how to hire hackers on the darkweb

Introduction：

1、How to Access the Dark Web： Step-by-Step Tutorial (and a Few Words of Caution)

2、How to Get on the Dark Web： A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Access the Dark Web： Step-by-Step Tutorial (and a Few Words of Caution) ♂

　　Did you know that Google only shows you a glimpse of all the websites that actually exist? The last time I checked, it’s estimated that the entire web is roughly 500 times larger than what Google returns in Google Search.

　　The portion of the web that most internet users browse on a daily basis is what’s known as the “surface web.” This is the part of the web that is readily accessible by the general public and is indexed by Google, Bing, and other search engines.

　　All the websites and content that isn’t being shown on the “surface web” is generally referred to by many as the “deep web”, “dark web”, or “invisible web.”

　　The deep web is made up of content that search engines such as Google do not index. Such data includes medical records, financial information, research papers, private forums and networks, and other content.

　　The dark web is web content that exists on darknets, which are overlay networks on the internet that require specialized software, configurations, and authorization to access. Perhaps the best-known tool used to access the dark web is the Tor browser. (More about that later.)

　　The invisible web is made up of data and information that is not indexed and cannot be searched for by using traditional search engines. Content includes non-indexed websites, apps, and resources, which can include protected information such as, online banking, specialized databases, non-linked and password-protected websites, and more. It includes media and archives which cannot be crawled and indexed with current search engine technology.

　　It might sound weird that Google doesn’t index these pages, but it does carry some logical sense. Google’s purpose is to show the most relevant information to all of its users quickly and easily. That means that Google wants to minimize the amount of time users spend searching for certain queries.

　　Google considers the majority of the content on the entire web highly irrelevant and useless to its users. That’s why such a large percentage (as much as 94%) of the entire web is not returned in Google Search.

　　The content of all these pages is stored on Google’s servers, but it’s mostly outdated, old content; smartphone app content; journals; court records; private social media profiles, and much more.

　　So, even though it does exist on the internet, Google doesn’t index any of these pages or content.

　　But, how can you get access to all these websites, pages, and information on the deep web and dark web if they can’t be found through Google, Bing, or Yahoo? How do you navigate these websites? Is it safe to visit these pages?

　　In this guide, I’ll give you the answer to these questions, as well as information about various other interesting deep web-related topics.

　　First, let me explain that this article is intended for users who want to use the dark web for legal and needed purposes, such as finding censored news, blocked websites, and other much-needed services.

　　Pixel Privacy believes in digital privacy and does not believe in using it for heinous and/or illegal activities, and so the focus of this article will be on legal activities.

　　But before we get into that, it’s important to understand the differences between the surface web, deep web, and dark web.

　　Source

　　The surface web (often referred to as the “visible web”) is the portion of the web available to the general public and indexed in the standard web search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

　　Typically, any reference to the visible web will be to common websites with a familiar internet domain extension.

　　Another word for domain extension is top-level domain (TLD). It’s the last part of an internet domain name, stated after the last dot. For example, Google.com and PixelPrivacy.com both belong to the “.com” top-level domain.

　　So, sites that contain a domain extension like .com, .org, .net, .biz, .info, etc. can be found on the surface web. In addition, the content on the pages don’t need any special or custom configuration to access.

　　According to Search Engine Land, in 2013, Google said that they knew about 30 trillion pages. In 2016 Google knew about a staggering 130 trillion individual pages (and this number is growing constantly). This was also Google’s latest official update on how many pages are in their database.

　　So, that means that the number of pages increased by over 100 trillion in just over three years. Hypothetically speaking, Google may be aware of well over 200 trillion individual pages (these are obviously NOT all indexed in the search engine).

　　As of October 2022, the total number of pages Google has indexed is around 58 billion individual pages.

　　If we make a simple calculation by using the total number of indexed pages by Google and the total number of known pages (my estimation of total known pages at this point), we can guess what percentage is indexed.

　　48 billion x 100(%) / 200 trillion = 0.024

　　That means that only 0.024% of all the known pages are findable in Google’s search engine. The users only have access to a fraction of the available data and web pages.

　　The majority of the web is called the “deep web” (often referred to as the “invisible” or “hidden” web). The deep web is basically all the content that you can’t find using Google or Yahoo search.

　　Everyone can access the deep web. You don’t need special tools or a special browser like you need to access the dark web (more about that later). Anyone can access the deep web by using specialized search engines, dedicated web directories, and other sources that can help you find the data or information.

　　Here’s a list of deep web search engines:

　　The WWW Virtual Library

　　Stumpedia

　　Archive.org

　　Science.gov

　　Wolfram Alpha

　　For example, you can only find your Facebook friends, photos, and other information by logging into your Facebook account and finding the information there. On the deep web, you can find such “private” information on web pages.

　　You can also find email messages, online bank statements, and much more information on the deep web – information that is usually private and inaccessible by the public on the surface web.

　　Government institutions, researchers, academics, and large enterprises store vast amounts of data on the deep web, but it’s impossible to access by the general public without using one of the deep web search engines I mentioned above.

　　The deep web contains sites and pages that are often prevented from being indexed by search engines and contain unlinked content. Such content is created by dynamic web pages. It can also reside in web archives, non-HTML pages, and so forth.

　　For example, the deep web is often a platform used by political activists who own a blog. But it also contains other news and religious sites, private discussion forums, and medical records.

　　You could compare the deep web with our knowledge about the oceans. Although oceans cover more than 70% of our planet, we have only explored 5% of it. That’s only a fraction of what’s out there, which is identical to what’s available to the general public on the surface web.

　　The University of California, Berkeley researched the size of the deep web. Their research estimated the size of the deep web to be around 7.5 petabytes. To put that number into perspective: 7.5 petabytes is 7,500 terabytes, and the surface web contains 19 terabytes. As I mentioned previously, 19 terabytes is only 0.253% of the deep web.

　　The dark web (often referred to as the “dark net”, “black web”, or “black net”) is a small section of the deep web that is hidden and kept inaccessible to regular internet users on purpose.

　　Unlike the surface and deep web, you can’t access the dark web via a standard or specialized search engine. To access the dark web, you’ll need a specific set of tools – more about that later in the step-by-step section.

　　The dark web is infamous for containing sites such as Silk Road and other marketplaces where users could potentially buy drugs and/or weapons, stolen credit cards, IDs, and much more.

　　Silk Road became one of the most famous online black markets on the dark web for illegally selling drugs.

　　But human trafficking, illegal pornography featuring underaged victims, money laundering, and assassinations are also examples of the darkest corners on the dark web.

　　While I know that none of my readers are looking to engage in any of the activities I’ve mentioned, I felt that it was important for my readers to be aware of the dangers that lurk on the dark web.

　　The dark web addresses are a randomly-scrambled sequence that generates URLs, mostly hard to remember ones. For example, the URL of Silk Road is rather unintelligible and may look something like “gan4arvj452janndj4a76.onion”.

　　The power of the dark web is the anonymity factor. Absolutely no one knows who’s surfing on the dark web, who is selling, who is buying or anything like that – as long as you take the correct safety and online privacy precautions.

　　The users of the dark web are typically aiming to block governments from snooping on them. This can often be for political reasons, but also because they may be involved in illegal activities, such as the ones listed above.

　　However, not all usage of the dark web is for illegal intent. Social networks, such as Facebook, have created dark web versions of their sites to address privacy problems related to their surface web versions. ExpressVPN had created a .onion version of its website to allow greater privacy and anonymity for Tor browser users. However, the link to the site appears to no longer work.

　　The release of Freenet in 2000 is considered by many as the start or founding of the dark web. University of Edinburgh student Ian Clarke created Freenet as a thesis project. Freenet was originally intended to provide a way to anonymously interact online, providing ways to communicate, exchange information and files, and to otherwise communicate incognito.

　　In 2002 the dark web began to grow significantly when researchers backed by the U.S. Naval Research laboratory built and released the Tor Network. The Tor Network provided a way to open safe communication channels for political dissidents, while also offering a channel for American intelligence operatives to communicate from around the globe. Journalists in overly restrictive countries also appreciate the anonymity of the dark web.

　　Later on, the underlying Tor code was released into the wild under a free license, leading to the formation of the Tor Project. In 2008, the first Tor Browser was released, making it easier for any internet users to access the dark web.

　　As you can imagine, bad actors around the world would be attracted to any method of keeping their illegal activities undercover, and began to appreciate the dark web as a place to more or less safely conduct their activities.

　　You can’t access the dark web with a normal browser. Those who access the dark web do so via the Tor (The Onion Router) browser.

　　The core principle of the Tor network was first developed by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory mathematicians and computer scientists in the mid-1990s. The U.S. Army developed “onion routing” to protect intelligence communications online.

　　The purpose was to protect U.S. army soldiers and agents in the field, but also politicians who held secret meetings and conversations, which contained the highest security measures.

　　The dark web is a very popular platform for journalists, political bloggers and political news publishers, and in particular, those living in countries where censorship shields most of the internet.

　　People in these countries potentially face political imprisonment, and freedom of speech is not absolute, such as in Iran, where users who express opposition to the mullahs running the country are harassed and/or jailed.

　　Especially for these people, the dark web is the perfect platform to communicate and publish information without having to worry about imprisonment or any other form of retribution.

　　The dark web is also a haven for whistleblowers and information leakers. For example, Edward Snowden uses the Tor network.

　　The same anonymity that publishers enjoy on the dark web can be utilized by users who want to read the available information. Again, people who live in countries where the freedom of the internet is limited, for example in China, can really benefit from using Tor.

　　Lastly, the dark web is also used by activists and revolutionaries (like Anonymous). The dark web serves as a platform where activists can organize gatherings in secret, without the fear of giving away their plans or position to the government.

　　We’ve also previously mentioned the “dark users” that use the dark web for illegal reasons, but the less said about them, the better.

　　As you are now familiar with the three different sections within the entire world wide web, let’s take a closer look at how you can access the dark web anonymously.

　　There are a number of services and tools available on the dark web, many of which can be used for nefarious purposes. However, at least some of the services are relatively harmless.

　　Let’s start with the relatively harmless.

　　There are multiple search engines on the dark web that can help you find what you’re looking for. DuckDuckGo’s no-track dark web search service can be accessed in the Tor browser and is an excellent resource for information about the dark web. Other dark web search engines include Not Evil, Torch, Haystack, and Ahmia.

　　The “Hidden Wiki” (which can be accessed in a normal browser) offers a large collection of dark web links, but be careful, as many of those links are to dangerous websites.

　　As for the nefarious services and tools, they can easily be found on the dark web.

　　Ransomware-as-a-service is certainly available there, as users can purchase scripts, code, and other tools that can be used to perform encryption of other users’ data, allowing bad actors with little experience to hold data for ransom.

　　Data gleaned from ransomware and data breaches is available on the dark web. Millions of customers’ personal data, including names, addresses, bank account and credit card account information, and many other forms of sensitive data.

　　Business operational data, such as operational data, financial data, intellectual property, and trade secrets can be found on the dark web.

　　Darknet markets facilitate transactions for illegal goods and services. Silk Road was one of the first dark web marketplaces and it allowed users to trade multiple types of nefarious goods and services, including weapons and identity fraud resources. While many dark marketplaces have been shut down by authorities, new ones soon appear in their place.

　　Hackers sell their services on the dark web. Hacker services against banks and other financial institutions are offered there.

　　It has been estimated that a large percentage of dark web traffic is related to illegal pornography that includes underage victims.

　　The dark web is a decentralized web, which means that the data is stored on many different servers around the world.

　　The majority of the users on the dark web use the Tor (The Onion Router) browser. A vast number of URLs have domain endings such as “.onion”, which means that the URLs are only accessible by Tor users.

　　The Tor browser is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.

　　So, to get into the Tor network, follow the steps I’ve listed below.

　　It’s important to arm yourself with a good VPN (Virtual Private Network) when you want to enter the dark web to protect your privacy and anonymity.

　　The dark web is built to do things anonymously, but only if you take action to maintain your privacy. It’s especially important to take your privacy seriously if, strictly out of curiosity, you want to browse the market places on the dark web. (But seriously, stay out of there. Nothing good or legal is sold on dark web websites – that’s what Amazon is for.)

　　It’s not a secret that ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and the FBI are tracking Tor users. Obviously not all Tor users, but you never know whether someone might be looking into you.

　　Your ISP can’t see which websites you’re visiting on the dark web when you’re using Tor, but they might be able to predict or assume you are using Tor if they analyze your monitored internet traffic.

　　But again, your ISP won’t be able to see any of the content you’re reading or what you are sending and receiving through the Tor network.

　　When you install a VPN, all of your activities on the dark web will be hidden from unwanted snoops from your ISP or the FBI. The VPN is a second layer of extra protection, on top of the protection that the Tor network already offers.

　　That means that when Tor is compromised, or perhaps there’s a new vulnerability exploit in the Tor network, a VPN will still protect your privacy. The compromised Tor exploit might trace back to you, but then again, your VPN will lead it somewhere else – which makes it impossible to be traced back to you.

　　Additionally, VPNs protect you from hackers who might be after your personal information or payment details. (And hackers are a big problem, especially on Dark Web websites. Read more about this in the “Words of Caution” section.)

　　It’s important to choose the best VPN based on a few key points. First, it’s essential that your VPN is not keeping any logs. Second, the VPN must be compatible with Tor. Third, a VPN should be fast.

　　There are several other things to look for in a good VPN. Want to know more? Read my in-depth guide on VPNs if you’d like to have more information on the topic.

　　Check out my article about the best VPNs for Tor to see my top picks, and why!

　　It’s impossible to access the dark web with a regular browser like Chrome or Safari.

　　Instead, you need to get the Tor browser to access the dark web. Make sure that when you download the Tor file, it’s from their official website.

　　Before you download the Tor browser, remember to activate your VPN first!

　　So, once you’ve activated your VPN and your privacy is secured, it’s time to visit Tor’s official download page.

　　Then, simply click the operating system that you are using and download the file. The site offers downloads for macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android. While an iOS version of the official Tor browser is not available, there are Tor-compatible browsers available in the App Store.

　　Now that you’ve completed the download, it’s time to install the Tor browser on your device. (The installation instructions that follow are for the macOS platform, I’ll mention where it’s different for Windows.) Simply double-click the downloaded file in your download folder.

　　Windows users will see the installation app start. Follow the prompts to install the app. macOS users will need to drag and drop the Tor Browser icon to the Applications folder. (You can do that within the window that opened when you double-clicked the downloaded file.)

　　Note for Mac users:

　　You won’t be able to run the “TorBrowser” if you disabled installations of unidentified developers.

　　Go to System Preferences

　　Click on “Security & Privacy”

　　Click on “Open Anyway” at the bottom of the page

　　A confirmation pop-up will show. Click on “Open.”

　　It’s time to fire up the engines! Start the Tor browser by double-clicking on “Start Tor Browser” (for Windows) or “TorBrowser” (for Mac users).

　　The Tor browser will open up a browser window. From this point onwards, you can enjoy complete anonymity and security while being able to access “.onion” websites and other dark web browser domains.

　　Since you’ve now installed the Tor browser, you can safely browse dark web websites and other (previously) hidden websites.

　　But, if you are planning to do more than just browse Tor sites and, for example, you plan to purchase goods via the Tor network (for your own good, stick to the legal stuff), it’s important to take some extra precautions.

　　If you want to buy something on the dark web, it’s a best practice to create a fake identity. I strongly urge you that if you’re looking to purchase items on the web, stick to websites like Amazon, where there is at least a way to resolve issues with unreceived items and such.

　　However, if you must buy items from the dark web, set up a secure, encrypted email with CounterMail or ProtonMail. For more information, read more about the most secure email service providers in my other post.

　　Then, you want to create an anonymous Bitcoin wallet.

　　Next, disable Javascript in your Tor browser to prevent malicious scripts from attacking your browser sessions. You can disable Javascript by clicking on “Preferences” in the macOS app or “Settings” in the Windows app.

　　Then, click “Privacy & Security” in the browser window that appears.

　　Next, click scroll down to “Security.”

　　Click on “Safest.” As you’ll see, JavaScript and a few other features will be automatically disabled on all sites. Be warned that this may cause some websites to not work properly.

　　The last thing you need to do is to start researching vendors and determine what marketplace is a possible vendor to buy the products from.

　　Obviously, since these websites don’t show up in the Google search engine, it can be a relatively hard task to find them.

　　However, there are several “.onion” search engines like “onion.city”, “onion.to”, and “notevil” that you can use to find suitable marketplaces.

　　Another great source to find and explore dark web marketplaces or other sections is to visit Reddit’s resourceful forum. You can look for information on /r/deepweb, /r/TOR, or /r/onions, of which the latter is useful to find hidden wikis and more. Many of these Reddits have rules prohibiting linking to illegal sites and services, so you likely won’t find anything illegal there.

　　But remember, it’s essential to take all the necessary and important security steps before entering such sites on the dark web. As mentioned before, your ISP and government institutions are not able to see what sites you visit on the Tor network, but they can probably see that you use Tor.

　　(You can also find yourself at risk from hackers, malware, and other hazards. For more information, see the “Words of Caution When Using the Dark Web” section below.)

　　That alone might already raise suspicion and place you under special surveillance. Some reports say the FBI will simply label you a “criminal” once they’re aware you’re using the Tor browser.

　　In addition, a newly-approved law by the U.S. Supreme Court will allow the FBI to search and seize any computer that’s using the Tor browser or VPN. Rule No.41 allows a federal judge to issue a search and seize warrant for any person who is using anonymity software like Tor.

　　All of the above is why I strongly recommend using the dark web not for access to iffy or outright illegal trading of goods and services, but instead to gain access to information you might normally be blocked from.

　　As I mentioned previously, the dark web is quite popular with journalists, political bloggers and news publishers, and others who run the risk of imprisonment in countries like Iran and others.

　　Users who wish to gain access to such information are protected by the same anonymity the publishers of the content enjoy. Well-known news websites, such as ProPublica, have launched deep websites. Meanwhile, Facebook also offers dark web access to their social network.

　　There are alternatives to the “.onion” websites. These alternatives aren’t necessarily safer or cleaner, they are merely alternatives for users wishing to keep their online activities as safe as possible.

　　An alternative to Tor is I2P. I2P can only be used to access hidden sites that are only available on the I2P network.

　　That means that I2P can’t visit “.com” or “.onion” sites because the network is not connected to these servers. In fact, I2P designed its own domain ending structure, called “eepsites.”

　　The advantages of I2P are based on a much faster and more reliable network. Additionally, I2P doesn’t rely on hidden directories that serve as a resource for .onion domains.

　　While the manual configuration process can be quite difficult (manually configuring I2P through your router’s console and selecting ports, while also manually adjusting browser proxy settings), the I2P website does offer configuration packages for multiple device platforms.

　　Freenet is similar to I2P – you can only connect to sites within Freenet’s own network. The platform offers two modes: darknet and opennet.

　　In darknet mode, you can select friends on the network and only connect and share dark web content with them. This enables individuals to form groups and only share content in a highly anonymous network of darknet users who they know.

　　In opennet mode, the network will automatically assign you to other users on Freenet’s network.

　　Opennet connections are easier to use, but darknet connections provide more security against attackers on the network.

　　On top of that, the installation process of Freenet is rather easy. Simply download the file, install the software, and you’re ready to use its web-based interface.

　　It’s no secret that the dark web can be a tricky and dangerous place for the general internet user. In this section, I’ll be covering the risks of the dark web.

　　Due to its absolute anonymity for knowledgeable users, the chance of running into bad people is also realistic, as they can operate relatively freely without the fear of getting caught doing something unlawful.

　　These high levels of anonymity increase the opportunity for the “bad guys” to sell drugs, stolen IDs, credit cards, weapons, and many more compromised products or information.

　　Unfortunately, it’s also a place where the bad guys can offer their services – for example, hackers or hitmen.

　　That’s not all. The dark web is also a place for scammers to attract vulnerable and unwitting victims. The platform is also used by governmental cyber departments to identify and track potential criminals or offenders. This is made easy, because the anonymity works both ways. You can never be sure who’s really behind the other end of the line.

　　There’s a significant risk to dark web users of being exposed to malware (malicious software) infections. There are several programs that hackers frequently use on the dark web.

　　Vawtrak: Its infrastructure was designed to get access to financial accounts.

　　Nionspy: A type of keylogger, logging keystrokes and combinations. It obtains documents, and some of the advanced versions are even able to register audio and video material.

　　Skynet: Hackers use this type of malware to steal Bitcoin. They can also use it to infect computers and use the infected computers in a botnet. Botnets can be used to launch DDoS attacks or to spread other types of malware.

　　If you want to prevent getting infected on the dark web, keep your Tor browser updated to the latest version available, disable JavaScript, Flash and other plug-ins, and use common sense.

　　The dark web is home to both legal and illegal products. You can either sell or buy goods on the dark web, but both present difficulties.

　　When you buy an item on the dark web, you won’t get a tracking code, you can’t be sure whether you’ll actually receive the goods, the seller may also suddenly disappear, the seller might be an impersonator but is actually a law enforcement employee, or the seller might have agreed on a deal with the FBI and is now active as an informer.

　　In any case, I strongly recommend avoiding purchases on the dark web. If the product or service you’re attempting to buy is illegal, you’re running the risk of arrest. If legal items are what you’re in the market for, you’re better protected against fraud and theft by using a site like Amazon.

　　In addition to the brief introduction of “fake” marketplaces on the dark web, dark web users visiting political sites on the Tor network should realize that government-funded cyber teams are on the lookout for such users.

　　This type of government surveillance applies mostly to countries with environments that are hostile to free speech.

　　Government cyber teams can take such websites down, arrest the owners and then use the website to track and follow users that show activity on the website.

　　In combination with that data, and data gathered by other methods and/or tactics may in fact lead to complete exposure and could eventually lead to the police standing at your doorstep.

　　This means that as with any online resource, be careful. Be wary of any new marketplaces popping up on the dark web. Check around with other users and ask if they know anything about the new marketplace.

　　Before connecting to the dark web, make a solid plan. Keep in mind what you’re looking for, find that information, and disconnect from the dark web. As enticing as it might be, don’t follow links to other parts of the dark web.

　　While this is good advice for any type of web browsing, be particularly careful not to offer up any personal details, such as your credit card info or email address. Use cryptocurrency to buy anything, and use a disposable email address for any type of communication on the dark web.

　　If you can use a different machine for your dark web endeavors, it’s best to do so.

　　The advantage of using a dedicated computer just to browse the dark web is that your main computer isn’t exposed to any of the threats or risks tied to entering the dark web. In case of an attack, you can be sure that any of the data or information stored on your main computer will be safe.

　　If it isn’t possible to use a dedicated machine, use a USB stick or DVD to burn a bootable copy of Tails (The Amnesiac Incognito Live System), which is a live Linux distribution that includes the Tor Browser and that can be used on almost any computer that supports booting from the USB or DVD drive.

　　To use Tails, install it on a USB stick. Tails is a mere 1.3 GB download, so on most connections it will download quickly. You can install it on any USB stick that has at least 8 GB of space. Tails works on most computers manufactured in the last 10 years.

　　Simply boot the computer from the Tails USB stick. This allows you to use the computer without the risk of corrupting your computer’s normal operating system with viruses or malware. Tails also protects you from possible malware, viruses, or keystroke loggers that may have already infected the computer, as it doesn’t run the operating system already installed on the device.

　　Tails always starts with a clean slate and any evidence of the activities you engage in while using Tails disappears when you shut down Tails. This includes evidence of any websites you visit, files you open, passwords you use, and even any other devices or networks you connect to. Tails never writes anything to the computer’s hard drive, running only from the RAM of the computer, which is wiped clean when the computer is shut down.

　　If you prefer to do so, you can save some of your files, emails, browser bookmarks, apps, and configurations in an encrypted Persistent Storage area on the USB stick.

　　By default, Tails includes the Tor Browser with an ad blocker, Thunderbird for encrypted emails, KeePassXC to create and manage secure passwords, the LibreOffice suite of apps, and more. All applications are automatically blocked if they try to access the internet without using Tor, Persistent Storage is encrypted by default, and as mentioned above, nothing is ever written to the computer’s hard drive.

　　Anyone can access the dark web, and it’s not that complicated to do so. Just remember, if you want to explore the dark web, be very careful.

　　Simply accessing the dark web and using the Tor browser may already raise government suspicion.

　　Also, there’s a vast amount of unsavory content on the dark web, as well as a significantly high number of hackers and scammers looming on the platform.

　　If you decide to enter the dark web, always make sure to take all the necessary online privacy precautions. Don’t just click and open random pages, files, or emails – always be vigilant when roaming around the dark web.

　　Last but not least, we here at Pixel Privacy never condone illegal activity. Never break the law. Keep in mind that offensive material is always just a click or two away. Browse the dark web safely, and use it for legal purposes only!

How to Get on the Dark Web： A Step-by-Step Guide ♂

　　Dark web, deep web, clear web – it’s confusing. That’s before you try and use the thing. Let’s start with how to access Dark Web websites.

　　So, if you want to learn all about Tor Onion, Silk Road, secret, hush-hush Governmental ops, you came to the right place.

　　The Dark Web is a hidden part of the internet, completely different from the clear web we all use daily. When you search for something on Google or Bing, you’re using the clear web.

　　This is where all the cat videos and trending YouTube songs live, easy to find and access. But even though it seems like there’s a lot out there, this only makes up about 4% of the entire internet. So, you might wonder, what about the other 96%?

　　Let’s break down the deep web and dark web in plain terms.

　　The deep web is just the part of the internet you can’t find with a search engine. It’s not mysterious or spooky; it’s home to everyday things like scientific research, medical records, private financial information, and secure communications.

　　If you’ve ever checked your medical results online through a portal that required a login, you were navigating the deep web. It’s huge, making up about 90% of the internet, but it’s mostly mundane, hidden behind login screens for privacy and security.

　　Now, the dark web? That’s a different story.

　　Think of it as the internet’s wild card. It makes up about 6% of the internet, and it’s where you find everything from illegal marketplaces to forums for whistleblowers.

　　It’s a mixed bag of the very bad and the potentially good, attracting both criminals and those seeking freedom from surveillance for various reasons.

　　Privacy and anonymity are the dark web’s hallmarks, thanks to a network of servers that hide users’ identities and locations.

　　The Tor Onion Browser is essential for accessing the dark web, designed for user anonymity. Unlike the regular internet, the dark web doesn’t use standard URLs or search engines. Instead, sites have complex .onion addresses, making them difficult to find without the exact URL.

　　This part of the internet is notorious for illegal activities, facilitated by the anonymity it offers. Crimes range from data theft and selling illegal goods for cryptocurrencies to human trafficking and more severe offenses.

　　Understanding the dark web, including safe navigation with the Tor Browser, is crucial for anyone interested in internet privacy and security issues, highlighting the balance between anonymity and the potential for misuse.

　　Navigating the dark web requires extra layers of privacy, not just because of its content but due to legal scrutiny. The US Supreme Court has indicated that even casual browsing could lead to legal consequences.

　　A VPN hides your internet activity, making it harder for your connection requests to be traced back to you. It’s a precaution to protect yourself before diving into the dark web. For recommendations on choosing a VPN, look for expert reviews and articles.

　　Don’t use standard browsers like Chrome or Firefox for the dark web. These browsers have tracking technologies that compromise anonymity.

　　Instead, download Tor, the most secure and user-friendly option for accessing .onion sites. Despite some skepticism about its origins and privacy due to its military development, Tor remains the preferred choice for safe dark web navigation.

　　How Tor and VPNs protect you on the dark web

　　Choosing Tor over standard browsers is crucial for dark web navigation due to its unique privacy features.

　　Unlike regular browsers that directly connect to websites via your ISP’s , Tor anonymizes your journey by routing your request through several relays before reaching its destination.

　　Tor relays are servers run by volunteers, designed to keep your activities private and untraceable.

　　By using Tor, and especially in combination with a VPN, your internet signal is encrypted, making it invisible to your ISP. It knows you’re accessing Tor but can’t see beyond that.

　　This multi-layered redirection ensures your actions leave no trace, offering a high level of anonymity.

　　Should I only use a VPN to access the dark web?

　　No, you need more than a VPN to enter the dark web safely. There’s no broad consensus on dark web safety, but you at least need to use Tor and VPN together. Once you have those, there are several ways to tunnel through the dark web.

　　Method I – Tor over VPN

　　Sounds very techie, doesn’t it? Well, it’s really not that complicated – using the Tor over VPN method means connecting to a VPN service before using the Tor browser. Have to say that this is the most popular and safest method to access onion links, and, on my part, a marriage made in Heaven: Tor’s an excellent ‘anonymizer’, while VPN safeguards your privacy.

　　When using this method, Tor will encrypt your request, which will pass through your ISP unhindered. From there, it will go through a VPN server that conceals your IP and wipes geo-locations tags and other elements your Government or ISP might use to track the request.

　　Next step – your request will be transferred to Tor entry nod which in turn transfers to one or more Tor relays. From there, it gets slingshot to several Tor exit nodes. Afterwards, your request will be matched with the appropriate website. Tricky, but effective; that’s why it’s, by far, the best method to access dark web content.

　　Pros of using Tor over VPN:

　　Session logs are not stored (metadata, IP address).

　　Traffic’s completely encrypted.

　　Con(s):

　　It doesn’t offer protection against malicious Tor exit nodes.

　　Method II – VPN over Tor

　　Not very safe, but it’s still useable. Recall how Tor oven VPN works? Well, VPN over Tor is basically its opposite – instead of going through the VPN first, the signal passes through the Tor network, before going through the VPN. Why is this method so unpopular? Because it’s not as safe as Tor over VPN.

　　If the signal goes through the Tor network first, your ISP will be able to see that you are attempting to connect to a Tor node. Though no one should bat an eye just because you’re attempting to access the dark web, keep in mind that in some countries, like the United States, even a simple foray can get you in trouble.

　　Pro(s) of using VPN over Tor:

　　Great if you trust your ISP, but not the VPN provider.

　　Can bypass blocked Tor nodes.

　　ISP can see you trying to access onion content.

　　Susceptible to end-to-end timing attacks.

　　Now, if you want to see what lurks in the dark corners of the Internet but don’t really trust Tor, there are alternatives.

　　Here is a couple of them:

　　I2P – great privacy protection and can access hidden onion links.

　　Matrix.org – an open-source project just like Tor. Great for IoT data transfers, chats, and WebRTC signaling.

　　Orbot – basically a Tor for Android.

　　Globus Secure Browser – paid Tor alternative. VPN-powered. It allows the users to select preferred geolocation. If you want to take it for a spin, Globus features a five-day trial period.

　　Comodo Ice Dragon – Firefox offspin. Employs multiple malware safeguards. Open-source project.

　　FreeNet – open-source project. Sports the Darknet and OpenNet anonymous browsing technologies.

　　I strongly recommend surfing on the dark web using virtual machine software instead of your locally installed Windows. Why? Because it’s easier to contain malware in a virtual environment, which can be fully controlled.

　　It’s like in those movies where the doctors are experimenting on deadly viral strains from behind the safety of a glass enclosure. And, as it happens, there are plenty of VMs to choose from:  Oracle VM Virtualbox, VMware Fusion and Workstations, QEMU, Red Hat Virtualization, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, and Xen Project, just to name a few.

　　Now, if you really want to take the physical storage devices out of the equation, you can use what I like to call a disposable operating system – easy to deploy and to get rid of if you by chance you run into any trouble. All you’ll need is an 8GB thumb drive, an installation package, and a couple of minutes to get things up and running.

　　Let’s dig in.

　　How to install Tails OS

　　Step 1. Get yourself a thumb drive; 8GB will do, but you can buy one with more space if you plan on using it for anything else. Nothing will happen to the stick (probably).

　　Step 2. Hop on the web and download the installation package for Tails OS.

　　Note: Tails is a Linux-based live operating system which can be booted from a USB stick or DVD. I recommend using a stick since DVDs have a read-only function after you’re done burning well and accessing the dark web required a bit of writing.

　　Chill, because nobody will ever find a record of you ever fiddling around the darknet. Note that Tails’ installation package is the .img format, which means that you’ll need software capable of burning images on your thumb drive.

　　My recommendation is Universal USB Installer, which is very intuitive. You can also go along with Rufus. The choice is yours. For this tutorial, I’ve used Universal.

　　Step 3. Insert the stick and do a quick format. Be sure to use FAT32 to root out any compatibility issues. It shouldn’t take longer than a few seconds.

　　Step 4. Download and install Universal USB Installer or Rufus.

　　Step 5. Fire up Universal USB or Rufus.

　　Step 6. Under “Step 1: Select a Linux Distribution from the dropdown to put on your USB” select Tails.

　　Step 7. Under “Step 2: Select your ubuntu*desktop*.iso”, click on the browse button and select the downloaded Tails .img file.

　　Step 8. Under “Step 3: Select your USB Flash Drive Letter Only”, use the dropdown box to select your thumb drive’s letter. If it doesn’t show up, check the “now showing all drives” option.

　　Step 9. Review the info and hit Create when you’re done.

　　Note that the process can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on your machine. Sit back, relax, and wait until the installation’s done. When you’re ready, hit the Close button and you’re all set.

　　Now what? Well, now it’s time to fire up Tails and do a little bit of tinkering.

　　How to boot from USB and configure Tails

　　Bogged about your first boot? No worries. It always hurts the first time. Just follow these steps.

　　Keep the thumb drive in the USB.

　　Restart your computer.

　　After the splash screen appears, press the appropriate Boot Menu key. If you’re tired of randomly pressing keys each time you perform this action, check out this article on hotkeys for the boot menu.

　　Use your keyboard to select the corresponding drive letter. When you’re done, hit Enter.

　　Wait for Tails OS to boot. Since this is the first time, it may take a while. Just be patient.

　　Configure Tails and deploy Tor + VPN. Yes, the latest version of The Onion Router has an in-built VPN.

　　Get ready to discover the dark and sometimes creepy wonders of the dark web.

　　All done installing and configuring Tor? Great! Fire it up and let’s surf. At first glance, Tor doesn’t look that different from your regular browser – it has a search bar, lots of quick-launch icons, the peeled onion icon smack in the middle of the screen. So, now what? Well, let’s start small.

　　Although content on the dark web is not as ‘indexed’ compared to the one on the clear web, you can still use search engines to find stuff. The Hidden Wiki and Grams are the heavyweights here.

　　Yay, now I found everything my heart longs for. Not quite: since the dark web relies on privacy and anonymity, search engines like the Wiki and Grams frequently return false results. No matter – good or not, the Hidden Wiki is a great place to start exploring.

　　Think of the Hidden Wiki as Wikipedia’s evil twin – looks more or less the same, but contains links to various dark web categories: editor’s picks, volunteer, introduction points, financial services, commercial services, email/messaging, drugs (yes, it’s the real deal), blogs & essays, hosting providers, hacking services, darknet radio (nothing shady about that; just some weird electronic tunes and, occasionally, a bit of jazz), literature (mostly resources on hacking, both ethical and black hat).

　　You can also find quick links here to the stuff that makes the dark web pitch-black dark: contract killers, rape, torture, or murder on demand, child pornography.

　　Fortunately, in Hidden Wiki, every website is followed by a brief description so that the user knows what to expect. My advice to you would be to stick with the editor’s pick. You can also take a look at the blogs & essays section if you want to find some nifty coding resources.

　　If you’re feeling chatty, you can always access a chat room. Services like Random Chat connects you with random people using the same service. What happens after that, it’s all to you.

　　You should stay away from everything labeled “porn”, “card skimming services”, “PayPal hacks”, “firearms”, “real fake IDs and passports”. Believe me – there are plenty to go around and each and every one of them are being kept under surveillance. Not to mention the fact that you’ll get exposed to some stuff that will definitely make you take several cold showers.

　　Hidden Wiki’s not the only search engine online.

　　Here are a couple of alternatives in case you get bored with Wiki.

　　DuckDuckGo – also available on the clear web. The best thing about DuckDuckGo is that it doesn’t track your searches. One can say that it’s the Google of the dark web.

　　Torch – considered the first dark web search engine, Torch boasts a database of several million onions links. Works just like Yelp. It even comes with recommendations, although most of them append websites like the infamous Silk Road.

　　WWW Virtual Library – if Torch and Hidden Wiki are old, the triple-W Virtual Library is Cthulhu-old; as in the elder god of search engines. What’s even better is the fact the WWW Virtual Library contains info dating back to the beginning of the Internet: logs, documents, pictures, and everything in between.

　　Fun fact: The Virtual Library was founded and, for a very long time, curated by none other than Tim Berners-Lee, the George Washington of the Internet. So, if you’re looking for obscure Internet facts, very old documents, Berners-Lee’s brainchild is the way to go.

　　Uncensored Hidden Wiki – think regular Hidden Wiki is bad? Wait till you see the uncensored version. As the name suggests, it emphasizes very illegal activities like human trafficking, drugs, pornography went wrong, and other things that fester in the dark corners of the human mind.

　　ParaZite – do you know the “want to get Lucky?” button in Google’s search engine? The one that takes you on a random clear web site? Well, ParaZite does the same thing. Sure, you can use it like any run-of-the-mill search engine, but if you’re feeling curious, you can also try the “feeling (un)lucky” feature. Proceed with caution and prepare to eject and torch the thumb drive.

　　Daniel – Daniel, whomever that may be, is here to guide you through the dark web. It hosts more than 7000 .onion categorized links that you can explore. A built-in feature shows you if a certain dark web site is online, so you don`t have to open and load every one of them to see if it works.

　　Comic Book Library – those of you who have a passion for comic books will be thrilled to stumble upon this little dark web corner. Here are literally thousands of comic books about… well quite about anything, that you can download.

　　Believe it or not, the dark web even has online shops. And no, they don’t all sell drugs or firearms. Some of them are, reportedly, legit and have great bargains. For instance, if you want to buy a laptop or a smartphone, you can try your luck in one of these shops. Of course, all transactions are anonymous and Bitcoin-driven. Sure, you can use other cryptocurrencies if Bitcoin’s not your cup of tea.

　　The major issue with these websites is that a whopping 50 percent are fake, and there’s no way of telling for sure if they’ll deliver or not. By the way, most have shipping services.

　　Of course, you can’t use your home address for dark web drop-offs, but apparently, they can ship all over the world, minus some Middle Eastern countries and North Korea. To tell you the truth, I was tempted into purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus; it was only 250 bucks. My advice: look, but don’t touch (buy).

　　Here are a couple of commercial services you can check out while you’re browsing the dark web:

　　CStore – any kind of electronics. You can make purchases in cryptocurrency or gift cards. They even accept full escrow.

　　Apple Palace – everything Apple: laptops, desktops, phones, and accessories. All at ludicrously low prices.

　　EuroGuns – the name says it all: guns sold on the European market. The website even boasts that it’s the number one European arms dealer.

　　Kamagra for Bitcoins – if your boomstick ain’t working no more, you can try Kamagra, which is the dark web and cheap version of Viagra.

　　Gold & Diamonds – site offers ‘real’ diamonds and gold. (Un)fortunately, it only ships to Germany and the United States.

　　PirateSec – legit hackers, at your service!

　　Fake Passports – I think it’s self-explanatory.

　　SOL’s United States Citizenship – sells American citizenships; go figure.

　　Digital Gangster – the most gangsta way to hack someone’s computer. Apparently, these are Ronin hackers who can be hired for exploits, web hacking, password retrieval, and all-purpose espionage.

　　Onion Identity Services – summer discounts for IDs and passports. Bitcoins only.

　　Always remember that the dark web is a people-centric community. So, it’s only natural to find ways to keep in touch with your darknet buddies and/or customers. There are several email and IM services which you can use, and it’s highly recommended to pick one if you want to step up your dark web game.

　　In terms of functionality, I don’t think there are too many differences between regular IMAP, POP3, and SMT services and the stuff you can use to communicate on the dark web. Let’s start with the email clients.

　　secMail – full-fledged email service. Pretty simplistic in design: you can compose, send, and receive emails. All the great things about an email client, minus the tracking, eavesdropping, and other privacy issues.

　　RiseUp – this one offers secure emailing services and also comes with a chat option. It doesn`t store communication records and you need to get an invitation code before you can create an account.

　　Lelantos – pay-to-use email service. Great security and privacy features, but it has one of the most unreliable and sidetrackable registration forms. Proceed at your own risk.

　　Bitmail.la – another pay-to-use email client. Has many features like IMAP, SMTP, and POP3 support, and a 500MB mailbox. Apparently, a lifetime membership costs $0.60.

　　Mail2Tor – a free email service which, reportedly, works on both dark and clear web.

　　Guerilla Mail – creates a disposable email address.

　　AnonInbox – pay-to-use email client. Supports IMAP, SMTP, and POP3; charges around 0.1 BTC per year.

　　Protonmail – has both paid and free subscriptions. Boasts the browser-encrypted email technology.

　　Right. Let’s now talk about social media and instant messaging. Believe it or not, Zuckerberg’s Facebook has a darknet version. People mostly use it for covert communication, anonymous tips submission, and stuff like that.

　　Sure, it’s not as secure as the clear web version, but it’s there and totally legal to use. Hidden Facebook is hardly the only social media client on the dark web. Check out the list below for the ‘hottest’ dark web clients.

　　BlackBook – works pretty much the same way as Facebook: you can chat, send pictures and friend requests, post status updates, and join groups. Though competing head-to-head with Facebook Onion, BlackBook’s prone to hacking. Reportedly, the client was disabled at least a couple of times in 2018.

　　Torbook – very similar to BlackBook. Some claim that both of them rose at around the same time, despite the creators not knowing each other.

　　The Campfire – gather around the campfire, folks to hear the tale of tales. The name’s rather suggestive – a big chatroom; everybody can join, and the topics can be anything from the latest trends in the music industry to how you can hide a human body.

　　Lucky Eddie’s Home – scripted chat room that sports one of the most efficient file-uploading system on the dark web. Just like any IM app, you can send or receive messages, join or create groups, and send files.

　　MadIRC Chat Server – if you’re over 30, you certainly remember the mIRC era. Surprisingly enough, IRC off-spins are still being used today, mostly for covert conversations or intranet communication. MadIRC Chat works just like a regular IRC – no or subscription required. Just pick a username and join in on the fun. I know sharing is caring, but in this case, I would advise you not to share any personal details because you may never know who’s on the other side of the line.

　　Chat with strangers – think Omegle, but on the dark web. Just fire up the client, connect to a chat room, and that’s it. You can’t send or receive files. Still, if you’re lucky, perhaps you can partake in a scintillating conversation.

　　As I’ve mentioned, the dark web isn’t just a place of eternal torment, teeming with drug dealers, human traffickers, and a hitman. It’s also used by journalists, advocacy group members, and political refugees in hiding. Reuters, Fox, NBC, CNN – all of them keep open dark web channels to receive anonymous tips from whistleblowers.

　　Advocacy groups are also reaping the advantages of the darknet because, here, the term of censorship is as popular as HTTPS. And finally, we have political outcasts, refugees, and people who want to get in touch with the outside world, being from a totalitarian country that suppresses all means of communication and information.

　　Of course, there are your run-of-the-mill congregations, which will worship anything from Lucifer to the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

　　If you’re interested in subversive journalism, here are a couple of sites you can try visiting:

　　Soylent News – a trans spectrum darknet news aggregator. Features webmaster-moderated forums on which you can submit comments. You can also get involved by either submitting tips or writing news.

　　ProPublica – historically, ProPublica’s the first major news outlet to feature well, a darknet outlet. With an activity spanning almost four years, ProPublica managed to expose power abuses and blow the lid on covert activities conducted by governmental institutions. Although quite young compared to other darknet news outlets, ProPublica’s work was rewarded with five Pulitzer Prizes for Feature Writing. The last one was awarded to Hannah Dreier, the investigative journalist who covered the gangs of Los Angeles.

　　BBC Tor Mirror – In March 2022, after invading Ukraine, Russia removed BBC World News from broadcast. On the list of censored media services were also Deutsche Welle, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Voice of America. Allegedly, the giant media companies were ”spreading false information about war in Ukraine”. But for the moment, you can still get a hint of what`s going on around the world (and Putin doesn`t appprove) via BBC Tor Mirror. If you live or travel in a country that frowns upon freedom of speech and insists on naming a war a „special military operation”, there`s your breath of fresh air.

　　We already went through VPNs, anonymizing web browsers, and disposable operating systems, so I won’t bother reminding you about those.

　　Here are some other things you can try to bolster your security:

　　Sounds rather off, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a reason why it’s recommended to browse with a minimized or rescaled window – you can be tracked based on your active window’s dimensions (yeah, they really can do that). So, do yourself a favor and rescale that Tor window as much as you can before proceeding.

　　Tor has an in-build slider which lets you adjust the level of security. Just click on the onion icon and choose Security Settings. Adjust the slider until the cursor points to the safest. This means that the JavaScript will be disabled by default on every website and some symbols and images will not be displayed.

　　I’ll go further than that and say stay away from darknet shops. Maybe some of them are legit, but are you really willing to take that chance? Still, if you’re really itching to purchase a new phone or God knows whatever, I would advise you to stick with Bitcoins or your favorite crypto coin. Using credit or debit cards for this sort of thing is like painting a big bullseye on your bank account while yelling: “come here and take my money.”

　　When you’re done surfing or shopping on the dark web, don’t forget to shut down Tails. The major advantage of using a live OS such as Tails is that, on shut down, the OS wipes itself from the thumb drive you’ve installed it. That’s why it’s never a good idea to burn Tails on DVD.

　　Great life advice, but it’s even more valuable where the darknet is concerned. Keep in mind that many criminal organizations use the dark web to communicate or sell merchandise. Some of these channels are under watch. You may very well end up in the middle of a stakeout that could turn ugly. So, if the website looks fishy, close the tab, and forget about it.

　　If in need for help, ask. We`re here for you with our Heimdal® Threat Prevention Home solution.

　　This is where I get off – been a long journey and I hope I’ve managed to at least change your perspective on the dark web. So, to wrap it up nice and tight, remember to take all the necessary precautions. Don`t use your debit or credit card, stay away from dubious groups, and have fun while you’re at it. As always, for comments, rants, ad-libs, or beer donations, shoot me a comment. Cheers!