The History of the Internet from the dark side until now.

All things that happen are a way for a better future.

Get ready for a series of articles where you’ll learn hidden facts about the world of the Web and ways to gain new knowledge.

PART 1

“Technology is best when it brings people together.” – Matt Mullenweg

Are you curious about the whole history of the digital iceberg in the world of the Internet?

The Web is more than you can imagine. Think of a real iceberg, where the tip of it sticks out above the water, you can see the top, but you can’t see most of the iceberg.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is similar to an iceberg, it is full of information and almost impossible to explore in depth.

We’ve created a series of 4 articles that will take you through the World Wide Web. We’ll look at the dark side of the Web and the benefits it has brought so far.

The websites you visit every day are only a small part of the whole Web.

The internet is made up of three parts:

1. the Surface Web,
2. the Deep Web,
3. the Dark Web.

As a complement to the whole iceberg already in existence, we have the new Sourceless Web, which sits on top of the iceberg, it is the cloud that watches over and complements the whole of the www so far.

We’ll start from the dark depths of the Internet; this is the Dark Web, an enigma to most of the people.

What is the Dark Web?

The term “Dark Web” refers to encrypted online content that is not indexed by search engines. The Dark Web is a secret network that exists underground and is made up of multiple websites that are hidden from the general public. This means that they are not accessible through traditional search engines such as Google, Opera, Internet Explorer etc.

Certain browsers can be used to access the Dark Web, one of which is TOR Browser.

Tor is a software tool where you have an anonymous image representing The Onion Router.

Unlike regular web browsers, Tor Browser encrypts and routes traffic through multiple servers around the world to hide your IP address and provide private browsing.

All domains in the Tor network end with the top-level domain .onion (instead of .com ). There are multiple layers of encryption that give you the privacy to browse safely.

What can you find on the Dark Web?

Surely, you’ve heard at least once about cybercrime. This area is divided into two camps, the illegal and the legitimate form depending on one’s desires.

People who do illegals and are not particularly interested in money. Most of the time they get information about companies, people, card details and more. This information becomes a “commodity” in the Dark Web world, where it is sold.

Most attention is paid to online markets for drugs, stolen data exchanges and other illegal activities when people think of the Dark Web.

You can buy credit card numbers, drugs, guns, fake money, stolen subscription credentials, hacked Netflix accounts and software that “helps” you hack into other people’s computers. You can hire hackers, to attack the computers you want and you can buy usernames and passwords. It all sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, where almost anything is possible on the dark web.

Researchers Daniel Moore and Thomas Rid of King’s College London classified the content of 2,723 dark websites over a five-week period in 2015 and found that 57% hosted illegal material.

A 2019 study, Into the Web of Profit , by Dr. Michael McGuires of the University of Surrey, shows things have gotten worse.

The number of dark web listings that could harm a business has increased by 20% since 2016. Of all listings (excluding those selling drugs), 60% could harm businesses.

Dark Web benefits

The second category are legitimate reasons why people choose to use the Dark Web, including political dissidents and people who want to keep certain information private. Using the Dark Web, people keep their privacy and can freely express their opinions.

Pros

• Ensures privacy and freedom of expression;
• Enables law enforcement to identify criminal organizations.

Cons

• Makes it easier to engage in criminal activity;
• Can be used to violate the privacy of others.

Almost anything can be bought on the Dark Web, as long as you’re willing to pay!

History of the Dark Web

Many people still believe that the Dark Web was created by evil people with cyber knowledge. The reality is different, it was created by the United States government.

For most of history, there has been a global network of American spies collecting information for the US. With the advent of the web in the 1990s, information became increasingly digitized and there was no longer a need for these spies to transmit their reports through less-than-secure means, such as radios or letters.

The Internet and new cryptographic theologies replaced the old means of communication.

The US Naval Research Laboratory started a programme that in 1995 would eventually become The Onion Router. With the Tor, agencies had an encrypted line of communication with their field agents.

Is it illegal to join the Dark Web?

It is not illegal to access the Dark Web, everyone is free to express themselves as they wish.

However, each thing can be positive or negative for society, it’s up to everyone how they apply it. Imagine a knife, with it you can cut a loaf of bread, or stab someone, that’s how this world is.

It actually gives people privacy and anonymity that traditional websites don’t give individuals. For example, people in Russia can go on the Dark Web and express their thoughts about the war that’s going on without fear of being reprimanded by government officials.

Have you ever accessed the dark web?

If so, what was your experience?

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