A Beginner’s Guide to Safely Accessing the Darknet
Welcome to this guide on how to safely access the part of the internet known as the darknet . The darknet is a hidden network of websites that requires special software to visit. While it has a reputation for illicit activities, it is also used by journalists, activists, and privacy-conscious individuals to communicate securely and bypass censorship. The key to accessing the darknet is a tool called Tor , which stands for "The Onion Router." What is Tor and How Does it Work? Think of the internet like a postal service. When you visit a normal website, it's like sending a postcard. Anyone who handles it—your internet service provider (ISP), the government, or network administrators—can read the message and see who sent it and where it's going. Tor, on the other hand, is like sending your message in a sealed envelope, inside another sealed envelope, inside yet another. Your connection is bounced through several volunteer-operated servers around the world, with a layer ...