The dark web is infamous as a dangerous place, where drugs are bought and hitmen hired, but it can be a safe way to browse the internet if your privacy is serious concern. And thanks to the Tor Browser, it's easy to do.

Indeed, Facebook, The New York Times and now even the CIA have sites on the dark web, hosting "onion" versions of their pages that can be accessed via the Tor browser. The spy agency is hoping to securely and anonymously collect tips, though its entire website, including job listings, are available on the onion service.
 

Level 0 — The level 0 consists of the common web. The things that everyone can access with the help of just internet like search engines.

Level 1- The level 1 consists of surface web. These things require the help of some online services but are not dangerous. Today, they too are included in the common web. These include the discussion forums like Reddit, Temporary email services, websites like Newgrounds, dig. Along with Social Networks and cultural websites like VampireFreaks, The Human Intel tasks are also included in this level. Apart from this, web hosting, MYSQL website, and college campus website also comes in this level 1 category.

Level 2 — The level 2 is commonly called as Bergie web. These webs include FTP servers, Google Locked result, Honeypots and Loaded Web Servers. Basically, data of all those things, who want to keep themselves hidden and does not want other to reach them. These also include data from RSC and FeeHive.

Level 3- This level 3 is commonly called as Dark web and proxy is required after this point. This web is opened with the help of Tor Network. It includes Virus Information, VIP gossips, supercomputing, Scandals etc. which are already mentioned above. We mainly want to learn about this level

Level -4: Mariana Web is generally considered to be a myth. We haven’t witnessed a single person who has reached such a level or accessed such a sensitive level. It is claimed to have the location of lost city of Atlanta, basically, all the things which have been removed from the clearnet.

If you have reached the levels below Mariana Web, then you are just in the cold war or cyber war and if you continue to struggle in the dark web, then you may end up becoming the Internet’s own God.

For now, we don’t know the authenticity of the dark web but a picture which summarizes it can be seen below. However, there have been claims that the lowermost levels are not possible. But, we don’t know the complete extent of darknet, hence anything is possible.

How to access dark web

#1. Install a VPN

VPN services are a must when you’re attempting to access the dark web. Why? Because of the long arm of the law, of course. Technically, you are free to surf on this Internet layer, provided that you don’t engage in any illegal activities. However, a recent ruling by the US Supreme Court deemed that even casually browsing the darknet can get you in a lot of hot water.

This means that if the authorities would intercept your darknet connection request, they would have had enough reason to search your house and confiscate the machine used for browsing. So, do yourself a favor and download a VPN before messing about on the dark web. Need a hand picking one? Check out this article written by one of my colleagues to narrow down your search.

#2. Install an adequate browser

The first rule of the dark web – never, ever use your default browser to search for stuff on the darknet. Popular browsers like Chrome, Opera, or Firefox have tracking technologies that make you very visible on the authorities’ radar. So, if you’re still willing to do this, I would recommend you download Tor, which is, by far, the safest and easy-to-use onion browser.

Of course, there are others who would argue that Tor being made by the military for covert communication makes it unreliable, privacy-wise since it’s believed to be watched. I wouldn’t take that one for granted, but, then again, there’s no smoke without fire. It’s all up to you.

What you can search on tor browser

The Hidden Wiki & Co.

Think of the Hidden Wiki as Wikipedia’s evil twin – looks more or less the same, but contains links to various dark web categories: editor’s picks, volunteer, introduction points, financial services, commercial services, email\messaging, drugs (yes, it’s the real deal), blogs & essays, hosting providers, hacking services, darknet radio (nothing shady about that; just some weird electronic tunes and, occasionally, a bit of jazz), literature (mostly resources on hacking, both ethical and black hat).

You can also find quick links here to the stuff that makes the dark web pitch-black dark: contract killers, rape, torture, or murder on demand, child pornography.

Fortunately, in Hidden Wiki, every website is followed by a brief description so that the user knows what to expect (or not). My advice to you would be to stick with the editor’s pick. You can also take a look at the blogs & essays section if you want to find some nifty coding resources.

If you’re feeling chatty, you can always access a chat room. Services like Random Chat connects you with random people using the same service. What happens after that, it’s all to you.

You should stay away from everything labeled “porn”, “card skimming services”, “PayPal hacks”, “firearms”, “real fake IDs and passports”. Believe me – there plenty to go around and each and every one of them are being kept under surveillance, not to mention the fact that you’ll get exposed to some stuff that will definitely make you take several cold showers.

Hidden Wiki’s not the only search engine online. Here are a couple of alternatives in case you get bored with Wiki.

DuckDuckGo – also available on the clear web. The best thing about DuckDuckGo is that it doesn’t track your searches. One can say that it’s the Google of the dark web.

Torch – considered the first dark web search engine, Torch boasts a database of several million onions links. Works just like Yelp. It even comes with recommendations, although most of them append websites like the infamous Silk Road.

WWW Virtual Library – if Torch and Hidden Wiki are old, the triple-W Virtual Library is Cthulhu-old; as in the elder god of search engines. What’s even better is the fact the WWW Virtual Library contains info dating back to the beginning of the Internet: logs, documents, pictures, and everything in between.

More on how to stay safe on the dark web

We already went through VPNs, anonymizing web browsers, and disposable operating systems, so I won’t bother reminding you about those. Here some other things you can try to bolster your security.

1. Minimize or rescale your Tor browsing window

Sounds rather off, doesn’t it? Well, there’s a reason why it’s recommended to browse with a minimized or rescaled window – you can be tracked based on your active window’s dimensions (yeah, they really can do that). So, do yourself a favor and rescale that Tor window as much as you can before proceeding.

2. Tweak the security settings

Tor has an in-build slider which lets you adjust the level of security. Just click on the onion icon and choose Security Settings. Adjust the slider until the cursor points to the safest. This means that the JavaScript will be disabled by default on every website and some symbols and images will not be displayed.

3. Never use your credit and debit card for purchases

I’ll go farther than that and say stay away from darknet shops. Maybe some of them are legit, but are you really willing to take that chance? Still, if you’re really itching to purchase a new phone or God knows whatever, I would advise you to stick with Bitcoins or your favorite crypto coin. Using credit or debit cards for this sort of thing is like painting a big bullseye on your bank account while yelling: “come here and take my money.”

4. Close Tails after finishing your session

When you’re done surfing or shopping on the dark web, don’t forget to shut down Tails. The major advantage of using a live OS such as Tails is that, on shut down, the OS wipes itself from the thumb drive you’ve installed it. That’s why it’s never a good idea to burn Tails on DVD.

5. Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong

Great life advice, but it’s even more valuable where the darknet is concerned. Keep in mind that many criminal organizations are using the dark web to communicate or sell merchandise. Some of these channels are under watch. You may very well end up in the middle of a stakeout that could turn ugly. So, if the website looks fishy, close the tab, and forget about it.