While the anonymity of the Tor network offers protection to those looking for privacy online, it is also appealing to criminals who are looking to profit while remaining unknown. Originally developed in the mid-1990s by the US Naval Research Laboratory to protect intelligence communication, today approximately 2.5 million users access Tor on a daily basis. The dark net is a small subset of the deep web, and can be accessed only via a Tor browser. Whether via spam, advertisements or cybersquatting domains, it is easy for consumers to stumble upon these sites unknowingly.ДЄlthough it can be difficult to identify criminal actors in the deep web, the so-called вЂdark netвЂ™ is where anonymity reigns.

While much of its content consists of normal, day-to-day materials including corporate intranets and social media sites, it is also where un-indexed sites reside, selling grey market or counterfeit goods, phishing for user credentials, disseminating malware and engaging in other criminal activity. The deep web hosts a wide range of information-from academic resources, to subscription information, to conference proceedings.

The surface web makes up only 4% of the internet- the other 96% is considered part of the deep web. The deep web comprises un-indexed webpages, dynamic content pages and otherwise gated information inaccessible via regular browsers or search engines.Д«y contrast, the surface web is what we would consider вЂњregularвЂќ webpages.

Deep web iceberg picture with levels