He has edited different types of content for multiple organizations. Having written about TV shows and series for over 3 years, Ademilade strives to create high-quality content consistently. Ademilade watches his favorite episodes or plays Valorant when not writing. By popularity and trustworthiness, only a few VPNs come close to ExpressVPN. Since its launch in 2008, ExpressVPN has helped businesses and individuals stay private and safe online. It works with Tor, Freenet, and Invisible Internet Project (I2P), which form the three major pillars of the dark web.
- For an additional layer of security, consider using a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
- That means to fix every piece of information we have on the internet today on computers, you’ll have to stack an endless amount of computers side by side.
- Web crawlers run the regular internet, scouring the web to discover newly published websites or pages in a process called crawling.
- “The threat intelligence gained from takedowns contributes to other law enforcement investigations.
Use A VPN
Watch for unexpected changes in system performance that could indicate malware. Cryptocurrency miners and other malicious software often target dark web users. Using a reliable antivirus to scan your device is worthwhile if you spot suspicious spikes in system resource usage.
Forums And Communities
It helps us stay more vigilant, better protect ourselves, and make informed decisions online. Although some of these markets prohibit certain extreme content such as violence or exploitation, most operate with very few rules beyond ensuring the security and anonymity of their users. The advantage of using a dedicated computer just to browse the dark web is that your main computer isn’t exposed to any of the threats or risks tied to entering the dark web. In case of an attack, you can be sure that any of the data or information stored on your main computer will be safe. Government cyber teams can take such websites down, arrest the owners and then use the website to track and follow users that show activity on the website.
II Security And Anonymity On The Dark Web
Always run the latest version of the Tor Browser to protect against security vulnerabilities. Outdated versions may contain weaknesses that attackers can exploit to compromise your anonymity. I recommend enabling automatic updates and checking for new versions before each session. One we’ve encountered is a scammer pretending to be the admin of an exclusive forum we tried to sign up for. They asked for our personal information in exchange for access to the forum.
While you don’t need to log in to access any of the dark web links listed here, you can’t find them with a search engine like Google. The only way to access the dark web is by using the correct browser and knowing the URLs of the pages you want to visit. Scroll on to learn more about dark web links (also called Tor links or onion sites), get the right links for some of the best Tor sites, and find out how to visit them safely. WhiteHouse Market has earned a reputation for its robust vendor verification and user-friendly design. It employs escrow services and PGP encryption for communications, significantly reducing the risk of scams. DarkMarket is among the largest darknet marketplaces by volume, offering a broad selection of goods, from software to electronics.
Pro Tip: Use A VPN To Stay Safe When Using The Dark Web Search Engines
Take a look at the sites that these directories have collected and see what topics interest you. If you want to improve your security further, you could also use a VPN at the same time as Tor. For the most security-conscious, you can even install the Tails operating system on a flash drive and run Tor from that.
Ahmia is a dark web search engine designed to index and search tor websites. This traditional search engine is also compatible with the dark web and can help you find dark web websites. Anyone can archive or retrieve data on any site they want, wherever available. Perhaps the best-known thing you can buy on the Dark Web is information collected in what seems like the almost daily data breaches we read about in the news. That information can include checking and credit card account numbers, social security numbers, and other sensitive information.
Tor Links
As stated above, we don’t condone any activity—on the dark net or otherwise—that is forbidden by law. Activists, whistle blowers, and journalists also use the dark web to communicate securely with sources and news organizations. Wasabi Wallet is a Bitcoin wallet that not only hides all your data in the Tor network but also allows you to “join” your transactions with others to increase your anonymity.
Install The Tor Browser
BlackCloud offers encrypted file storage specifically optimized for the Tor network. The service emphasizes privacy with zero-knowledge encryption and no registration requirements. My tests showed reliable performance for smaller files, but larger transfers can be slow due to Tor’s limitations.
Previously, you could download and install browser extensions that automatically turned light websites dark. Rather than waiting for millions of websites to jump on the dark mode bandwagon, Chrome’s “Force Dark Mode for Web Contents” option will turn all those bright websites dark. It’s a little like using “Smart Invert” on an iPhone—light colors will turn bright, but it’ll leave images alone. Websites can automatically switch to dark mode if you’re using it, assuming the site supports this. But most websites, even Google’s own Calendar website, don’t have automatic dark mode—or any dark mode.
Quick List Of The Best Dark Websites In 2025
Whether you’re seeking information or privacy, the dark web offers resources that are inaccessible on the surface web. Many people use it for privacy-focused communication, whistleblowing, or accessing restricted information in censorship-heavy regions. Platforms like SecureDrop even allow journalists to receive tips anonymously. LifeLock Standard helps safeguard your personal information, accounts, and identity.
This provides a full month’s access to all of the features of the #1 VPN for the Dark Web. This is an excellent way for Dark Web users to provide additional privacy protection when accessing the Dark Web. You don’t need special tools or a special browser like you need to access the dark web (more about that later). Anyone can access the deep web by using specialized search engines, dedicated web directories, and other sources that can help you find the data or information.
Quick Comparison Table: The Dark Web Search Engine Features
Another great source to find and explore dark web marketplaces or other sections is to visit Reddit’s resourceful forum. You can look for information on /r/deepweb, /r/TOR, or /r/onions, of which the latter is useful to find hidden wikis and more. Many of these Reddits have rules prohibiting linking to illegal sites and services, so you likely won’t find anything illegal there. Darknet markets facilitate transactions for illegal goods and services. Silk Road was one of the first dark web marketplaces and it allowed users to trade multiple types of nefarious goods and services, including weapons and identity fraud resources. While many dark marketplaces have been shut down by authorities, new ones soon appear in their place.
