The Dark Web Explained: How It Works & Why It's So Dangerous

What Is the Dark Web? What Happens There?

As the biggest global system that holds information about everything (and almost everyone), the internet comes in layers:?visible, deep, and dark. And some layers have exponentially more data than others.

The internet has become more complex by the day, but it’s also intimidating. With so much you don’t know and cannot control, it’s normal to feel anxious, especially when you run into news and reports about the Dark Web. You instinctively associate this ominous name with illicit goods and hidden services.

But while some choose to talk about the Dark Web in cryptic terms to stir up fear, this guide will demystify it with straightforward answers about the Dark Web, what happens there, and how it affects your digital security.

What Is the Surface Web?

The internet runs far deeper and wider than anyone can imagine. Case in point, the “surface web” — which you know as the World Wide Web — is a mere 10% of the entire web based on estimates.

So the nearly two billion public websites you can access through search engines — from Wikipedia to public sector websites and news sites — are just the tip of the iceberg. While that number keeps changing every second, most web pages on the internet remain hidden from the average, every day user.

Why??Because not all the information you can access online belongs in the public domain.

Dark Web Vs. Deep Web:?What's the Difference?

Most of the digital content in the world is not accessible via web search engines.

This colossal amount of information exists on the Deep Web (or “hidden web”), where almost all online activities take place.

You actually use the Deep Web as part of your daily routine. Every time you log into your email account, check your online banking details, or use social media, you’re on the Deep Web.

The Deep Web hosts information that usually requires a username and a password to access, mainly for security and privacy-related reasons.

Some entities of the Deep Web include:

• Databases
• Social media apps
• Online banking
• Email
• Intranets
• Forums
• Paywall-protected content

Many of the activities on the Deep Web involve personally identifiable information, such as medical and legal documents, financial records, academic research, intellectual property, confidential commercial data, and more.?

While you may not be using the term Deep Web daily — or ever — it’s part of your life more than you realize.

Still, this is not the same as the Dark Web, a term you’ve likely seen around. The Dark Web is yet another fraction of the internet that’s not equivalent to the Deep Web. Let’s look at the reasons behind its negative reputation.

Why Is the Dark Web So Dangerous? What Can I Find There?

Cybercriminals and other malicious actors rely heavily on the capabilities of the Dark Web in various unlawful ways. The hotspots for illegal activity on the Dark Web are marketplaces and forums where bad actors transact illegal products and services.

Some of the illicit products lawbreakers and scammers peddle on these black markets include stolen and counterfeit data which comes in many varieties:

• Personal data.?(Also called PII or personally identifiable information) This includes full names, home addresses, phone numbers, birth dates, Social Security numbers,?hacked email addresses, and many more details that can pinpoint you as an individual.
• Financial data.?Stolen credit card details, online banking usernames and passwords, credentials for cryptocurrency accounts, banking and insurance records, and much more.
• Online account login data.?Typically comprising username-password combinations, which provide access to accounts ranging from social media to ride sharing and video streaming services to paid professional services. Even logins to genetic testing and antivirus products are in demand.??
• Medical data.?(Also called PHI or personal health information) This covers your medical history, prescriptions, biometric data (including fingerprints and images of your face), test results, billing information, and other sensitive details. In the wrong hands, this can culminate in?medical identity theft?or even?fingerprint identity theft.
• Confidential corporate data.?Includes classified information such as intellectual property, patents, competitive intelligence, and other operational details.
• Forged data.?Most notably fake passports,?stolen driver’s licenses?and IDs, bank drafts and more.

Other illicit marketplaces on the Dark Web

Besides personal information yielded from?data breaches?and various other?types of cyber attacks?and?online scams, these black markets also offer illegal drugs, access to?emerging cyber threats?and viruses, and even?hitmen for hire.

The most notorious of all Dark Web marketplaces was Silk Road which, at its peak, catered to over 100,000 buyers.

Founded by Ross Ulbricht in 2011, the website became the most popular black market, especially for narcotics traffickers. The FBI shut down Silk Road in 2013, but version 2.0 came briefly back online before law enforcement took it down for good.

Ross Ulbricht?received two sentences of life in prison, along with three other convictions. The U.S. government seized over $1 billion worth of bitcoin throughout the entire takedown operation and the decade following it.

In addition to the possibility of making big money on these Dark Web marketplaces, people seek the Dark Web for other reasons as well. This part of the internet also hosts vast amounts of child pornography, with some websites reaching tens or hundreds of thousands of users.

As a hub for criminal activity, the Dark Web offers more than just “products” to anyone willing to buy and consume. It also offers services that enable cybercriminals to launch attacks with little technical knowledge or experience.

How to safely access the Dark Web

The Tor Browser is the easiest way to access Tor and thus, the Dark Web. It is available for free download and installation on the official website. You can use a VPN and your existing browser's private/incognito mode to hide your Tor Browser download.

The Tor Browser is currently available only for Windows, Mac, Android, and Linux. Once connected, you'll have access to dark net websites called “Tor hidden services". Instead of “.com” or “.org”, Dark Web addresses trail with a “.onion“.

What Types of Services Can Cybercriminals Access on the Dark Web?

While personal information may seem invaluable to you, cybercriminals trade personal information for a mere few dollars on the black markets that exist on the Dark Web.

Details for credit cards carrying a balance up to $1,000 cost $150 on average, while stolen online banking login details (for an account with a balance of at least $100) go for just $40.

A hacked Uber rider account goes for just $4, and a Netflix account with a paid one-year subscription is worth $44. More out-of-reach commodities such as a French passport can cost up to $4,000.

Marketplaces on the Dark Web even feature rating and review systems, so potential buyers can identify “trustworthy” sellers. With all these features, and the appeal of cybercrime riches, it’s no wonder these black markets are experiencing a huge rise in supply, according to the?Dark Web Price Index.

Besides selling personal data and compromised accounts, cybercriminals also sell:??

• Off-the-shelf software exploits (exploit kits). Toolkits that cybercriminals use to attack vulnerabilities in systems so they can then distribute malware.
• Ready-to-use malicious software (malware). Ransomware, information stealers, keyloggers (to record every key pressed on a device), spyware, adware, rootkits (notoriously difficult to spot and stop), Trojans and worms (with self-replicating capabilities).
• Malware-as-a-service.?A subscription-based model that rents the software and hardware cybercriminals need to carry out attacks, complete with malicious software, a distribution network, a range of targets and even technical support, and a personal dashboard to manage the project.?
• Software vulnerabilities. Unknown to the software maker (called zero-days), cybercriminals can use this to infiltrate organizations incognito.
• Access to networks of compromised devices (botnets). The computing resources malicious hackers need to carry out their attacks.
• Distributed denial of service (DDoS). Offerings that use extensive botnets to flood victims’ systems with so much traffic that it takes them offline along with the services they supply.
• Cybercriminal training.?Tutorials, guides, and other types of content that support the upskilling of bad actors in various roles.
• Money laundering (money muling).?Enables scammers to disseminate the money that they steal, extort, or otherwise take from their victims — and turn it into clean, untraceable cash.

Your data could already be on the Dark Web

Because this offering is so extensive and affordable, the Dark Web is the ideal breeding ground for criminals. Even more of a threat, hackers looking to make a lot of money and profit off people and companies around the world have found a way to do it — fast and at scale.?

The Dark Web’s abilities to provide airtight confidentiality has created an environment conducive to crime of all sorts.

Unfortunately, chances are that at least some of your data is already in a private data leak somewhere on the Dark Web, hidden in one of the illegal websites, forums, blogs, and data repositories that live in that hidden “corner” of the internet.

How Do Cybercriminals Monetize the Dark Web?

• Using stolen personal data for all?types of financial fraud?and?identity theft.
• Using stolen confidential information to extort companies and individuals, even threatening to leak it on the Dark Web.
• Using financial information to make unauthorized payments for goods and services, drain bank accounts, take unlawful loans, and derive other illegal monetary benefits.
• Use username-password combinations in automated, widespread attacks to gain access to even more accounts, steal even more data, and sell it for a profit on the Dark Web.
• Infect devices with malicious software to either harvest additional data, use it in subsequent attacks, or extort victims for money — which is what ransomware does.
• Disrupt an organization’s operations so that their value depreciates, their reputation takes a hit, and they risk costly long-term damage.
• Defraud organizations through business email compromises, by stealing intellectual property and selling it to competitors, or by holding their systems hostage until they pay a hefty ransom.
• Specialized criminal groups thrive since it’s easier to combine stolen data with compromised infrastructure and malware. This means even less-skilled malicious hackers can launch cyber attacks and start a lucrative business.

Lots of criminal activity happens on the Dark Web because it offers the anonymity that enables hackers and scammers to go undetected — but only up to a certain point.

Is the Dark Web Illegal?

Despite its menacing name, the Dark Web is not illegal per se, nor is it unlawful to access it. However, the undeniable fact is that most of the activities that happen on the Dark Web are related to criminal actions.

What Are Some Dangers of the Dark Web?

• You risk your freedom and could face severe legal consequences.?If you are caught buying an unauthorized firearm or illegal drugs, or end up on a child pornography website while browsing the Dark Web, you could face steep legal action.
• No security provisions.?This part of the internet doesn’t include security provisions like the ones you’re used to on the World Wide Web, such as built-in protection against malicious websites in your web browser. For example, both Chrome and Firefox warn you about dangerous websites that steal your data in phishing attacks. This doesn't happen on the Tor browser.
• Risk of device infection.?Unless you're protected by a unique cybersecurity setup, going on the Dark Web means you'll risk infecting your devices with malware, ransomware, and trojan horse viruses.
• Financial scams.?Given the illicit nature of conversations and interactions on the Dark Web, you can even get caught in a scam or become an unwitting accomplice and risk prosecution.