Difference between Deep Web and Dark Web - GeeksforGeeks (2024)

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Difference between Deep Web and Dark Web - GeeksforGeeks? ›

The dark web is only a small fraction (0.01%) of the deep web, which contains Internet content that is not searchable by your standard search engines. In other words, if Google can't find what you're looking for, it's probably still out there in the World Wide Web; it's just in the harder-to-access deep web.

The deep web is largely used to protect personal information, safeguard databases and access certain services, whereas the dark web is often used to engage in illegal activities. It is also used for military/police investigations, political protests and anonymous internet browsing.

The dark web, however, is a very concealed portion of the deep web that few will ever interact with or even see. In other words, the deep web covers everything under the surface that's still accessible with the right software, including the dark web.

Surface Web: Used for everyday activities like browsing public websites, accessing social media platforms and shopping on e-commerce sites. Deep Web: Used when logging into personal email and social media accounts, or accessing paywalled news sources. Dark Web: Used to anonymously access censored or sensitive content.

The deep web refers to the parts of the internet that you can't reach through search engines like Google Search. While this includes the dark web, the deep web also includes pages that you can only find if you register or sign in, like most content provided by Gmail and Facebook.

The dark web refers to sites that are not indexed and only accessible via specialized web browsers. Significantly smaller than the tiny surface web, the dark web is considered a part of the deep web. Using our ocean and iceberg visual, the dark web would be the bottom tip of the submerged iceberg.

What's the Difference? The Deep Web is about 500 times larger than the Visible Web, but the Visible Web is much easier to access.

The terms deep web and dark web are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same. The dark web is a segment of the larger deep web and similarly refers to anything on the internet that is not indexed by and, therefore, accessible via a search engine like Google.

The Surface Web (also called the Visible Web, Indexed Web, Indexable Web or Lightnet) is the portion of the World Wide Web that is readily available to the general public and searchable with standard web search engines. It is the opposite of the deep web, the part of the web not indexed by a web search engine.

The dark web is known to have begun in 2000 with the release of Freenet, the thesis project of University of Edinburgh student Ian Clarke, who set out to create a "Distributed Decentralised Information Storage and Retrieval System." Clarke aimed to create a new way to anonymously communicate and share files online.

Is the dark web 95% of the internet? ›

The Deep Web dwarfs the Surface Web. In fact, 90-95% of the total Internet lies within the Deep Web, compared to 5-10% in the Surface Web.

How does it work? Dark Web can be simply explained as a specialised form of browsing in incognito mode. While incognito mode disables browsing history and web cache, the Dark Web is shielded by specialised software such as Tor.

The volume of public data on the deep web is 400 to 500 times greater than that of the surface web. The deep web hosts approximately 7,500 terabytes of data, compared to the approximately 19 terabytes hosted on the surface web.

Inform the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that your SSN has been found on the Dark Web and ask to file an identity theft report. Even if your information hasn't been used maliciously yet, filing a formal claim with the FTC can help you if you need to dispute fraudulent charges, accounts, or crimes.

Different dark web results provide specific recommendations to protect your personal info. Guidance varies by country or region. If your Gmail address is found on the dark web, you can set up 2-factor authentication to protect your account. This adds another layer of security when you sign in to your devices.

You're better to assume the worst if your phone number was found on the Dark Web. Work on the assumption that most of your sensitive information was also compromised. Take action and protect yourself with the following steps: Change your passwords.

The dark web is only a small fraction (0.01%) of the deep web, which contains Internet content that is not searchable by your standard search engines. In other words, if Google can't find what you're looking for, it's probably still out there in the World Wide Web; it's just in the harder-to-access deep web.

Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows you to improve your privacy and security on the Internet. Tor works by sending your traffic through three random servers (also known as relays) in the Tor network. The last relay in the circuit (the "exit relay") then sends the traffic out onto the public Internet.

The Deep Web is the portion of the Internet not indexed by traditional search engines. It often requires a login (such as a username and password) or special software to access.