Many of us believe that the internet is just about everyday traditional activities that we do online, such as browsing social media sites, watching videos on YouTube, reading the latest news on Google, or booking a flight ticket. But some do not know about the existence of another side of the internet, mysterious and dangerous, that cannot be easily accessed and requires special search engines, diverse IP addresses, and only professionals can access these sites. We are talking here about the Deep Web and the Dark Web, which is the mysterious place in the vast world of the web. But what exactly is meant by “mysterious” and what is the difference between the Deep Web and the Dark Web? The answer is explained in a simple manner in the following paragraphs, so keep reading.
The Difference Between the Internet and the Web
The terms “web” and “internet” are often used interchangeably to refer to the same thing. You can consider the “internet” to refer to the device, while the “web” refers to the “program” that runs on the device. The internet is a global system that connects global computer networks together, enabling the devices that use fiber optic cables and copper wires to transfer data using private IP addresses. The internet allows its users to exchange information and data instantly, it is a public network and anyone in the world can access it, connecting commercial, governmental, academic, and private networks.
As for the web, it is a program that operates on the internet, and its task is to connect web pages through hyperlinks. The internet is the foundation, while the web consists of individual websites and pages that internet users interact with. The web consists of three sectors: Surface web, Deep web, and Dark web, and only ordinary users access the surface internet that ends with .net or .com.
The Surface Web
It includes all the websites that anyone can access through popular search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc., without special information or permissions. The surface web is also known as “legal” content that can be indexed, and it includes all the websites we visit daily through regular browsers like Firefox, Opera, Chrome, with over a billion sites including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and our website Almkomputer 😊
What is the Deep Web
The Deep Web differs from the surface web that search engines can access and index, it is content that only certain individuals can access. For example, your email inbox, your personal account on Twitter or Facebook that requires a password to log in, or your YouTube channel are part of the Deep Web. You use the Deep Web daily without realizing it, representing the infrastructure or “backstage” of the activities you do on the internet.
What is the Dark Web
The Dark Web is classified as a small part of the Deep Web and is hidden to the extreme. It is different from the internet used by ordinary people in the different requirements needed to access it, as it does not require passwords or special permissions, but requires the Tor browser to access the sites within it. Its electronic addresses differ from the usual electronic addresses and use the suffix “onion,” one of the commonly used extensions in the Dark Web.
In addition to the difficulty of accessing the Dark Web, it has advanced security technology and a very different encryption method from the regular web, as it relies on the Onion Routing technology, which is the main hiding method in the Dark Web. Anything you receive or send does not go directly to the intended destination, as it passes through several stations on the network before finally reaching the intended target, and no station can access the sent data, as its authority is limited to viewing the previous station’s address and the next station’s address. While this may lead to a slow transmission process, it provides users with increased security.
You use the Deep Web almost daily, but as for the Dark Web, you will not accidentally access it or unintentionally, as entering this world requires several steps that can only be achieved if you intend to access it. However, caution is necessary as your device may be vulnerable to hacking and revealing your identity once you enter the Dark Web.
