Unlike the surface web, the deep web and the dark web represent two layers of non-indexed content available on the internet. This means that it cannot be found with a common search on Google or any other search engine, since either it acts to prevent them from being indexed or it is content that cannot be crawled by the structure of its data. However, there are substantial differences between the deep web and the dark web.
The deep web is a part of the internet that is not indexed by conventional search engines like Google and others. This part of the website includes all content with restricted access and represents a significantly larger part of the whole internet. On the other hand, the dark web is a tiny portion of the deep web. This is made up of sites with their own domains and that require specific software to enable access. Some of this content may be indexed, but in unconventional search engines, some accessible from the visible internet and others not.
It is important to note that the dark web differs from the deep web in grouping illegal activity within the network. Exploring the depths of the internet involves multiple levels and it is important to exercise caution when doing so.
Deep web
Unlike the dark web, the deep web does not require a particular browser to access. Even so, your contents cannot be identified or crawled by standard search engines because they are password protected or held behind specific Internet services. The data contained in our email inboxes, online banking services, and even work intranets are examples of the deep web. And, as you can imagine, this data is usually only available to the user and service providers, unless specific assignments are made for investigators in terms of assistance services, for example, criminal investigations.
Dark web
The dark web, on the other hand, is made up of websites that can only be accessed through internet services like The Onion Router (TOR). One of the main differences between Google and TOR is the composition of the URLs they accept, where those used to access dark content use obfuscation techniques, making them almost impossible to guess, remember or understand. In addition, dark web content is mostly hosted anonymously and is heavily encrypted, providing additional layers of protection against tracking and identification.
Often, any information stolen from the deep web (passwords, privileged data) ends up being sold on the dark web. However, not everything that takes place there is of a criminal nature. Journalists, activists, and politicians working and reporting under corrupt or totalitarian regimes use it to collect, collaborate, and exchange information without fear of harassment or prosecution.
The Maltego app (Maltego radium: Mapping Identities and Network Links on the Internet) allows access to the Deep Web through specific transforms such as:
•https://www.maltego.com/transform-hub/cybersixgill/
•https://www.maltego.com/transform-hub/flashpoint/
