What is Dark Web?
Dark web is a part of the internet, which is hidden from regular search engines like Chrome, Safari etc. It can only be accessed with the help of some special browser like TOR, Freenet, I2P.
It is mainly used for illegal activities. But it also has some bright side. You can protect your privacy or communicate in countries with strict censorship.
To make it simpler let’s take an example of the library.
The regular internet we use is like a public library where anyone can walk anytime and browse the books. The deep web is like a private library where you will need a membership card to get in. Lastly, a dark web is like a hidden library which has been secretly built in a secret place. If you need access to it, then you will need a special map and password to find it.
The dark web is a series of encrypted networks that serve to anonymize peoples use on the internet.
How TOR works?
To understand how Tor works you need to know what happens when you typically search this web browser.
Think of your IP address as an online identity. Any device you use to connect to the internet has one IP address. So, anytime you visit a website you can be traced back to your exact location using that IP address. The TOR browser looks like other browsers except there is a lot of things happening which you don’t see.
Instead of your connection request bouncing from its origin right to its destination TOR send your request on a much more roundabout route. So, let’s think that you are in New York, and you are searching a sit hosted in New Jersey. Instead of connecting you directly the TOR browser takes you at least three random detours called relays. So, your request could go from New York to South Africa, from South Africa to Hong-Kong and then New Jersey. TOR is comprised of people from all over the planet who are donating their computers to the network. It has more than 7000 relays to choose from. Bouncing your request around to random computers all over the world makes it much harder for people to find you.
