The Deep Web (also called Invisible or Hidden) is Internet content that is not indexed by search engines. This Deep Web not to be confused with the dark web, the dark web that is included in it, but they are not the same. If you are not familiar with these virtual worlds, as large as they are unknown to the general public, in this article we will inform you about the basic aspects that you need to know, how to access them and also the precautions that need to be taken.

Concept and size

The concept of the “Deep Internet” was introduced by Michael K. Bergman in the 1990s. white paper titled “The Deep Web: Surfacing Hidden Value”. Contrary to what many people think, its purpose was not intentionally to define a hidden network, but what was commented above: to define content that regular search engines won’t find for any reason, from password-protected sites to non-indexable formats because it is html content.

There is a lot of controversy about the size that the Deep Web can take on the entire Internet. Some authors have calculated its size up to 500 times higher than the surface Internet, although today other analysts are discounting it a lot after the explosion of social networks; the capacity of current search engines or the record amount of data moved by mobile devices.

One of the most accurate studies was carried out at the University of Berkeley, and estimates calculated the hidden occupation of the Internet at 91,000 terabytes and more than 300,000 websites. something that cannot be confirmed its own structurebut impressive all the same. The numbers that are worked out for this underworld of the Internet are impressive, though certainly dwarfed by the portion of the Internet we use on a daily basis.

Deep web content

Movies and documentaries have made the Deep Web synonymous with the dark web, and that is a false statement. But yes, since this is included in the first, it has led many critics to consider this whole world as a a hideout for criminals where any clearly illegal product or service can be found.

drug and arms trafficking; black market of all kinds; pornography that falls outside any parameters we might consider “standard”; pederasts; contract killers; Manuals for making weapons or bombs; counterfeit money; selling exploits and contracting for all types of malicious development and/or attacks; software piracy; various mafias: terrorism and even organ trafficking and petty trading. Basically, everything bad from the physical world transferred to the virtual, through darknets (darknets), networks with limited access that are used primarily for dubious activities.

Certainly, by their very architecture, these netherworlds attract the worst of their ilk it was not its original purpose nor the one of most interest to most mortals. Some authors discount what these criminal activities represent overall and within the inner sub-levels of the dark web itself, some without public access.

Fortunately, the Deep Web offers more than just crime and general guarantees -certain- anonymity when exchanging information, for example, to users who had the misfortune of being born in countries with dictatorial regimes. Also, groups of “normal” citizens who seek this anonymity and who engage in forums with a variety of topics that may be geeky, quirky, alternative or specialized, but far from criminal activity.

Organizations like NASA store huge amounts of scientific research data there, and there are databases of all kinds that account for a significant portion of the total. Wikileaks started offering classified documents with sensitive content on the network before it even reached the general public, and several massive services like Facebook have mirror pages that allow you to use the social network in a more private way. Of course, there are all kinds of tools such as browsers, email clients or custom search engines.

How to get on the Deep Web

The Deep Web is not accessed in the same way as the Surface Internet, which we all know through a browser, mainly because of it encrypted url type http://kpvz7ki2v5agwt322(dot)onion. It is speculated that there are many more in the sub-levels, but anyway their access is trivial for any user.

There are other methods of access, but the easiest and most used for the layman is through Tor, an Open Source project for distributed communication. which strives for anonymity at the network level, keeps the information that travels through it secret and allows users to move around the Internet without leaving a trace. The TOR network is not designed to contain hidden material, much less to protect criminal activities, but to improve privacy, which in theory can be achieved, as achieving 100% anonymity is impossible in today’s world.

The Tor Browser Bundle is a package that allows us to connect to the Tor network. It has versions for Windows, Linux, macOS and Android that can be used both on the surface Internet and to access the Deep Web. This is a tweaked ‘Firefox’ that can be installed or used in Live mode from a USB flash drive and flash drive. In addition to allowing easy access to the deep web, it must be said that its use has skyrocketed across all networks, especially after learning about the NSA mass surveillance scandals.

It is impossible to understand the workings of the Deep Web without Bitcoin, because a decentralized electronic currency and independent of central issuers is the official currency, the preferred payment method and used for all that the Invisible Internet has to offer, good and bad. Despite its detractors, uncertainties and fluctuating value, Bitcoin is becoming more and more used, and if you want to buy a product or service on the Deep Web, you will need to have a wallet for this electronic currency.

Preventive measures

As we have seen, accessing the deep web is quite easy using TOR. But the chance of multiple upsets is just as easy for the reasons mentioned and for that reason the Dark Internet included. Therefore, it is advisable to take preventive measures with regard to the following:

– He accessing the Deep Web is outright illegal in some countries like China where just uploading TOR will land you in jail.

– Be careful when downloading files. There is a high probability that you will be infected if you do not know exactly where the downloaded file came from and what pages you visited. A good security solution, firewall and other protection software are mandatory. Proxy, VPN… any type of network level protection is also welcome.

– Anonymity is not complete. Documents leaked by former CIA technician Edward Snowden revealed the US National Security Agency’s espionage on the TOR network, compromising the computer equipment of specific users and thus being able to spy on their activities. Complete privacy does not exist on the Deep Web either. It is strongly recommended that you browse through a proxy and if possible from computers that you do not use for your normal internet activities.

– Be careful where you go, what you look for, and what you do. The “invisible” internet, including the Dark Web, includes the worst of the worst, and although not everything is available, you can find downright vomitous images or videos. Plus all kinds of illegal activities. Where there are criminals, there are security forces, and it is not impossible to find out your real IP no matter how many precautions you take. Carefully!

– Avoid the dark web if you don’t feel completely safe and aware of where you are, distinguishing the dark web from accessing legal services on the Deep Web