The Sinister Dark Net

Many a conspiracy theory have emerged on what we call the "Darkweb" This article will hopefully put an end to all those conspiracies and separate myth from legend.

What is it?

The Internet is a vast array of computers linked together via wired or wireless networks. It is, as we all know, used to do our day to day activities. But the truth is, we only access a small percentage of the Internet everyday.

The Iceberg analogy

The iceberg analogy is used by many experts to explain the composition of the Internet. This iceberg is divided into layers:

1. Above water

2. Below water

i) Near surface

ii) Middle layer

iii) Near seabed

We will now look at these layers in detail in reference to the Internet.

1. Above water

This layer is basically the regular, normal Internet we visit everyday.

2. Below water

This layer is where the deep web comes in. It is important for you to note however that this is NOT the 'dark web'. The deep web refers to anything that is encrypted on the Internet.

What is encryption?

Encryption is simple to understand. Think of it as a hidden data rearranged as a code or a cipher. A third party other than the user and the machine will see it as gibberish unless he has the key to decipher it. This key is known as the password.

i) Near the surface

Here, regular search engines like Google, Bing, etc can access your information but they require a password to decrypt such information. These contain emails or company databases.

ii) Middle layer

Once we reach this layer, regular search engines cannot obtain the site information since it is out of reach. But certain engines like DuckduckGo, Puffin browser, etc can access these sites. This is where the dark net begins.

This layer includes very disturbing content such as black markets for drugs, ammunition, gambling, etc.

iii) Near seabed

This is the darkest part of the Internet, hence titled the dark net. Here you can find extremely sinister content such as assassin agencies, prostitution agencies, etc. Here's what you can find on the dark net:

Assassin agencies

Prostitution

Black market for goods

Child pornography

Fake ID/ passports construction

Credit/debit card fraudulent sites

Hacking platforms

Distribution of viruses, etc

Money laundering

Illegal drug sellers

Ammunition sellers

Illegal cryptocurrency trading

This is just a foreword. Look out for my next article titled 'Accessing the Dark Net' to get a complete understanding on the hidden part of the Internet.

This article was written by Abdul Adhl Azeez, author of The School Detective Gang. He is also available on Goodreads. Click here to check him out.