The Internet is a massive place. According to Internet Live Stats, there are over 3.5 billion Google searches per day worldwide. For a good reason, there is also a part of the World Wide Web with content that is not indexed by the search engines. They call this place the “dark web.”
The following article was created for educational purposes regarding the Dark Web. It was not created to encourage the reader to use it.
What Is The Dark Web?
The dark web (also referred to as the Darknet) includes the web pages on the Internet that are found on encrypted networks. To enter, a specific software is required.
While some use the dark web for confidential communication, criminals use it as a safe haven to engage in serious illegal activities. Some darknet sites are used for illegal trade, obtaining sensitive/stolen information, media exchange for pedophiles and terrorists, and hitman services.
What Is The Difference Between The Deep Web And The Dark Web?
The deep web (also referred to as the Hidden Web or Invisible Web) is the largest part of the Internet’s collection of web pages that cannot be found using a standard search engine. This includes common uses such as web mail and user databases. The dark web is just a small part of the deep web.
The opposite of the deep web is the surface web (also referred to as the Indexed Web and Visible web), which includes part of the Internet that is indexed by standard search engines and available to the general public. Only around 4 percent of the information on the Internet is indexed by Google — the rest is on the deep web.
How People Enter The Darknet
It is fairly simple to get access to the dark side of the Internet. While there are certainly small friend-to-friend peer-to-peer networks out there, one of the most popular networks for enabling free anonymous communication is Tor software (also referred to as onionland). The special-use top level domain host suffix .onion (such as .com or .net for sites on the surface web) designates an anonymous hidden service that is only reachable via the Tor network.
Here is how you could get access to the dark web:
1.Your first step would be to install Tor (go to https://www.torproject.org).
2. Download the Tor Browser Bundle.
3. Run the downloaded file.
4. Choose an extraction location.
5. Your last step is to simply open the folder and then click “Start Tor Browser.”
Protecting Your Identity
If you are up to no good, users recommend you place tape over your webcam to prevent the chance of being watched.
How The Criminals Get Paid
In exchange for illegal items (such as weapons and social security numbers), dealers receive cryptocurrency (such as Bitcoin), which is a digital currency that uses cryptography to secure transactions. Theoretically, since cryptocurrency is not issued by any central authority, it is immune to government interference or manipulation.
Things You Can Purchase
Marijuana: The Most Popular Drug On The Darknet
While the majority of illegal drugs are purchased from street dealers, more and more buyers are turning to cryptomarkets found on the darknet. According to the Global Drug Survey, Americans who purchased drugs from markets in the dark net, went from eight percent in 2014, to 15 percent in 2016.
Interestingly, a researcher wrote programs for the purpose of crawling around 90-odd cryptomarkets every week from December 2013 to July 2015, archiving a snapshot of each page. The Economist analyzed the data (1.5 terabytes of information), which included a total of $50 million worth of deals for 360,000 sales on dark web sites Agora, Evolution and Silk Road 2. Out of the 360,000 sales, around 38,000 were for marijuana, making cannabis the most popular drug.
Dangerous Weapons
What’s scary is that it is very easy for anyone in the world to obtain a variety of extremely dangerous weapons via the dark web. They can purchase C4 explosives, various firearms and ammunition. In order to escape the interference of law enforcement, vendors will use specially shielded packages. The weapons may also be placed in hidden toys and electronics.
Forged Documents
With the existence of illicit marketplaces such as Onion Identity Services, one can obtain driver’s licenses, fake IDs, college diplomas and even passports. A U.S. driver’s license is said to cost around $200. To get a U.S. passport, you would have to pay several thousand dollars.
What makes this so terrifying is that such easy access to these type of documents can end up in the hands of some of the most evil human beings in the world —international terrorists.
Hitman Services
These days, it is not difficult for one to find services from real hitmen. There are plenty of sites out there that accept payment in bitcoin. For some, in order to convince clients that their business is 100% real, they provide photographs of the people they have killed.
Websites that offer hitman services are not only found on the deep web. There is also one that can be found on the surface web. The website called Hire-A-Killer.com can be found simply by typing the URL into any standard browser. With a credit card, one can book a hit.
Update: Hire A Killer is no longer available on the surface web.
Access To Hackers
Some come to the dark net to hire hackers offering their services. With the world’s sensitive information at their fingertips, the dark side of the Internet has become a hacker’s paradise.
Even big companies with the best cybersecurity available cannot stop them. It seems like everyday you hear about another major cyberattack. In May 2017, the WannaCry ransomware attack was the biggest cyberattack ever. A hacker group infected more than 200,000 computers in over 150 countries, demanding $300 – $600 payments in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
Human Organ Sales
Today, it is illegal to sell your organs in the United States. Perhaps one day that will all change. Without the long wait for an organ such as a liver, one can only imagine how many lives could be saved.
Somewhere in the dark web lies an inventory of live human organs. Below is a list of organs and ballpark prices for each according to the American bi-monthly magazine Popular Science.
Kidneys: $200,000
Hearts: $120,000
Livers: $150,000
Pair Of Eyeballs: $1,500
5 Sites That Will Never Be On The Surface Web
The following 5 sites can only be found on the dark web. Under the name of the first 3 is a screenshot from the actual site. You will also find a link to a list that provides access to some of the most evil places imaginable.
Hitman Network
Hitman Network is a dark web site that claims to be a team of three contract killers who provide services in the United States, Canada and the European Union. For those who refer their friends to the site, they can earn commission. They could earn 1% from each purchase their friends make. There are only two rules on Hitman Network: no children under 16 and no top 10 politicians.
Sanctioned Suicide
Instead of a site created for the prevention of suicide, this one is a “how-to” website. Sanctioned Suicide is a forum designed for people to vent and discuss stories related to suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts. It is also a place for members to talk about the many different ways they can take their own lives.
The Human Experiment
According to DeepWeb-Sites.com, the most disturbing site on the entire dark web is The Human Experiment. This place is a warehouse filled with the scariest human experiments performed on the living. Some of the experiments include various type of torture such as injecting bleach into pregnant women, starvation, sterilisation and radiation exposure. It is believed that these terrible people do their sick experiments on homeless people.
Here is their disturbing tagline: Not all humans are equal, for some of them, were born superior to others.
Rent-A-Hacker
Rent-a-Hacker is a popular darknet site where users can easily order a variety of different types of hacking jobs such as breaking into someone’s Facebook or bank account. It all starts with the simple creation of a Rent-a-Hacker account, and some bitcoins.
People in Coffins
At People in Coffins, one can view images of people in coffins before the casket closes, which according to DeepWeb-Sites.com — involves necrophilia.
To view a list of links to some of the most terrible places on the dark web, visit thehiddenwiki.org.