mobile Devices and is the only dark web browser available.
Also Read: Dark Mode: How to Use It On Most Operating Systems
Dark Web Sites:
Dark Web Sites aren’t normal too. They don’t end with the normal web extensions like .com and .org. The Dark Web Websites end with “.onion” instead, yes, all of them.
Also, the Dark Web Websites’ URLs aren’t easy to remember too. Dark Web Websites use a rather bizarre and scrambled naming structure for URLs which makes it hard to remember them, in some cases impossible unless you note them down somewhere. For Example, A popular dark web commerce site called Dream Market has the URL: eajwlvm3z2lcca76.onion
Note: We have mentioned some of the dark web websites to help you begin with Dark Web later in this article.
Dark Web Search Engine:
As we mentioned earlier, neither the normal web browsers nor the general search engines work on Dark Web. I mean there is no Google for Dark Web where you could search for something.
How do I access the Dark Web Websites if there isn’t a Google?
Yes, there is no Google but who said there aren’t others? There are various specialized Dark Web Search Engines to help you search for the content on Dark Web. However, most Dark Web Search engines aren’t reliable in coming up with the relevant search results.
Also, because the Dark Web websites keep changing their addresses regularly, the results that Dark Web Search Engines come up with may not work all the time. With that being said, these are some of the most popular Dark Web Search Engines:
1. Ahmia Dark Web Search Engine
2. Duckduckgo
3. Torch
Also Read: How To Enable YouTube Dark Mode On Android, iOS, and Desktop
How to Access Dark Web?
Now that we have enough information about the dark web browser, dark web websites, and dark web search engines, let’s discuss how to access dark web. It is pretty simple now:
Step 1: Open TOR Dark Web Browser (The Onion Router)
Step2: You can begin by copying and pasting the URLs of Dark Web Search Engines mentioned above.
Step 3: And search for the content you are looking for. Now that’s a question. What do we do on Dark Web or expect on Dark Web? Kind of Services are available on Dark Web?
What to Expect on Dark Web?
One can expect anything and everything on Dark Web. To begin with the shallow side,
- There are many News Websites like ProPublica which work under cover for the sake of Freedom of Speech. You would get, in most cases, unaltered and untampered New Bulletins involving even the most powerful of the people.
- There are websites offering free PDFs of Books which you have to pay for otherwise.
- Torrent files for the latest movies, shows, etc.
- You would be surprised to know that the world’s biggest social networking site, Facebook, is on Dark Web too, for the people who want complete privacy which we know is quite difficult with the normal version. If you know what I mean.
On the Deeper side,
- One can hire a hacker to get the information out of somebody’s computer.
- On various Dark Web e-commerce websites, one can buy drugs, arms & ammunition, and other illegal goods.
- “Bank account details of a person with $50,000 balance for $500” and other information of that sort.
- Anything, to the extent where there are websites to help you hire a Professional killer for a task.
Dark Web Websites:
Here are some of the most popular websites to help you begin with the dark web. These websites are though considered safe, it would be better if you take the generally suggested safety measures before you begin. If you are not sure about what those are, skip to the next section to know.
The Hidden Wiki – The hidden Wiki is the Wikipedia of Dark Web World. On hidden Wiki, there is a lot of information about the dark web itself and about different websites. The Hidden Wiki is a good place to start with for the beginners. Visit here
Dream Market – Remember the Dream Market that we mentioned earlier? It is a marketplace where there are both illegal and legal goods available to be bought. Though the government agencies have been constantly hunting for illegal marketplaces like Silk Road and shutting them down, Dream Market is still in service. Visit here
Facebook – As we said earlier, there is Facebook on Dark Web for the people who are extra conscious about their day-to-day privacy. Visit Here
The Hidden Wallet – Now that you are purchasing goods and services on Dark Web, you have to have a Digital Wallet to make the transaction. The Hidden Wallet helps you make these transactions through Bitcoins. Visit Here
Imperial Library – Books can be a great expense for avid readers. Imperial Library is a eBook store that provides the copies of the original books for free or at a more affordable price. This, by the way, is illegal. But I don’t think anyone is going to charge you for purchasing an eBook. Visit Here
Liberated Books and Papers – If you didn’t find what you were looking for on Imperial Library, try searching for them on Liberated Books and Papers. However, it isn’t an eBook Store. Visit Here
Netpoleaks – It is not a safe world for Whistleblowers because most govt agencies demand you to reveal your identity when you try to report about Oppressive policing against big corporates. Hence, Netpoleaks is a website to let you report about such events and stay anonymous. Visit Here
Note: We can’t ignore the inherent dangers involved in accessing dark web. Hence, no surety can be given for any websites or links that have been mentioned above.
Security Measures that one should take while Accessing Dark Web
Before you fly on dark web with your wings open, make sure that you take some general security measures to save yourself from any hassle in the future.
1. Use an Antivirus:
Because of Anonymity of TOR Browser, you can’t be sure about anyone and any file that you download. Hence, if you are downloading a PDF, eBook, a movie torrent, a paper, or anything else, keep a good antivirus handy to protect your PC from malware attacks. We suggest Systweak Antivirus for Windows users. (More on it later)
2. Cover Your Camera and Disable your Microphone:
Because of the same reason as mentioned above, hackers may try and take advantage of the Camera and Microphone to gather information about you. Hence, it isn’t a bad idea to cover your device’s camera and disable microphone from the settings.
3. Use it on a clean device:
Most people who use the Dark Web for any which purpose, make sure that their PC doesn’t contain any other crucial information that, if stolen, can harm them in some way. Hence, it is advisable to use Dark Web from a device which is rather empty.
4. Create Backup:
If you are not going to use it on an entirely empty PC, we suggest Backing up all the data that you have on the device if you don’t want to lose it. We aren’t saying that you will, but prevention is always better than cure.
These are the safety precautions that can help you in the Dark Web Environment from a lot of cyber-security issues. Now as we promised, about Systweak Antivirus.
Systweak Antivirus:
Whether you use Dark Web or not, you should always have a good antivirus installed on your PC. Systweak Antivirus is one of the best Antivirus solutions available in the market for Windows.
Click Here to Download Systweak VPN
For More Information about Systweak VPN
Systweak Antivirus’s robust security offers protection from various malware attacks to keep your data and privacy secure. Let’s look at some of the most highlighted features of Systweak Antivirus:
- Robust Malware Protection: Systweak Antivirus offers robust protection from different kinds of malware attacks, be it Ransomware, Exploit, or any other malware.
- Real-Time Protection: Systweak Antivirus works in real time to detect the malware as soon as it enters the computer’s environment to provide complete security. Real-time protection is especially helpful against Ransomware attacks and Rootkits.
- Safe Web Browsing: Systweak Antivirus is also equipped to provide you the safe web browsing experience. It alerts the users about any potentially malicious website that may try and cause harm to your data and privacy.
With all these given features and more, Systweak Antivirus is one of the best antivirus solutions available for Windows.
So, this was our guide to access dark web using TOR Browser. I hope we were able to provide the answers to your questions like How to get on Dark Web, is it illegal to go on the dark web, etc. Also make sure you do not forget to steer clear of any illegal stuff that could put you into trouble. Do let us know your views on Dark Web, we love hearing from you.
Next Readings:
What Is The Difference Between Dark Web, Deep Web and Surface Web?
Facebook Gets Dark Mode for Mobile: Here’s How to Enable It
Best Secure and Private Web Browsers