Deep web is – Many people believe that in this internet era, Google can help people find all the information they need. But in fact, the internet is not that shallow and there are millions of things that are hidden from Google. One of them is the deep web.
Launching from safaridigital.com, currently there are around 200 million active websites and more than 55 billion website pages indexed by Google robots. Meanwhile, siteefy.com says there are 1.17 billion websites, although 83% of them are inactive. They also estimate that 252 thousand new websites appear every day. A very fantastic amount, right?
But again, this is only what Google’s robots can find. Meanwhile, the deep web, which is hidden from Google, is even bigger. According to the Wilson Center’s records, the number of websites that are included as ” deep web ” is 400-500 times greater than that number. So roughly how much? You do the math huh!
Anyway , maybe Sinaumed’s is still confused about what the ” deep web ” really is ? Why are there so many of them? And what’s in it? To answer these questions, I will briefly explain some important things about the deep web that you need to know.
Get to know Surface Web, Deep Web, Dark Web
To understand what the deep web is , I will discuss three important terms that you need to know first. This term will give a little picture of the invisible world of the internet.
Without understanding all three, you will most likely have a hard time understanding the deep web and the parts within it. However, what I have described is only a brief introduction. So that the discussion will not go too deep and explore many things.
OK, without further ado, let’s start with an introduction to the surface web, deep web , and dark web .
SurfaceWeb
Sinaumed’s, if everything on the internet is likened to a vast ocean, then the 1.17 billion websites mentioned earlier are the surface, namely the sea water that you usually see directly or through photographs. This section is also called the surface web .
You can find everything on the surface by typing keywords into a search engine–like Google, Bing, Yahoo. The contents that appear and you can click on them one by one, are deliberately made “visible” by their owners so that they can be accessed by anyone.
Google, through the robot they created, collects all of this content and then shows it to users of their services.
Deep Web
Behind the surface of this vast ocean, there is another part that is even wider and deeper. Namely the website , content, and everything that is hidden from the Google engine. This part is known as the deep web .
In short, the deep web itself can be considered as content that is beyond the reach of search engine robots. Either because the owner didn’t give permission or the content is protected. What is clear, its depth or size is impossible to calculate.
Even so, according to the Wilson Center , the data held by the 60 largest websites on the deep web is 40 times greater than on the surface web. That’s just the 60 biggest websites , not the smaller ones.
The concept of the deep web actually emerged with the increasing popularity of the World Wide Web (WWW) in the mid-90’s. However, at that time the deep web did not attract much public attention.
It was only in October 2013 that the deep web managed to attract the attention of the world community after the arrest of ” Dread Pirate Roberts ” aka Ross William Ulbricht. Ulbricht is the originator and operator of the ” Silk Road ” marketplace which is a place for transactions of illegal goods.
Since then, the deep web has never been forgotten by those interested in conspiracies, mysteries, secrets or all things horror.
Dark Web
Deep beneath the deep web , in darkness that no light can penetrate at all, there are parts that are inaccessible to everyone–especially ordinary people like us. This third section is also known as the dark web .
Dark web in short is a network or content that cannot be reached by the internet if no one is directly sharing it. This means that if there are dark web users who share data on the internet, we can still see it.
Unlike the surface, to be able to see what’s on the dark web you need special equipment, namely the TOR browser . And the majority of the site can only be accessed anonymously.
Bitcoin, which went viral two years ago, was initially often used for transactions on the dark web . But it became popular on the surface because it was made ransom from infection with the wannacry virus.
On the dark web you will find magical things–whatever they are–that will never appear on a Google search page, no matter how hard you search.
If Sinaumed’s wants to understand more about the ins and outs of the internet world, you can use the book Basic Concepts of the Internet by Bambang Eka Purnama as a reference.
Misconceptions about the Deep Web
The interesting thing about the deep web is that there are misconceptions in society about this part. Not a few people think that the deep web is a place for scary, weird, crazy, thieves, psycho, and so on.
Even though if you examine it more deeply, the content on the deep web is even more “weighty” or “valuable” than what is on the surface. As previously explained, the deep web is a hidden part of the Google search engine.
Because “hidden” means he can’t be found by Google or other search engines. However, this does not make the deep web content “unseen”. It still exists, but not everyone can access it.
In short, the deep web is deliberately hidden from Google’s reach because the data or information it contains has more value than what is on the surface. Or it could be because it is secret.
Actually, you often access the deep web in your daily life, but you don’t realize it. How did it happen? Because every website that requires visitors to log in using a password is included in the deep web section .
Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, your email inbox page , company websites that can only be accessed by employees, or even your Whatsapp chat with your crush are part of the deep web .
Do you want important emails from bosses or clients to be opened to the general public? Certainly not. Therefore, Google makes your email inbox page “hidden” from the reach of its search engine robots.
So it’s clear now, the deep web is not a gathering place for “anti- mainstream ” internet users . Nor is it a place for buying and selling illegal goods. The deep web is just too valuable information to hide from the masses.
3 Main Differences Deep Web and Dark Web
So that Sinaumed’s understands better, here are 3 main differences between the deep web and the dark web that you should remember carefully:
1. Fill
Deep Web
Information or data on the deep web usually falls into the following categories:
- Contextual web pages : web pages whose contents vary, depending on which page you access.
- Dynamic pages : data collected from forms or keywords
- Limited access content : web pages that cannot be indexed by search engines
- Private website : The website and all the pages on it which can only be accessed after visitors register and then log in
- Enterprise data : includes personal data and files distributed on digital storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox
- Scripted content : a category of website pages that can only be accessed via links generated with JavaScript
- Software-gated pages : pages that can only be accessed using certain programs or applications and cannot be accessed using mainstream browsers.
- Unlinked content : a category of website pages that have not been found by search engines because there are no links referring to that content
- Web archives : A category for websites that are no longer active but whose contents can still be viewed through the web archive service
- Intranet networks, websites and forums that can only be accessed by members, email and private chat, locked social media accounts, digital bank accounts and other protected data.
Dark Web
All content on the dark web can usually only be accessed via the darknet, a special network that can only be accessed using certain browsers , requires special authorization, and is encrypted.
The majority of darknets are usually peer-to-peer (P2P) with a small scope. However, there are also large ones, such as TOR , Freenet , and I2P . Content commonly found on the dark web is:
- Malware : malicious programs, viruses, or software for exploitation of software that is traded. These contents are usually used by cyber-attackers.
- Illicit Marketplaces (black market) : places where criminals transact drugs, stolen goods or data. This stolen data is usually used to carry out cyber attacks or identity theft.
- Hacking services : sellers of hacking services that can be used to carry out digital attacks on certain parties
- Fraud, forgery, and identity theft : Personal information and data that is traded, such as email data or digital bank accounts
- Bitcoin service : Criminals on the dark web often transact using bitcoin, both for services and goods.
- Stolen data : Personal and sensitive data stolen from companies are freely sold on the dark web
With exclusive access through special software , data and information on the dark web cannot be found by everyone. In addition, anonymous access makes the dark web a great place for criminals to congregate and carry out illegal transactions.
Along with the development of technology, cyber crime is also growing. It can take various forms, ranging from hacking, defamation, copyright infringement, malicious comments, and so on. You can get an idea of how crime is in cyberspace through the book Why? Cyber Crime – Cyber Crime written by YeaRimDang.
2. Access
Deep web
There are many parts of the deep web that can be accessed legally, such as your email inbox , data uploaded to digital storage services, company intranet networks, and personal websites where you are registered as a member.
Even so, theft or burglary of personal information and data on the deep web is an act that violates the law. Examples include breaking into government-owned data, and so on.
Dark Web
In the United States, a person is allowed to access the dark web using special software such as the TOR browser . With a note, he must accept the consequences for the crimes he committed on the internet. Like buying illegal drugs, accessing blocked content, and so on.
3. Usability
Deep Web
The deep web is generally used for several purposes, such as protecting information and personal data in cyberspace; securing databases, interacting on social media, accessing certain educational courses, using subscription services.
Dark Web
Meanwhile, the dark web , which can only be accessed with a special browser that hides the identity of its users, tends to be used for purposes that violate the law.
For example like:
- Carrying out illegal activities
- Conducting certain investigations
- Organize protests on politics
- Surf the internet anonymously
The following table contains the complete differences between the deep web and the dark web : Conclusion
So it’s clear, the deep web is not the same as the dark web and the majority of its content is safe to access, and even tends to be more valuable. However, for some people who are able to break into system security, the deep web can be a “gold mine”.
While the dark web is more populated by criminals and criminals. For those of you who are curious and want to know what the contents of the dark web are like, it’s best to throw this desire away. Especially if you are an ordinary person who uses the internet to play social media.
The potential dangers of the dark web outweigh its secrets. You never know what will happen once you open this deepest part of the internet. Better use your time to learn about programming and developers . As shown by Eryanto Sitorus in the book Hackers and Security .
This is a review of the deep web that Sinaumed’s needs to understand. Sinaumed’s can also read related books by visiting sinaumedia.com so you have #MoreWithReading information.
Author: Gill