The dark web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and can only be accessed using special software. It is often associated with illegal activities, such as buying and selling drugs, weapons, and stolen data. However, there are also legitimate reasons to access the dark web, such as protecting your privacy and security.
If you have a legitimate reason to buy something off the dark web, here is a guide to help you navigate this hidden part of the internet.
How Do You Safely Access The Dark Web?
Step 1: Download and Install Tor
Tor is a free software that allows you to access the dark web anonymously. It works by routing your internet connection through a network of servers around the world, making it difficult for anyone to track your online activity. To download and install Tor, follow these steps:
How To Access The Dark Web
- Go to the Tor Project website (https://www.torproject.org/).
- Download the Tor Browser Bundle for your operating system.
- Extract the downloaded file and run the Tor Browser executable.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
Your ISP may get suspicious and decide to throttle your bandwidth. The project soon evolved to become Freenet — a platform for free speech online. Users could discuss, share, and publish information anonymously and free of government censorship. Although people use terms like the dark web, “deep web,” and “darknet” interchangeably, they don’t exactly mean the same thing. Once access was granted, vendors and customers used the Silk Road to make transactions with cryptocurrency or via an escrow (a trusted third-party).
Using a special browser known as The Onion Router (Tor), users can explore these hidden sites and engage in both legal and illicit activities under the cover of an anonymous IP address. Here’s a look at how the dark web works and the many ways in which people use it, both legally and illegally. This, of course, led to an explosion in online black market activity. With the increased reliance on computers and the Internet, the market to exploit it grew as well. With the growth of websites built by Internet startups and enthusiasts, closed-source tools were developed and sold to allow script kiddies and beyond to scan, analyze, and attack those websites.
Step 2: Access the Dark Web
The data for sale on 2Easy comes from over 600,000 compromised devices, most of which have infostealing malware installed on them. Get Avast BreachGuard for Mac to protect your privacy and keep your personal data from falling into the wrong hands. Get Avast BreachGuard for PC to protect your privacy and keep your personal data from falling into the wrong hands. If you become a victim, report the identity theft as soon as possible. And remember that there are better (and safer) ways to prevent identity theft than being forced to buy back your data off the dark web.
Once you have installed Tor, you can access the dark web by following these steps:
- Open the Tor Browser.
- In the address bar, type in the URL of a dark web site. Dark web sites typically have URLs that start with “http://” or “https://”, followed by a string of random characters. For example, one popular dark web marketplace is “Silk Road”, which can be accessed at “http://silkroad6ownowfk“.
- Press Enter to connect to the dark web site.
All sites on the dark web end with “.onion,” as opposed to “.com” or “.org” commonly seen on the surface web. That’s a deliberate ploy so that only browsers with specific proxies are allowed to access those sites. It’s also very difficult to remember the URLs of sites on the dark web, which is another way to maintain their anonymity.
How Do You Safely Access The Deep Web?
Step 3: Find What You Want to Buy
The dark web is a vast and diverse marketplace, with all sorts of goods and services for sale. To find what you want to buy, you can:
- Use a dark web search engine, such as “Ahmia” or “Not Evil“.
- Browse popular dark web marketplaces, such as “Dream Market” or “Wall Street Market“.
- Ask for recommendations from other dark web users in forums or chat rooms.
Freenet is another peer-to-peer network for sharing decentralized data created in 2000. It is used in two forms – the “opennet” allows connection to any user, while the “darknet” connects only to friends. The ability to access only known contacts provides a higher degree of trust than other software. Of all internet traffic, the dark web only composes a very small amount. But limiting your search to the surface web and leaving everything below untouched could be a mistake in your research.
Step 4: Make a Purchase
Once you have found what you want to buy, making a purchase on the dark web is similar to making a purchase on the regular internet. Here are some tips to help you:
Users could buy their products with Bitcoin and even leave ratings and reviews to inform other buyers of safety, quality, etc. Every one of your business accounts should have a unique, complex password. A free password manager stores all of those passwords for you so you don’t have to remember them all. It’s a simple, streamlined way to protect your passwords and the accounts they access. If you reuse the same password across numerous accounts or use any one of these top 100 commonly used passwords, it’s possible that the dark web has your information.
- Use a cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, to make your payment. Most dark web vendors only accept cryptocurrencies as payment.
- Use a reputable cryptocurrency exchange, such as “Coinbase” or “Binance“, to buy your cryptocurrency.
- Use a secure email service, such as “ProtonMail” or “Tutanota“, to communicate with the vendor.
- Be cautious of scams and fake vendors. Always do your research and read reviews before making a purchase.
- It is often offered in some portals to give threat actors the tools for cyberattacks.
- “We observe a handful of new ransomware double extortion pages a month; in some cases, these are rebrands of previously known ransomware groups.
- Once cryptocurrencies entered the picture in 2009, Silk Road and other black markets started popping up on the dark web, making it the place to be for various criminals.
- Dark web sites are websites and webpages that cannot be accessed via regular browsers and web search engines.
- Each peer can then reshare and distribute themselves once they have downloaded it.
Conclusion
Buying stuff off the dark web can be a risky and complicated process, but with the right knowledge and precautions, it is possible to do so safely and securely. Remember to always use a VPN and the Tor browser when accessing the dark web, and to only make purchases from reputable vendors using a secure cryptocurrency. Stay safe and happy shopping!
