WHAT IS DARKNET?
Search engines like GOOGLE and BING generally returns millions of pages even for the simplest of keywords typed. This part of internet is the visible part. But there exists, within the countless websites, an Internet that is beyond the scope of normal search engines and general browsing, this is called Darknet, Deepnet, Invisible Web or Hidden Internet.
The websites on Darknet are anonymous i.e you cannot tell who is the owner of the website when visiting them. Websites on the Darknet are accessed through the TOR(The Onion Router) Network. The basic concept behind TOR Network is to include so many nodes that it is virtually impossible to trace where the data is going or where is it coming from.
Darknet webpages have the domain name .onion which is different from normal domain names which is the reason that these webpages cannot be accessed through normal web browsers. These domain names are created by Onion when you host your anonymous websites using the Onion or TOR Network. Thus, the DNS servers do not have a clue of what they are and you will get a site not found error if you try to access one of the websites on the Darknet through normal web browsers. Only the Onion servers know how to resolve these domain names.
Who uses Darknet? Is it Dangerous? Should I use it?
Journalists who want to work without the possibility of getting jailed for speaking out the truth or whistleblowers who want to expose the truth without the fear of getting caught use this network.
People who sell banned drugs and weed, Assassins offering their services, Hackers.
Most commonly the darknet is used by Hackers and criminals to hide their real identity from the government. You will find all sorts of material on the darknet from child pornography to hackers for hire, live torture sessions to illegal drug markets, assassins for hire, illegal ammunation markets, illegal passports and visa markets, illegal credit cards etc, this is why the darknet is considered dangerous.
On the other hand there are a lot of forums and online communities where you can learn more and more by asking and posting anonymous questions and there is a possibility of your query being resolved by anonymous people. As long as you surf normally on the Darknet without opening any sort of malicious link or any sort of illegal purchasing market you are safe on Darknet.
If you are a type of person who doesn't want the government to know what your are surfing on the internet, Darknet is for you, if you are a privacy conscious person this is it for you. But remember anonymity cannot be confused with security. Not saying that Tor(The network through which the Darknet is accessed) is not secure, it's just that you have to be smart while using the Darknet.
It is recommended not to use the Darknet until and unless you know how to use it properly and safely. Because one bad move can put you in trouble. Be cautious of what you open and surf on the Darknet.
What is TOR? How does TOR Work?
TOR is an Internet networking protocol designed to anonymize the data relayed across it. Using the Tor Network will make it difficult if not impossible for government and hackers to see what you are doing on the internet. They also won't be able to tell which country you are in by analyzing your data traffic which is a benefit for jounalists, whistleblowers and business people.
The TOR Network runs through the computer servers of thousands of volunteers spread throughout the world. Then, the unlike case with normal internet connections, Tor strips away the packet's header, which is a part of the addressing information that could be used to learn things about the sender such as operating system from which the message was sent.
Finally, Tor encrypts the rest of the addressing information and it is then routed through many of these servers, called relays, on the way to it's destination.
The basic concept behind TOR Network is to include so many nodes that it is virtually impossible to trace where the data is going or where is it coming from.
How can I access the Darknet?
Darknet can be accessed through the TOR Network. You can visit torproject.org to download the official TOR browser. Just follow throught the installation steps to setup the browser and you are good to go.
Who owns TOR?
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory sponsored the development of onion routing in the 1990s, and Tor itself was developed by Navy and independent researchers in 2002.
Today, Tor's original creators continue to support and update the protocol under the Tor Project, an independent, nonprofit organisation that is partly funded by various arms of the U.S. government.
The Tor protocol is open-source, meaning anyone can view the code and incorporate it into their own software. The Tor protocol and its implementation in the Tor Browser Bundle have also been extensively peer reviewed, which means that many researchers have examined them to make sure they offer the strongest possible security.
In the PART-II post I will be discussing about how to use the darknet securely and do's and don'ts while using the TOR network.
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