The Dark Side of the Internet: How to get there?

What is the dark side of the Internet? For the uninitiated, who heard this term for the first time, it will seem something very mysterious and, maybe, even frightening. And it has its own background. The whole horror is that, contrary to the colorful epithet, the dark side of the Internet is more than a real phenomenon, information about which is recommended for reading only for superficial acquaintance and in no way calls for active use.

What it is?

The dark side of the Internet implies anonymity. That is, it is an opportunity to "surf" the network, leaving no traces behind. And although it is possible to do this without any malicious intent, under such conditions a lot of illegal and quite illegal actions are being created. That's why it's the dark side of the Internet.

For what it may be necessary?

Network over the network - here is a brief description of "darknet". What is hidden in the dark side of the Internet is how to get there - a lot of other nuance issues are now becoming relevant. And all because they provide access to blocked sites, which now (considering all sorts of laws against piracy) is becoming more and more.

And, of course, the usual human curiosity. Sometimes it is it that forces the user to go on the other side of the Internet - good, it sounds intriguing and promising. Well, in a sense, it is. But, unfortunately, not in the best.

Two sides of the coin, or How it was

The Internet is a powerful, uncontrollable element. He plays in the lives of modern people is not the least role. No wonder that the authorities of many countries would like to subordinate it to themselves - still, such a means of control over the mind! Freedom-loving "users" and advanced "hackers", however, with dignity and honor resist. And so it happened that the World Wide Web was divided: into the visible part of the sites provided by the search engines, and invisible, dark, providing anonymity, which implies - more freedom and space. But freedom is a dangerous thing, and you can dispose of it in different ways. For most people, she turns her head, and the risk of walking on sharp edges only provokes. But this is not something to be played with.

How to get there?

We continue the conversation about what the dark side of the Internet means. How to get there? Well, from the outside everything seems not so difficult: for this use a special client - that is, a certain browser, with which you can go to specific sites. In this case, .onion domains are used.

When the dark side of the Internet is mentioned, TOR immediately pops up in conversation. This is the name of the most necessary client. It is not the only one of its kind, but the most popular one.

How does he work?

"Thor" forms a chain of encrypted connections: thus, when you go to a specific site, the user leaves no traces. Anonymity is provided not only to "users" who want to visit resources, the legality of which is questioned (pirate torrent trackers are the most innocent of them), but also by such sites themselves.

What's the chip?

A question might arise: that is, not such an invisible, dark side of the Internet? "Thor" is not such a hidden fact, and articles on this topic are nemeros.

You can say that the principle "hidden in sight" works here. TOR works with a so-called onion routing, the network connection of which can not be traced. The client can be known, like the technology, there are also instructions how to go to the dark side of the Internet. But how to find out who else is using it, whose site offers illegal services or carries out illegal trade - the question is much more complicated.

Underwater rocks

The multi-stage, confusing route that Thor offers offers a certain level of anonymity, which is necessary for certain users. But, as is known, there is resistance to every action, and not everything becomes so simple. The surveillance of the user can be performed with the help of malicious software, in a simple way - viruses, for example, not unknown "Trojans". Such software is injected directly into the browser and instead of anonymity, a regular "user" receives a "cat in a poke" as a gift from some "hacker" who has been placed in an open access by an infected Tor client.

How do I enter an onion site?

The first action is the download and installation of the "Torah" itself. It can be taken from the official website. The download package, in turn, contains everything you need: the client itself to access the network, and a proxy server that will "cut" out of traffic "extra", and a program that helps you manage all this good, providing anonymity and unhindered Surfing on the "invisible side of the Web".

Then you can start searching for resources. Beginners are advised to start with hidden Wikipedia, which will redirect the user wherever he wishes, and it would be nice if it was communication on harmless anonymous forums.

More alternatives

By the way, not only Tor gives access to "that side". There is also FreeNet - in fact, not a client, but a data warehouse and YaCy (is a search engine). Rapidly developing and I2P. Now she is the most technically advanced.

I2P was nicknamed the "net of absolute paranoia", because it has a high level of anonymity. On the other hand, this causes the main drawback - disruptions in operation and low speed, which is spent for permanent re-encryption and tunnel change. Enhanced cryptography loads not only the browser, but also the computer processor through which the access to the dark side of the Internet is made, and this has its own, not rosy, consequences.

Advantages and disadvantages of TOR

Very common TOR, on the one hand, provides anonymity and comfortable "surfing", but on the other hand it is already blocked in many countries. But, in fact, it's for the best.

The essence of building a network TOR

The network is built by volunteers, establishing exit points. They provide absolutely anonymous channels for access to sites. The resources on the .onion domain are internal "Torah" sites, essentially hidden web servers. This is anonymity of the double level: on the one hand, you can not track the owner of the site, on the other - neither he (the owner) nor anyone else can track the visitor.

The blocking of resources is also very problematic - there are great difficulties in determining the location of the site server.

Network nodes are divided into:

• Those through which the traffic passes - relays;
• Those through which there is access to the "big" Internet, that is, giving access to blocked sites, for example, pirated torrent trackers and the like, - exit-nodes;
• Those used in countries where "Thor" is banned - they are called "bridges".

Edit Warnings

Anonymity is not in vain not called absolute. A small chance of surveillance is still there. In addition, the opportunity to be "disclosed" is increased if you commit rash actions: for example, to enter passwords. In darknet, this is almost the most stupid thing you can do.

Concerns about the open list of relays. Than it threatens? In the world, this means that the "Thor" is completely or partially blocked on many websites of the "light" Internet. Wikipedia, for example, does not allow you to edit articles through it.

Do not jump into the rabbit mink, Alice ...

Curiosity, as they say, kills the cat. So before rushing into a whirlpool, and in this particular case - darknet, you should first read what you can find there.

So, the most popular topics on the other side of the Internet:

• 18+, sex services;
• Social networks - also of an intimate nature;
• Policy (actual for the moment Ukrainian themes);
• Trade in illegal means (weapons, drugs, the currency bitcoin operates);
• Stolen databases, stolen bank card data;
• Closed resources, access to which is blocked even by most users of "darknet."

Is it worth it?

All these topics are not innocent jokes, but a real, actively developing crime. It is on the dark side of the Internet that the killers unhinderedly post their service announcements, and the "dark", or as it is also called, the hidden "WikiPedia" provides for reading the article on pedophilia and other perversions - not strictly scientific language, indicating criminal punishment, but in Form of instructions to help the "beginner". On the darknet forums, there is active trade: methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, fake passports and government data. Go there - like a "bad neighborhood" on the streets. And the worst thing is that all this is real. So, is it that simple curiosity? After all, in the end, this is a problem that needs to be solved.