The internet as we know it today is only a tiny tip of the iceberg. There is a hidden side that no one suspects and access to which remains a real mystery for some. The dark web is a controversial place that harbors a lot of illicit and unethical activity.

By definition, darknets are anonymized networks whose access is restricted to a few specific search engines . If this secret web was created with a completely legal perspective, today it is home to the biggest traffickers and criminals, always protected from identified servers and specialized cybercrime forces.

The beginnings of the dark net

The darknet was born during the 1970s and was intended to designate the isolated internet networks of ARPANET (today’s internet). These are superimposed networks accessible anonymously and kept out of sight of traditional search engines . While the focus of the dark web today is on illegal activities , it was once used for military purposes to allow US agents to communicate securely. Still to this day, some persecuted people and political dissidents access the dark web in order to circumvent government censorship and protect their individual freedoms (sexual orientation, political ideologies, religious currents).

How to access the dark web?

Access to hidden sites on the net is now possible from any computer using a superimposed and decentralized computer browser. Forget Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari and classic browsers. The best-known browser on the dark web is undoubtedly the Tor Browser (The Onion Router), an internet network guaranteeing the anonymity of its users and the encryption of their IP addresses . But before downloading this private browser, it is recommended to use a VPN to best protect yourself from hackers.

Now that you have accessed the dark web , you can start your browsing. You can get help from Hidden Wiki, a directory listing different dark web pages, it is even the equivalent of Wikipedia. We remind you that not all sites and files listed on the dark net are legal, so it is important to be careful of malware and malicious software .

The dark web and the deep web what are the differences

With all the terms associated with the dark web, it’s sometimes easy to get lost. Between the dark web, the darknet and the deep web, the differences are sometimes unknown.

By definition, the deep web represents all the pages that are not indexed, but whose access is possible thanks to search engines and traditional browsers (Google, Yahoo, etc.). In the deep web, one can have access to government sites, scientific reports or academic databases.

This deep web houses in its database, the dark web. It is a tiny part of the deep web and includes various sites not indexed by traditional search engines. Contrary to what one might think, the dark web is not only the favorite place of cybercriminals and torturers, it is a private network allowing anonymous and uncensored browsing.

In summary, if the dark web is used wisely, it enables many persecuted people to communicate securely.

What’s on the dark web?

The massive advent of the clandestine web and its democratization among the general public and mass culture has clearly contributed to its popularization among young people. But if it is often subject to debate on the part of journalists and computer security specialists , it is because it identifies to date an infinite number of crimes and illicit acts. This macabre and illegal side of the hidden web arouses the curiosity of many people, especially teenagers who will easily be the perfect target for cybercriminals. Between drug trafficking, sale of illegal goods (weapons) to extreme video content, the dark web obviously has no limits.

Among the most listed goods on the web, we mainly find databases, false passports, falsified identity papers, crypto-currency wallets, viruses and malware.

As for sexual or terrorist content, these are only accessible in the depths of the dark web. This dark and gloomy part of the internet has a third of extreme content (child pornography, sexual assault, animal exploitation, etc.). On the other hand, we can find a catalog offering the sale of drugs, weapons, explosives and various shady objects.

As for the price offered on the dark web, it varies according to the services and products put on the market. You can order a false passport for a few hundred euros or order a murder for 45,000 euros.

 your personal information (surname, first name, address) failing to be hacked or to see your data disclosed.

The legal framework of the dark web

Seen as the digital space of cybercriminals, dissidents and outcasts, the dark web has raised many questions about its legitimacy. In this article, we put our finger on the legal reach of the dark web.

As mentioned earlier, it is only a small part of the deep web. This capitalizes to date more than 90% of the Internet as we know it.

From a legal standpoint, browsing the dark web is not illegal per se. In some cases, it may even be recommended to protect the user from potential danger.

It is from the moment that the use of the dark web responds to illegal purposes that we will then speak of an offense punishable by law. In the case of a fraudulent transmission of data or the possession of illegal data, the law is intransigent and the crime is punishable by imprisonment for 5 years with a fine of 375,000 euros. This is all the more valid for the seller who knowingly holds illicit objects than the customer who orders, knowingly causes the proceeds of an offence.

The dark web, on the other hand, is an important source of information. The Head of Information Systems Security (RSSI) has the obligation to consider this vast field while taking into account compliance with the regulations. From a political point of view, the challenge is to create a channel allowing access to illegal data by law enforcement. Criminal law regarding cybercrime is always evolving. The legislative arsenal is now equipped with various content control resources to track down illicit activities found on the dark net.

The sometimes legal and sometimes criminal activities and uses of the dark web lead us to question the legitimacy of anonymous browsing on the Internet. Although not optimal, the regulation of the dark web today is governed by numerous content control methods.

Despite all the beliefs conveyed on the darknet, it can be used to carry out legal activities or contain compromising information and data. In this context, it is not the dark net that must be condemned but the users who, through it, resort to acts of torture, murder and trafficking. The primary use of the dark web is first of all to guarantee free expression where oppressed browsers can fight against government censorship.  

Finally, we would like to remind you that the dark web is a vast network that escapes regulation, it is therefore a digital paradise for hackers, it is therefore necessary to be extra vigilant in order to protect yourself against it.