When george lucas invented star Wars perhaps he didn’t imagine that the Dark Side of the Force would gain so much weight in the 21st century. We all have a dark side that we only show at certain times or to certain people. On the Internet, in this endless and immediate window to content, we can find many links that lead us to discover information or events that are not offered to us by ordinary search tools.

It’s a dark side he doesn’t lead Sith Lord Darth Sidious and his disciples, but by the many people who pull the strings in a covert way to “sell” sensitive content to a wide audience. We all know browsers like Edge, Safari or Chrome and search engines like Google or Bing. But they only give us access to the superficial and transparent layer of the Internet.

Onion and its layers

As if it were an onion, under the first layer we find the second. Not indexed by search engines, so they include protected content that can only be accessed if you are part of a private forum or group. Since search engines do not catalog these pages, we will need an exact link to access them. This includes medical consultations, government sites or specific records.

If you dig a little deeper, you will reach the deepest layer; the heart of our onion. The dark web or Dark Web requires special software to access it. You must install a virtual private network (VPN) and use a central privacy browser such as tor network for connecting through proxy servers and nodes. In this way, confidentiality and security will be achieved. Thanks to the Tor browser, we will have access to special domains with the extension .onion.

Is the dark web synonymous with crime?

What needs to be hidden in order to be present on the web is not always appropriate or legal content. Issues related to terrorism, drugs or weapons are commonplace on the dark web and can be easily viewed and even acquired by those with access.

According to him 2022 Kela Threat Intelligence Report, 48% companies do not have data protection policies in place against data theft from the dark web, despite the latent threat it poses.

But despite everything, the dark web is also happening spokesman Social for those people who live in areas where censorship prevails and freedom of expression does not exist. Journalists, lawyers or protest groups find allies in the Dark Web to express their views and ideals against political and police oppression.

The Dark Side of the Internet: How to Access the Dark Web

What are the risks of the Dark Web?

There are several dangers lurking when entering the dark web. They are the closest illegal or clandestine markets based on the sale of drugs, weapons, forged documents or stolen information. Being on the dark web or purchasing these items with cryptocurrency does not prevent tracking. The frauds They are very common. The visiting extreme content they make us their accomplices and even more so if we proceed to download said offending material.

To walk the dark web, you have to walk with lead feetbecause they are very popular malware which include Trojan horses, exploit kits or ransomware to steal information and compromise our devices. They can also expose us to trials phishing.

How to get on the dark web?

WITH virtual private network (VPN) we will hide our location and hide from illegal wiretapping. To top it all off, we choose the location we want to appear from and the VPN will use a number of servers to make it difficult to trace our IP. With a VPN, you can access geo-blocked content, so the best options are based on pre-paid subscription services. As we have already mentioned, Tor browser It will be the browser we need to use to avoid online fingerprints and trackers.

Using the Dark Web is legal in most countries, what is not allowed is its use for criminal purposes. In fact, in countries like China or Iran, staying in the shadow of the Internet is not seen much. There are constant reports of police crackdowns on illegal activities through the Dark Web. It came out in the media recently messages from the teacher of the private school Virgen de Europa in Boadilla del Monte (Madrid) who recorded his students changing and then devoted himself to uploading said pedophile material to the dark web.

You all know the hit Netflix series “Narcos”. Well, those past events that are related also extend into the present in a digitized way, via the dark web. In fact, in Mexico, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) operate freely on the dark web. behind the simple appearance of the pharmacy. Users can order up to a kilo of cocaine and have it available in less than 48 hours.