How to Safely Access the Dark Web? Best Dark Web Links

Are you new to the arena of the Dark Web and want to explore the Darknet? Or are you someone who wants to know how to safely access the Dark Web? If the answer to this is yes, then you have landed in the right place without a doubt.

This particular guide will suffice to have in-depth knowledge of the topics discussed here. Without strict privacy or any sort of rigid security, accessing the Dark Web Links can be hazardous.

You should not access any of the Dark Web links exposed in the Dark Web Link homepage without having proper knowledge on the Darknet / Deep Web.

For your convenience, we are sharing a brief introduction of the Deep Web and the Dark Web.

What Is The Dark Web & Deep Web?

Do you know that the content or the information you surf on the internet is just 4% of the total internet available? You might wonder what happens to the rest. Well, the remaining 96% of the internet is comprised of the Deep Web and the Dark Web. You can consider the whole situation as the glacier in the ocean for instance. The part of the glacier that is visible can be compared to the surface web (the internet access made available to the common people that is 4%). The surface web comprises of several search engines like the Google, Bing etc. On the contrary, the remaining portion of the glacier that remains submerged in the ocean can be considered as the Deep Web and the Dark Web (composed of the remaining 96% of the total internet).

Various academic information and other government resources are located in the Deep Web while all sorts of illegal activities like illegal porn, illegal funds transfer and related information along with the TOR encrypted sites as well as hacking information are confined in the Dark Web. That being said, this does not mean that the dark web and the deep web is completely illegal. There are various .onion links on the Tor network that are completely legal such as radio website or chess playing website etc. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Deep Web and the Dark Web has the private access that a limited amount of people can access that too with rigid security measures. This is because getting your IP tracked or losing your identity are some of the common peril you invite if proper security is not maintained.

How to Maintain Anonymity in the Dark Web/ Deep Web

There are certain pointers that you need to keep in mind before or while accessing the Dark Web Directories anytime. Below are the pointers or the Dos and Don’ts that you need to abide by in order to keep all the security risks at bay:

You should not share your identity with anyone while surfing contents on the Dark Web. You must keep your original details private and not use them on the Dark Web.
Before accessing the Dark Web Sites Links, you must unplug and close all the external applications or devices like the pen drives, hard disk drives etc.
You should always block the webcam and the microphone before accessing the Dark Web. In case you want to stay double protected, you should mask the webcam using black tape.
The most important thing that should be given priority is to buy a premium VPN (Virtual Private Network), install in your desktop and connect it to the TOR browser before you start off surfing. Here we are using the PureVPN because it provides 256 Bit encryption and completes IP address masking increasing your anonymity.
You must use the TOR browser after disabling the Javascript.

What is Clearnet?

Clearnet, also known as the surface web, is the accessible internet where the websites are crawled by the search engine bots and are indexed according to the categories of the websites. This part of the internet is what general people access via different regular browsers and search engines. It is just the opposite of the deep web and the dark web. The clear web does not offer anonymity, neither does it have any anonymity tools. This means that browsing the clearnet is not anonymous. Most of the clearnet websites identify the users on a regular basis with the help of the IP addresses along with other data transmitted by the client.

Basic Knowledge of Virtual Private Network (VPN)

We have been talking about the VPN for a really long time and you might just want to know what VPN is. In this segment, you will know about the VPN.

The Virtual Private Network, commonly known as VPN is a connection method that is meant to provide you with the maximum security from the loss of your identity or mask your IP address by making your connection private. One needs to have a strong VPN to:

Hide and change the IP Address
Encrypt the data transfers
Mask the user’s location
Access all the blocked websites.

VPN is the top priority thing you must go for if you are about to access any information from the Deep Web or Dark Web. The DarkWeb is a huge hub of all sorts of illegal activities and illegal information which are very risky to access without a premium VPN. A premium VPN will offer you a complete security package unlike the free or the limited ones. We recommend you to purchase the premium version of the PureVPN connection as you will be able to enjoy a bundle of features offered to provide maximum security.

How to Access the Dark Web Using Tor?

Follow the below mentioned steps for knowing how to get on the DarkWeb / Deep Web:

Remove all the external devices attached to your workstation.
Mask the webcam with black tape and disable the webcam as well as the speakers.
Purchase a premium VPN. Here we recommend NordVPN as they provide you with a complete package of security services to completely shield you from the risks that you might face.
Download the TOR browser bundle from their website and install it in your Desktop
Connect the VPN to the TOR Browser
Launch the TOR Browser and disable the Javascript from the TOR browser

Additional Precautions While Browsing The Dark Web

Here are some additional precautionary measures that the darkweb users must adopt while they are roaming around in the darknet.

You should never use your real name or pictures anywhere on the darkweb.
Make sure not to use an already used/previously used email id and password. Instead, you must register yourself with an encrypted email service provider and use aliases that cannot be tracked.
In order to make any purchases on the dark web, make sure to do it with an anonymous Bitcoin wallet.
Never install any browser plugins as they might use techniques to reveal your real location.
You must not access or download anything from Torrent over Tor.
You must always use HTTPS websites.
If you have downloaded anything from Tor, you must open the downloads after disconnecting the internet. Otherwise, it may reveal your real IP address.

How To Access The Dark Web Or Deep Web Via Mobile?

The DarkWeb and the Deep Web can be accessed via both Android and iOS mobiles. The procedure is pretty simple. Discussing of the Android phones, you would need three softwares – Orbot, Orfox and a VPN. At first, you have to turn on the VPN or the Orbot that also provides features of a VPN and then launch the Orfox browser or the Tor browser. Search for the websites as you would generally do using a computer. After you have completed, exit the Orfox or Tor browser and disconnect the Orbot or VPN.

For accessing the darknet on iPhone (dark web for iPhone) and other iOS devices (iPad and iPhone), you have to download the “Onion Browser” software and a premium VPN. After you have downloaded both the softwares, you have to launch the VPN and connect it. Then open the Onion Browser and click on “Connect To Tor”. Set the security level to “Moderate” and then select on start browsing. Now you have to search the dark web links as usual. After you complete surfing the darknet, make sure to exit the software and disconnect the VPN.

How To Pay On The Dark Web?

As intriguing the dark web seems, e-commerce on the darkweb is equally interesting. The dark web can be termed as the “illicit e-commerce hub” where everything is done anonymously including the payments or transactions. The fiat currency that we use on a day-to-day basis is not privacy protected. Which means that the fiat currency is traceable, the reason why it cannot be used for any illegal activities.

This is the reason that created an urge to produce a currency that is well privacy protected and untraceable. This is when various cryptocurrencies were introduced one by one, the first and the most common one being Bitcoin (BTC). Later on other cryptocurrencies surfaces including Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Monero (XMR), Ripple (XRP), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTE) and various others. All of these cryptocurrencies are privacy protected and untraceable. Thus, all of the dark web transactions take place via these cryptocurrencies, also termed as digital currencies or crypto coins.

Taking Bitcoin (BTC) into consideration, if you want to spend some on the darkweb eCommerce, the first step is to buy them. Where will you store after purchasing Bitcoins? Well, it could either be in cold wallets or hot wallets. Hot wallets are those that need an active internet connection for it to perform while on the contrary, the cold wallets are offline wallets like pen drives, hard drives or physical paper etc. There are various ways to buy Bitcoin, for example cryptocurrency exchanges, physically by meeting someone who would transact digitally, PayPal, Bitcoin ATMs and more. You can even earn some BTC that gets stored in your wallet. The wallets do not disclose your identity keeping you anonymous from the whole world and helping you make anonymous payments. This being said, you can pay safely on the deep web but the cleared transactions are stored on the public blockchain that the public can view. In this case, you can use a Bitcoin mixer or cryptocurrency tumbler to mix the coins and taint them for more security.

Is The Dark Web Dangerous For You?

The dark web is associated with criminal activities of all sorts and it maintains anonymity at the same time. Hence, there are a lot of chances of being scammed, getting associated with wrong entities like scammers and law enforcement agencies and even can be life threatening at times. It is suggested that you must not enter the dark web without proper precaution and knowledge. The consequences could be dangerous. In this segment, we are going to list out all the possible mishaps in the dark web that you can face. You need to be prepared before entering the arena.

You May Get Hacked

One of the most possible mishaps that you can expect is to get hacked. Hackers are all over the darkweb. If your system bears some crucial files or folders and there is enough reason for a hacker to hack and get out the information or data, then they will. You would not be able to distinguish between a hacker or a layman on the dark web. They can even blackmail you for money or against anything else. Thus, you need to use a trusted VPN service and make sure to access the dark web through a device that does not contain any important file or folder that a hacker wants to have in possession.

Your Wallet Could Get Drained

The hackers are always in the lookout to steal your money from the wallets. Apart from that, many people link their bank accounts with the play store. The bank account contains every details like email, phone numbers which automatically gets linked to the Google play store as you login with the details. The beginners in the dark web do not generally realize what they are risking. The hackers get through your bank account and credit cards and steal the money making you bankrupt. Thus, you need to be careful while entering the dark web. You would also need stronger security before you enter.

You Could Be In The Radar Of Law Enforcement Agencies

As already mentioned, the darkweb is a hub for illegal activities. Some of the prominent crimes happen here. This is the reason why the FBi and other law enforcement bodies monitor the darknet posing as regular individuals. The new users might not know this and they might get preyed on by the agents. You have to be extremely sound while surfing the dark web or having a conversation. It is recommended that you must not go with the flow and spit out your personal details or histories.

You Can Badly Get Involved In A Drug Case

Drug dealing is one of the most renowned illegal activities on the dark web. Despite the huge number of shutdowns and seizures, various vendor shops and dark web markets continue to exist and operate largely on the darknet. Vendors from all across the world sell different kinds of drugs to people located far and near. So, what actually getting into a case involving drugs means? Well, it means that you might get caught by the FBI or other law enforcement authorities if you make any opsec mistake or that you visit the dark web without any proper precaution.

Also, it needs to be mentioned that people who regularly visit the dark web or have been doing so for a good old time, have a less tendency to attract the attention of the law enforcement agencies. This is because they are aware of what to do, how to do, where to start from and who to deal with. That being said, there are people, who despite these awareness gets caught. So, literally dark web and anonymity could not guarantee that you would be safe completely. It is just taking some measures to delay the wrong incidences and survive for a greater period.

Why Is The Deep Web & Dark Web Unindexed?

There are a good number of methods that keep the web pages away from being indexed by the conventional search engines. Here is the categorized reference:

Web Archives: Various web archival services such as the Wayback machine promote users to keep track of the achieved versions of the web pages across different periods. This includes websites that are now inaccessible and remain unindexed by the search giants like Google and Bing.
Unlinked Content: The web pages that are not linked to other pages may prevent crawling as the Web Crawling programs could not access their content. This content is termed as pages without backlinks or inlinks. Another fact is that the search engines do not always identify all the backlinks searched from the web pages.
Software: Specific content is kept hidden from the usual Internet intentionally, and they are accessible only via the special software like I2P, Tor or other darknet softwares. For instance, Tor permits the users to access websites utilizing the .onion server address completely anonymously, masking their IP address.
Scripted Content: These are pages that are solely accessible via the links produced by JavaScript and the content downloaded dynamically from the web servers using Ajax and Flash solutions.
Private Web: These are sites that require registration and login. They are mainly password-protected resources.
Text / Non-HTML Content: These are textual content that remains encoded in the multimedia such as image or video files or specific file formats and are not handled by the search engines.
Content With Limited Access: Various websites limit access to some of their pages intentionally in a technical way such as using the no-store directive that prohibits the search engines from browsing them and making cached copies or using CAPTCHAs or Robots Exclusion Standard.
Dynamic Content: Some dynamic pages are returned in response against a submitted query or are accessed only via a form, primarily if the open-domain input elements have been used. These kinds of the field are difficult to navigate without the knowledge of the domain.
Contextual Web: These are pages with varying content for various access contexts.

How Safe Is It To Play In The Dark Web?

The dark web seems pretty exotic, and there is often a thrill of the unexplored and unknown similar to an ocean, where many dangers remain hidden. Honestly, there are strange things on the dark web that you would not usually see on the clear web. But there is some mundane stuff as well that might come in an anonymous form. Thus, the dark web is not just a place to stumble upon.

There are also nefarious things going on in the dark web that could lead you to severe consequences. Additionally, law enforcement agencies are all over the dark web. God forbid, if you by any chance get into their hands while trying to explore things not meant for you, could draw yourself a lengthy prison sentence.

If you are not yet convinced, then here are a few insights on what goes on in and around the dark web and what consequences they may have.

Distribution of Drugs

In the previous year’s initial months, a US-based couple had been charged on account of selling drugs under the dark web alias or username MH4Life on various darknet markets. They were taking the help of several dark web marketplaces for selling Fentanyl, which is a kind of opioid often abused as a recreational drug. The couple had been arrested despite their use of cryptocurrency, proxies and VPN added with other distraction techniques.

Weapons, Gold & Cash

A combined agency task force had arrested over 35 people in California and New York to sell contraband on the various dark web websites. The seized items uncovered over 100 guns, 2,000 Bitcoins and $3.6 million in cash.

Sex Trafficking & Kidnapping

An instance states that a man from Poland had been trying to sell a kidnapped British model off the dark web. He was arrested in Italy, and the victim model claimed that he boasted of earning over $17 million by selling kidnapped women on the darknet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the frequently asked questions (FAQ) about the dark web:1. Is It Illegal To Visit The Dark Web Sites?

The question clearly reflects the misconception of the dark web where most people tend to rely solely on the idea that all the websites listed on the onion directories are illegal. Yes, it is true that the dark web is a haven for illegal activities such as trade of drugs, weapons, ammunition and other ruthless services like hitman-for-hire. But, this does not mean that the dark web is purely illegal. There are a lot of websites on the darknet that are pretty important and whose sole reason for being there is security and anonymity such as the secure email services, news portals, online libraries and related. You just need to apply your common sense before randomly hitting on a dark net site to easily stay away from any legal trouble.2. How Can I Safely Visit The Dark Web?

The only browser you must place your trust on to visit the various dark web sites is the Tor browser as it already possesses some built in security and as well as privacy features. Most importantly, the Tor browser offers encryption at each and every node from which your traffic passes – calculated to be at least three. Also, moving your traffic via different servers provides you with a high degree of privacy.

However, to keep yourself even more protected, you should take some extra safety measures adding to this such as using a premium VPN.3. Where Will I Find The Dark Web Sites To Visit?

The fact is finding the dark web sites or the deep web websites is a little tricky as the dark web is not that easy to navigate unlike the clearnet or surface web. This is owing to the irrelevant and complex looking dark web links on the onion directory. Luckily, a couple of index websites are available on the dark web that lists out a couple of websites or the dark web links and categorizes them. Hidden Wiki and Daniel are some to mention. Alternatively, you can also refer to this article to start off with.