A sneak peek into the dark web dealings

The dark web is a part of the hidden internet, usually associated with illegal activities, including selling drugs, firearms, and stolen financial data. It is quite unlike the common websites you see when you browse the internet. 

Dark web users and owners are anonymous. Even though not everything on the dark web is illegal, it is where many of the internet's black markets, hacker forums, malware vendors and other illicit activities are undertaken.

Anonymity is the primary objective of the dark web. For whatever reason, people use it to protect their identities. Search engines like Google do not index dark web pages, so they cannot be found by simple searches, and their web addresses don’t start with www. They instead begin with a random string, with URLs made up of a series of meaningless numbers and letters that end with “.onion”.

Special software is required to access the dark web, which consists of encrypted networks that hide users’ identities and locations. 

Although Africa has a growing dark web constituency, the most prevalent users are in the United States, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands and France.

The Hidden Wiki is one of the most famous dark web sites and is often the first place new users gravitate to. The wiki is a directory of other dark web sites and acts as a jumping-off point for people who want to explore the dark web.

Site Access

You won’t be able to access the websites using a standard browser like Chrome or Edge. They are only accessible via some unique browsers such as Tor Browser, Invisible Internet Project, Firefox, Waterfox and Opera.

Despite its reputation as a marketplace for dirty deals, the dark web can help protect users’ privacy in ways that the common web cannot. For example, citizens evading government censorship can share information about what is happening in their country with the rest of the world through the dark web without leaving their traces.

In the dark web, cryptocurrency is the most common form of payment, with Bitcoin being the most popular. Cryptocurrencies are popular on the dark web because of their decentralised nature and virtually complete anonymity. Unlike paper money, cryptocurrency can be exchanged instantly online without requiring a physical representation of its value or government oversight. To purchase goods on the dark web, users usually transfer cryptocurrency to an escrow account until the buyer confirms receipt of the order.

No crime is committed by visiting or using the dark web. What you do when you are there is what may or may not be legal.

Mr Wambugu is a certified cloud and cyber security consultant. [email protected]. @Samwambugu2