The Benefits of the Deep Web

The deep web is a huge ocean of websites that exist outside the reach of search engine indexes. This is largely due to the fact that many sites block the bots used by search engines to collect information. Additionally, many sites are password protected and require credentials (typically a user id and password) to access. This is why it’s important to use strong and unique credentials when creating accounts on any website, especially those that store sensitive data like payment or social security numbers.

It’s possible to navigate the deep web with a variety of tools, including purpose-built search engines like Ahmia or Torch and using dedicated message boards, such as on the subreddit r/deepweb. Despite these barriers, the content on deep websites far outnumbers those on the regular surface web.

While much of the Deep web is illegitimate, criminal in nature or simply not suited for public distribution, it does have some very useful and admirable purposes. For example, the average person doesn’t share personal or private information with just anyone; they tell specific people things that only those individuals need to know, such as their health problems, financial struggles or the details of a romance. In many ways, the deep web reflects this same principle, allowing individuals to host and access private information without risking societal consequences.

In addition to protecting privacy, the deep web also serves as a platform for whistleblowing and hacktivism, helping individuals who are concerned about government corruption or other violations to safely share their information in a way that wouldn’t be possible through legal channels. For instance, the deep web has enabled the likes of Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden to share classified documents with the public when they could have been convicted of treason if they had simply gone through official channels.

It’s worth mentioning that it is not illegal to access websites that are not indexed by major search engines, but it is illegal to misuse or steal the information contained within these sites. Therefore, it’s important for individuals to use a VPN when searching the deep web so that their internet activity isn’t being monitored by hackers or their ISPs. Additionally, a VPN can help protect an individual’s identity by obfuscating their online activity, ensuring that even if they do end up visiting a site on the dark web, only their VPN server knows where they are. This helps protect against the threat of phishing, malware and other cyber attacks. Similarly, it’s a good idea for individuals to adopt cybersecurity training and best practices in order to remain aware of the risks that can arise from visiting unindexed sites. This includes adopting safe password practices, using a strong and unique password for each account, avoiding using unsecured Wi-Fi networks and adhering to all company cybersecurity policies.