Many people perceive the Dark Web as a mysterious area on the internet where illegal activities take place. However, it also serves as a platform for security, anonymity, and access to content that may be considered illegal. Exploring the Dark Web with Tor can offer anonymous browsing opportunities, but it’s essential to exercise caution. This article will outline the dos and don’ts of exploring the Dark Web using Tor.
Deep Web vs Dark Web – What Is the Difference?
The internet can be divided into two main parts: the Deep Web and the Dark Web. The Deep Web consists of unindexed content that requires valid credentials for access, including banking websites and member-only portals.
On the other hand, the intentionally hidden Dark Web can only be accessed using specific browsers like Tor. Although the Dark Web is known for illegal activities, it also provides a platform for freedom of expression and anonymity.
Accessing the Dark Web requires specialized browsers like Tor or the Tor functionality in the Brave browser, while the Deep Web can be accessed through regular browsers like Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, or Firefox.
How to Access the Dark Web?
There are primarily two widely used ways to access the Dark web.
Using The Tor Browser
The Tor browser is provided and maintained by the Tor project. The browser is open source and uses a network of relays to reroute and anonymize your traffic:
- Go to Torporject.org, download the file for the browser, and install it.
- Upon installation, it works just like a regular browser. You should have the .onion address for the website you wish to visit.
- To find the .onion address for the most popular sites, a simple web search on Surface Web will get you started.
Using Brave Browser
Let us start by saying that using the Brave Browser is not the best way to access the Tor network; even Brave doesn’t recommend it that way. It gives you easy access, hides your IP, and makes you more secure, but not entirely.
- Download and Install the Brave Browser if you haven’t done so already.
- In the Brave Browser, go to the Hamburger menu from the top bar and click on New Private Window With Tor.
- This will open a new private window and establish a connection with the Tor network. Once connected, you can browse the Dark Web using specific onion links.
The Dos of Dark Web
The dark web is risky, and even when exploring it through browsers like Tor, you need to exercise caution. This section explores what you should DO to stay safe on the Dark web.
1] Install Tor Correctly
While this might seem a generic advice, it isn’t. You need to install Tor correctly, including verifying the signature before downloading, only using the official website to visit – Torproject.org, and ensuring that your IP is untraceable. You also have to ensure that you are on an unmonitored device where your activity isn’t monitored because the security of the Tor browser depends on the user’s device. It can hide your browsing from your ISP but not your device.
2] Use VPN
Why install a VPN when Tor is the safest way to access the Dark web? While it is the safest way, your ISP still knows you are using Tor. It will not know what sites you are visiting, but if you are living in a highly censored environment, even using a browser like Tor can grab eyeballs for you. Using a VPN in addition to Tor makes the whole system foolproof.
3] Configure Tor
By default, Tor is set to Standard security settings, which is not enough when browsing the dark web; based on the sites you surf, you can set it to Safer (recommended) or the Safest mode (which can break most sites) and also make your connections strictly HTTPS only. Both settings can be restrictive and prevent websites from functioning properly, but they will give you the most security.
4] Protect Your Identity
Trust us, nobody needs to know your full name, where you live, or your cat’s name on the Dark web. It is not where you reveal even a hint of your personal information. We are all pretty good at making things up, and the Dark web is the perfect place to put those skills to the test. Don’t use your name, address, personal email, phone number, password, credit card, or anything.
5] Use Aliases for Email, Name, Address and Banking Details
You can use an Alias for your email, such as the one provided by Duckduckgo. It gives you an email with the extension @duck.com connected to your email. All emails sent to it will be filtered for trackers, giving you clean and clear emails free from malice. For names, addresses, and temporary banking details, you can use websites like Fauxid.com, which provides all the details required to create a fake persona on the dark web. Using these temporary details does not harm anyone, as the generated credit cards and other information are random.
Don’ts of Dark Web
Now that you know what to do on the dark web to stay safe, let’s also consider what not to do to protect yourself.
1] Don’t Rely Solely on the Tor Browser’s Built-in Security
Tor browser is as safe as the user’s PC. Ensure you have good antivirus software, keep everything updated, and avoid downloading files from the dark web. If you do, run them through your antivirus before opening.
You can also open suspicious files in a sandboxed environment using a browser extension like SquareX (they also have a SquareX web app). You Upload files to a server for safe viewing, which happens on the server side and not on your device, protecting against malicious content from dark web downloads.
2] Don’t Assume Complete Anonymity
If you assume complete anonymity on the Dark web, you are doomed. Governments, ISPs, Services, and almost everything on the internet are keen on tracking your online activity, and it takes more than using Tor to bypass them. If you are doing something fishy, you can take all the precautions but still have a tiny chance of revealing your identity. It is simply better to take the most precautions while still keeping in mind that you are in hazardous territory.
3] Don’t Trust Everything You See
Remember: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. The Dark web is full of scams and schemes designed to steal your money or personal data. Always double-check everything.
4] Don’t Engage In Illegal Activities
Morally ethical or not, any activity deemed illegal by your country or international law will land you in trouble. Investigation agencies like the FBI constantly ground themselves on these websites to identify potential suspects, and there are many instances.
In 2015, the FBI seized a dark web site distributing illicit material and arrested hundreds of users. In 2021, they uncovered a network of illegal products, leading to multiple arrests and victim rescues. Additionally, in 2022, the FBI and DEA collaborated to target a dark web marketplace, resulting in significant seizures of illegal substances and cryptocurrency.
5] Access the Dark Web on Unsecured Networks
Accessing the Dark web on unsecured networks like public Wi-Fi, your office Wi-Fi, or any network with weak authentication puts you at risk of being hijacked and monitored. If you are transmitting something confidential, keeping the network secure is the first consideration.
This article covered some fundamental do’s and don’ts of exploring the dark web with Tor. We hope you found it helpful. Tor and the dark web are great tools for privacy, anonymity, and security on the web, so please use them wisely. All the information in this article is for informative purposes only.
