What is the dark web?
The dark web is that part of the internet that is not visible to the naked eye, as opposed to the surface web. The dark web is a network of one of the largest online criminal and terrorist activities in the world.
It refers to encrypted online content that is not indexed by conventional search engines.
Sometimes the dark web, also known as the darknet, is accessible only through networks such as Tor ( the onion routing ) projects that are created specifically for the dark web.
Using the dark web often provides considerably more privacy than just using Tor to access the web. Many dark websites simply provide standard web services with more secrecy, which benefits political dissidents and people trying to keep medical conditions private.
Unfortunately, online marketplaces for drugs, exchanges for stolen data, and other illegal activities get most of the attention.
The dark web has also gained a reputation as a haven for illegal activities. A lot of content on the dark web is amateurish. Also, it is easier for individuals to start sites and get attention.
Advantages of the Dark Web :
Following are some pros of the dark web:-
- It helps people to maintain privacy and freely express their points of view.
- Privacy is important for many innocent people terrorized by stalkers and other criminals.
- The popularity of the dark web with criminals makes it the perfect way for undercover police officers to communicate.
Disadvantages of the dark web :
Following are the cons of the dark web:-
- The dark web empowers ordinary people, but some people will inevitably abuse that power.
- The dark web makes it easier to commit some worse kinds of crimes.
- Although the dark web promises privacy to the users it can also be used to violate the privacy of others.
- The records like personal information, medical information, financial information can be stolen and shared on the dark web.
What is the Deep Web?
The Deep Web or hidden web are the parts of the world wide web whose contents are not indexed by standard web search engines.
The content of the Deep Web is hidden behind HTTP forms and includes many very common uses such as webmails, online Banking, private or otherwise restricted social media pages and profiles, etc.
Commercial search engines have begun exploring alternative methods to crawl the Deep Web.
The context of the Deep Web Can be located and accessed by a direct URL or IP address but may require a password or some other security access to get past the public website page.
Advantages of the Deep Web :
Following are the advantages of the Deep Web:-
- These searches often yield links you would never find through a source such as Google, as Google does not index database entries.
- The Deep web’s anonymity attracts criminal activity ranging from sales of illegal drugs and weapons to the trading of child pornography and even the hiring of contract killers.
- The Deep Web also contains information hidden behind the paywalls and security measures of some companies.
- The Deep Web offers an avenue for expression, organization, and the influx of information for people living under oppressive or restrictive regimes.
Disadvantages of the Deep Web :
Following are the disadvantages of the Deep Web:-
- The visitors of the Deep Web experience negative content.
- Some of the information or content on the Deep Web isn’t intended to be hidden, it’s just placed behind cuber walls that prevent you from accessing it without completing certain forms.
- The Deep Web doesn’t work as smoothly as the regulated internet,
- It is slow and takes much longer to use both because of the network itself and because some of the information is self-hosted.
Difference between the dark web and the Deep Web :
- Dark Web is that which not regulated and whose IP addresses are intentionally hidden Whereas
In the deep Web, there is an enormous collection of invisible websites.
- In the Deep Web, the content is not indexed by the regular search engines Whereas
In the dark web, the content is available on personal encrypted networks.
- The dark web is A network of one of the largest online criminal and terrorist activities in the world.
Whereas The Deep Web is not visible to the naked eye, as opposed to the surface web.
- The dark web can only be accessed by specialized software Whereas
The Deep Web can be accessed through a valid username and a password and via regular search engines.
- The system which needs authentication for login comes under deep Web Whereas
The dark web depends on or works on the infrastructure of the Deep Web.
Many times the two terms are used interchangeably as if they are more or less the same thing. This is very inaccurate, as the Deep Web just refers to non – indexed pages while the dark web refers to pages that are both indexed and non – indexed.
