What Makes The Dark Web Dangerous?

If you’ve been using the internet for quite a while, chances are that you’ve heard about the phrase Deep Web, or perhaps the Dark Web, both of which are sometimes used interchangeably even though they happen to have different things. For starters, the deep web is simply the larger part of the internet (about 99%) that is not accessible by conventional browsers like Yahoo, Google, or Bing. On the other hand, the dark web is part of the deep web that mostly contains sites with illegal content and is normally used to anonymously provide all manners of unlawful goods and services.

The outstanding thing about the dark web is that it offers anonymity which makes it secure for people dealing in illegitimate endeavors. Access to this entity requires a distinct web browser named Tor, which makes even the user and their location untraceable. The Tor is used with VPN and works by bouncing off a user’s location, making it difficult to be detected. Although Tor was initially created to assist special groups of people like whistle-blowers, it has been exploited by criminals significantly to drive their personal vendetta.

To get back to the main point of this article, a majority of people are unaware of the dangers that sites on the dark web pose. Perhaps you’re one of the many people who’s been wondering what is the dark net? Now that you know a thing or two about what it entails, it pays to understand the dangers that lurk behind using the dark web.

Without further ado, here are some pointers that seek to explain what makes the dark web dangerous.

The Risk of Getting Scammed

Due to the fact that activities on the dark web happen with a lot of anonymity, it is not hard for users to find themselves falling victims to online scams. Remember that when purchasing anything over this part of the web, you’re doing so anonymously and there’s also no way you can trace the person selling the item or service to you. For this reason, you can lose your money in the snap of a finger and you have no one to blame but yourself for that. Additionally, transactions on these sites use cryptocurrency, which also offers guaranteed anonymity.

Risk of ID Theft

As previously mentioned, the dark web is full of all sorts of people. These include hackers and other types of cyber criminals. While you may also be accessing these sites anonymously, some dark web users are huge super tech-savvy individuals with an intent to rob people of their identities, access their funds or even use them for their own malicious purposes. Over this part of the World Wide Web, you can never really tell for sure who you’re engaging with and what their true intentions.

Cyber Criminals and Mistaken Identity

As earlier mentioned, the dark web is a place where cybercriminals maraud looking for the next unlawful act to pull off. This means that there a high possibility of getting yourself caught up in something illegal even if it wasn’t your intention when using this portion of the web. And needless to mention, federal operatives and law enforcement officers also use the dark web in pursuit of cyber criminals and other suspects of unlawful acts. It can put you in a bad light with the authorities if you’re in one way or another, found associating with cybercriminals, even without your knowledge.

Malware and Viruses

Today, most viruses and malware actually transmit over the dark web. When browsing through sites on the darknet, there are higher chances of coming into contact with malware and ransomware, which could end up crippling your business or even stealing your crucial personal data. According to Motherboard, some of the most common malware programs that dark web user’s risk includes Vawtrack, Skynet, and Nionspy, among others.

Danger to Minors

In this world of technology, you might be surprised by the things that an 8th grader can do with a computer. As a matter of fact, some of them actually frequent the dark web. It doesn’t take rocket science to know that when browsing the darknet, kids and minors stand a high risk of coming into contact with all sorts of bad guys, including cyberbullies, child traffickers, and potential ransom abductors.

In summary, there’s no big harm in accessing the deep web if you know the risks. With the above pointers, you can easily make a decision as to whether or not to access the dark web for one purpose or the other. Also, remember to avoid getting caught up at the wrong place at the wrong time and protect your kids from this part of the web, perhaps by educating them about the various dangers to their risk.