What Is The Difference Between Deep Web And Dark Web
Do you know about the differences between the deep web and dark web? Learn how they can impact your business's cyber security here.
Keyword(s): deep web and dark web
Chances are, you've heard of the mysterious deep web and dark web.
Drug, organ, and weapon trades are some of the topics often associated with the lesser known dark web.
But what exactly are they, and should your business worry about potential cybersecurity threats?
We're here to delve into the darkness and teach you all about the difference between the deep web and dark web.
The Surface Web
The surface web is the part of the internet available to the public. When you use search engines like Yahoo, Google, or Bing, you're accessing the surface web.
What's mind-boggling is that the surface web is only 1% of the internet.
The deep web is the other 99% of the internet and is 400 to 500 times larger than the web we all know.
The Deep Web
The deep web is websites you can only access with permissions or through other websites.
No matter how specific your search on a search engine, these websites will not appear. They can only be accessed if you click through links on a website or have the specific address.
The deep web is not specifically nefarious, it is often used by governments, banks, businesses, and web archives to protect data.
For example, paying your bills, checking your email, and watching Netflix are all in the deep web, because these websites are authorized for your eyes only.
The Dark Web
The dark web lives within the deep web, but is only accessible with authorization or specific software, making it extremely restricted.
Websites on the dark web are often illegal in nature, with users utilizing pseudo-names, cryptocurrency, and other untraceable devices to avoid detection. The Tor Browser is required to access the dark web.
An example of the dark web was the silk road that sold illegal drugs, but was shut down twice by the FBI, once in 2013 and again in 2014.
What Are the Differences Between the Deep Web and Dark Web?
The deep web contains information that search engines cannot find, whereas the dark web intentionally hides content.
The deep web contains both legal and illegal contents, whereas the dark web contains mostly illegal content. One study in 2016 found that 57% of active websites on the dark web are illicit. Other users of the dark web include activists, journalists, and even opinion websites.
Should My Business Be Worried About the Dark Web?
In short, yes.
In the dark web, anything goes. Personnel and company information are constantly threatened with cyber attacks, and it's important to prevent security breaches.
However, not only members of the dark web will be targeting your sensitive information, but rather hackers around the world will threaten your company's cybersecurity.
Final Thoughts
The deep web and dark web are fascinating in that they contain information not available to everyone. The dark web is the more nefarious one, known for illegal trades and cyber attacks.
It's important to protect your business from all cyber attacks, not just the ones arising from users of the dark web.
For more information on cybersecurity and how to protect your personal and business devices, peruse our blog.
