Thing need to know about tor and deep dark we
The Internet has, in its storied history, been compared to many
things: a river; a superhighway; and, perhaps most famously, a series of tubes. But as it turns out,
the most apt comparison of all just might be an iceberg.Like the mighty floes that break off from glaciers, only 10% of
the network we call “the Internet” is visible to the general public. Hidden
below the virtual waterline lies a tangled and secretive network known as the Deep Web. Unindexed by search
engines, and accessible only with special browsers such as The Onion Router (Tor), the Deep Web is
made up of peer-to-peer connections, which allow users to share files directly
(and secretly).The Deep Web has a strong appeal to privacy advocates, who have
taken advantage of the lack of tracking to shield their anonymity from
advertisers and officials alike. Whistleblower Edward Snowden used the Deep Web
to collect much of the information that carried him into a worldwide
controversy, and journalists around the world are coming to rely on it as a
more secure alternative
to the public Web when searching for
sensitive or dangerous information.But the secretive nature of the network has also made it a haven
for criminals of various stripes, trafficking in everything from illegal drugs
to child pornography. The Silk Road, an online marketplace driven by Internet
currency Bitcoin, dominated headlines in 2013 when
authorities succeeding in shutting it down. The site had a reputation as the
Internet’s go-to destination for illicit drug sales (including thousands of
listings for heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines), and its demise spawned
both a crowd-sourced
documentary from actor Alex Winter
and a bevy of successors eager to capitalize on the fall of their better-known
sibling.Companies such as AT&T, eager to review, track, and control
activity within its fuzzy borders, are working tirelessly to bring light to the
corners of the Deep Web. Government officials and law enforcement agencies,
concerned about piracy, illegal trafficking, and leaks, are in the strange
position of attempting to police the same wild ‘n’ wooly netherworld they rely
on for their own clandestine operations. But scandals, secrets, and skulkers
will always find their way to the shadowiest parts of the Web, and while the
future of the Deep Web may be as murky as its labyrinthine tangles, it’s sure
to remain a part of Internet lore for years to come.
Thank you to our friends at DynamoSpanish.com for the Spanish
translation.Transcript:
Everything You Wanted to Know About Tor & The Deep WebYou may think that the internet is a huge resource of information,
but in fact what most of us see is just one link in a very long chain of
underground websites and unseen content.What is the Deep Web?Put simply, it is the part of the internet that is hidden from
view.·
Surface Web·
·
4% of WWW content·
Also known as the ‘Visible Web’, it is content that can be found
using search engines such as Google or Yahoo. It is under constant surveillance
by the government.·
Deep Web·
·
96% of WWW content·
Also known as the ‘Invisible Web’, it is the content that cannot
be indexed by search engines. And it is hard to keep track of.The Deep Web is estimated to be at least 500x the size of the
Surface Web.How do you access it?When using the Surface Web, you access data directly from the
source.This direct approach tracks the information downloaded, from where
and when it was accessed, and your exact location.Information on the Deep Web cannot be accessed directly. This is
because data is not held on any single page, but rather in databases, which
makes it difficult for search engines to index.Files are shared through any number of computers connected to the
internet that hold the information you need. This is known as peer-to-peer
networking.In order to access the Deep Web, you need to use a dedicated
browser. TOR (The Onion Router) is the most commonly used, but other options
such as I2P and Freenet offer an alternative solution.This method of sharing encrypted data makes it difficult for your
location, and the kind of information you access, to be tracked or monitored.Is it legal?Yes. You use it as you would any other internet browser. Many
people are now beginning to use TOR as a way to maintain their privacy whilst
online.·
Who else uses it:·
·
Military·
Police and crime units·
Journalists·
Whistleblowers·
·
Edward Snowden·
Julian AssangeDue to the anonymity that TOR offers, the Deep Web has also become
a popular nesting ground for criminal activity. This includes things such as:·
Drugs·
Weapons trading·
Child pornography·
Hit men for hire**Though there are groups on the Deep Web claiming to offer this
service, there has been no legitimate proof of their existence.The influence of BitcoinThe Silk Road became one such popular website on the Deep Web.
Known also as the “eBay of drugs”, it is a place to buy and sell things – but
mainly illegal drugs.This was made possible by the use of Bitcoin, a virtual currency
that makes use of the encrypted peer-to-peer system.Bitcoin allows users to conduct business transactions anonymously.
This has allowed some users of the currency to engage in illegal activity.
The Internet has, in its storied history, been compared to many
things: a river; a superhighway; and, perhaps most famously, a series of tubes. But as it turns out,
the most apt comparison of all just might be an iceberg.Like the mighty floes that break off from glaciers, only 10% of
the network we call “the Internet” is visible to the general public. Hidden
below the virtual waterline lies a tangled and secretive network known as the Deep Web. Unindexed by search
engines, and accessible only with special browsers such as The Onion Router (Tor), the Deep Web is
made up of peer-to-peer connections, which allow users to share files directly
(and secretly).The Deep Web has a strong appeal to privacy advocates, who have
taken advantage of the lack of tracking to shield their anonymity from
advertisers and officials alike. Whistleblower Edward Snowden used the Deep Web
to collect much of the information that carried him into a worldwide
controversy, and journalists around the world are coming to rely on it as a
more secure alternative
to the public Web when searching for
sensitive or dangerous information.But the secretive nature of the network has also made it a haven
for criminals of various stripes, trafficking in everything from illegal drugs
to child pornography. The Silk Road, an online marketplace driven by Internet
currency Bitcoin, dominated headlines in 2013 when
authorities succeeding in shutting it down. The site had a reputation as the
Internet’s go-to destination for illicit drug sales (including thousands of
listings for heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines), and its demise spawned
both a crowd-sourced
documentary from actor Alex Winter
and a bevy of successors eager to capitalize on the fall of their better-known
sibling.Companies such as AT&T, eager to review, track, and control
activity within its fuzzy borders, are working tirelessly to bring light to the
corners of the Deep Web. Government officials and law enforcement agencies,
concerned about piracy, illegal trafficking, and leaks, are in the strange
position of attempting to police the same wild ‘n’ wooly netherworld they rely
on for their own clandestine operations. But scandals, secrets, and skulkers
will always find their way to the shadowiest parts of the Web, and while the
future of the Deep Web may be as murky as its labyrinthine tangles, it’s sure
to remain a part of Internet lore for years to come.
Thank you to our friends at DynamoSpanish.com for the Spanish
translation.Transcript:
Everything You Wanted to Know About Tor & The Deep WebYou may think that the internet is a huge resource of information,
but in fact what most of us see is just one link in a very long chain of
underground websites and unseen content.What is the Deep Web?Put simply, it is the part of the internet that is hidden from
view.·
Surface Web·
·
4% of WWW content·
Also known as the ‘Visible Web’, it is content that can be found
using search engines such as Google or Yahoo. It is under constant surveillance
by the government.·
Deep Web·
·
96% of WWW content·
Also known as the ‘Invisible Web’, it is the content that cannot
be indexed by search engines. And it is hard to keep track of.The Deep Web is estimated to be at least 500x the size of the
Surface Web.How do you access it?When using the Surface Web, you access data directly from the
source.This direct approach tracks the information downloaded, from where
and when it was accessed, and your exact location.Information on the Deep Web cannot be accessed directly. This is
because data is not held on any single page, but rather in databases, which
makes it difficult for search engines to index.Files are shared through any number of computers connected to the
internet that hold the information you need. This is known as peer-to-peer
networking.In order to access the Deep Web, you need to use a dedicated
browser. TOR (The Onion Router) is the most commonly used, but other options
such as I2P and Freenet offer an alternative solution.This method of sharing encrypted data makes it difficult for your
location, and the kind of information you access, to be tracked or monitored.Is it legal?Yes. You use it as you would any other internet browser. Many
people are now beginning to use TOR as a way to maintain their privacy whilst
online.·
Who else uses it:·
·
Military·
Police and crime units·
Journalists·
Whistleblowers·
·
Edward Snowden·
Julian AssangeDue to the anonymity that TOR offers, the Deep Web has also become
a popular nesting ground for criminal activity. This includes things such as:·
Drugs·
Weapons trading·
Child pornography·
Hit men for hire**Though there are groups on the Deep Web claiming to offer this
service, there has been no legitimate proof of their existence.The influence of BitcoinThe Silk Road became one such popular website on the Deep Web.
Known also as the “eBay of drugs”, it is a place to buy and sell things – but
mainly illegal drugs.This was made possible by the use of Bitcoin, a virtual currency
that makes use of the encrypted peer-to-peer system.Bitcoin allows users to conduct business transactions anonymously.
This has allowed some users of the currency to engage in illegal activity.
I've never heard of it, but can understand why it is needed by certain factors. This is interesting information.
ReplyDeleteHarold Burton