What is the dark web? Here’s what you need to know

The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that requires special software to access. While it is often linked with illegal activity, it also serves legitimate purposes, such as protecting user privacy in restricted environments. In this article, we’ll explore how the dark web works, its risks, and how you can stay safe online.

The internet is huge. What you use in your everyday life are the visible parts of the web – sites that can be found via search engines like Google. However, there are essentially three layers to the web.

Surface Web

For most of us, the internet consists of whatever we can find on Google. This is known as the surface web and it’s only a small percentage of what’s actually out there.

Websites on the surface web are visible and can be tracked and indexed by search engines. They’re easy to find and recognisable – the website URL will end with ".org" or ".com".

Top tip: Look for the padlock icon next to the website URL. It means the connection is secure. And, if you’re searching on your mobile, you can always enable a "fraudulent website warning" in your settings.

Deep Web

The deep web contains things like intranets – these are internal networks for businesses, governments, or schools that allow for more private communications. Sites on the deep web aren’t necessarily hidden to hide illegal activity – they can just be unindexed so that search engines don’t show them as a result.

Things like your bank account, blogs you haven’t posted yet, or your emails are on the deep web. They’re hidden for data protection and privacy reasons.

Dark Web

The dark web, however, is unindexed and only accessible with a specific type of web browser.

Browsers you’ve probably heard of are Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox. The dark web, on the other hand, requires a browser that jumps between encrypted servers so that the user’s IP (their location information) stays hidden.

If you choose to access the dark web, you’ll open yourself up to malware, scams and more. There are some general things to be aware of to help you stay safe online.

Malicious Software

Also known as "malware," malicious software poses a risk to anyone using sites that aren’t protected, visible, or properly indexed. Most people access their bank accounts online and input their personal details when shopping or setting up new accounts. Malicious software can phish these personal details. Phishing is when cybercriminals attempt to trick people into giving away their personal information.

That’s why it’s important to use websites you recognise and to be careful with the information you share. Many phones and laptops come with built-in security, but it’s always a good idea to check that you have some kind of anti-virus software.

Scams

From text messages about deliveries stuck at the depot to calls about phone contracts, scams are everywhere. And online scams are usually there to phish your personal information.

General advice is to avoid clicking on any links you don’t recognise. Look out for websites with spelling errors or URLs that don’t match the search or page content.

Identity Theft

This happens when a fraudster gets hold of lots of personal details – like your name, address, or credit card information. They can use that to take out credit in your name or for other illegal activity.

Never share your personal information or login details – especially when it comes to your financial information. These are personal and private to you.

Accessing the dark web is not illegal, but because of its anonymity, illegal activity is frequently conducted via these specific browsers.

There are things you can do to protect yourself from the dark web.

Don’t go on the Dark Web

As obvious as it sounds – avoid trying to access the dark web. There’s no everyday reason the average person should need to use anything other than a standard and recognised web browser to access the information they need.

Check your Anti-Virus Protection

Make sure you have anti-virus software on your phone, laptop or tablet to help avoid scams and malware.

Be careful before you click on links

Check the URL before you click, and avoid opening links from e-mails or text messages that you aren’t expecting.

Dark Web Identity Theft Protection with ClearScore Protect and Protect Plus

Get access to quarterly dark web scanning with our free online identity theft protection service, ClearScore Protect. Our free version of this software works like this:

1. Your data is securely stored in a private, external database.
2. Every three months, ClearScore scans over 40 billion records in this secure database for stolen passwords linked to your registered email address.
3. If we find any matches, we notify you with the details, including which account the password was used for.

For daily dark web scanning and a more comprehensive protection package, pay a small price of £7.99 per month and get access to ClearScore Protect Plus – one of the best dark web monitoring tools in the UK. This upgraded service includes:

• Daily dark web scans
• Search for passwords associated with three different email addresses
• Check for stolen address, name, phone number, national insurance number and driving licence

Regularly checking your credit report is a great way to see what’s changed and to fix any errors if you spot them.

Protect your identity with ClearScore Protect. Our free tool scans the dark web quarterly for stolen passwords linked to your email. Upgrade to Protect Plus for daily dark web scanning and fraud defence to keep your identity safe.