Surface Web, Deep Web, And Dark Web Explained

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    When you think about the internet, what’s the first thing that comes to mind ? Online shopping ? Gaming ? Gambling sites ? Social media ? Each one of these would certainly fall into the category of what requires internet access to make possible, and it would be almost impossible to imagine a life without the web as we know it today. However, how well do we really know the internet and its underlying components ?

    Let’s first understand the origins of the Internet

    The “internet” as we know it today in fact began life as a product called ARPANET. The first workable version came in the late 1960s and used the acronym above rather than the less friendly “Advanced Research Projects Agency Network”. The product was initially funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, and used early forms of packet switching to allow multiple computers to communicate on a single network - known today as a LAN (Local Area Network).

    The internet itself isn’t one machine or server. It’s an enormous collection of networking components such as switches, routers, servers and much more located all over the world - all contacted using common “protocols” (a method of transport which data requires to reach other connected entities) such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol). Both TCP and UDP use a principle of “ports” to create connections, and ultimately each connected device requires an internet address (known as an IP address which is unique to each device meaning it can be identified individually amongst millions of other inter connected devices).

    In 1983, ARPANET began to leverage the newly available TCP/IP protocol which enabled scientists and engineers to assemble a “network of networks” that would begin to lay the foundation in terms of the required framework or “web” for the internet as we know it today to operate on. The icing on the cake came in 1990 when Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web (www as we affectionately know it) - effectively allowing websites and hyperlinks to work together to form the internet we know and use daily.

    However, over time, the internet model changed as a result of various sites wishing to remain outside of the reach of search engines such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, and the like. This method also gave content owners a mechanism to charge users for access to content - referred to today as a “Paywall”. Out of this new model came, effectively, three layers of the internet.

    Three “Internets” ?

    To make this easier to understand (hopefully), I’ve put together the below diagram
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    The “Surface Web”

    Ok - with the history lesson out of the way, we’ll get back to the underlying purpose of this article, which is to reveal the three “layers” of the internet. For a simple paradigm, the easiest way to explain this is to use the “Iceberg Model”.

    The “internet” that forms part of our everyday lives consists of sites such as Google, Bing, Yahoo (to a lesser extent) and Wikipedia (as common examples - there are thousands more).

    The “Deep Web”

    The next layer is known as the “Deep Web” which typically consists of sites that do not expose themselves to search engines, meaning they cannot be “crawled” and will not feature in Google searches (in the sense that you cannot access a direct link without first having to login). Sites covered in this category - those such as Netflix, your Amazon or eBay account, PayPal, Google Drive, LinkedIn (essentially, anything that requires a login for you to gain access)

    The “Dark Web”

    The third layer down is known as the “Dark Web” - and it’s “Dark” for a reason. These are sites that truly live underground and out of reach for most standard internet users. Typically, access is gained via a TOR (The Onion Router - a bit more about that later) enabled browser, with links to websites being made up of completely random characters (and changing often to avoid detection), with the suffix of .onion. If I were asked to describe the Dark Web, I’d describe it as an underground online marketplace where literally anything goes - and I literally mean “anything”.

    Such examples are

    • Ransomware
    • Botnets,
    • Biitcoin trading
    • Hacker services and forums
    • Financial fraud
    • Illegal pornography
    • Terrorism
    • Anonymous journalism
    • Drug cartels (including online marketplaces for sale and distribution - a good example of this is Silk Road and Silk Road II)
    • Whistleblowing sites
    • Information leakage sites (a bit like Wikileaks, but often containing information that even that site cannot obtain and make freely available)
    • Murder for hire (hitmen etc.)

    Takeaway

    The Surface, Dark, and Deep Web are in fact interconnected. The purpose of these classifications is to determine where certain activities that take place on the internet fit. While internet activity on the Surface Web is, for the most part, secure, those activities in the Deep Web are hidden from view, but not necessarily harmful by nature. It’s very different in the case of the Dark Web. Thanks to it’s (virtually) anonymous nature little is known about the true content. Various attempts have been made to try and “map” the Dark Web, but given that URLs change frequently, and generally, there is no trail of breadcrumbs leading to the surface, it’s almost impossible to do so.
    In summary, the Surface Web is where search engine crawlers go to fetch useful information. By direct contrast, the Dark Web plays host to an entire range of nefarious activity, and is best avoided for security concerns alone.

  • @phenomlab some months ago I remember that I’ve take a look to the dark web……and I do not want to see it anymore….

    It’s really….dark, the content that I’ve seen scared me a lot……

  • @justoverclock yes, completely understand that. It’s a haven for criminal gangs and literally everything is on the table. Drugs, weapons, money laundering, cyber attacks for rent, and even murder for hire.

    Nothing it seems is off limits. The dark web is truly a place where the only limitation is the amount you are prepared to spend.


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    @crazycells exactly. Not so long ago, we had the Cambridge Analytica scandal in the UK. Meta (Facebook) seem to be the ultimate “Teflon” company in the sense nothing seems to stick.

  • Link vs Refresh

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    @pobojmoks Do you see any errors being reported in the console ? At first guess (without seeing the actual code or the site itself), I’d say that this is AJAX callback related

  • Nodebb as blogging platform

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    @qwinter I’ve extensive experience with Ghost, so let me know if you need any help.

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    Missed out on this deal ? Windscribe offer a limited free version. More about that here
    https://sudonix.org/topic/13/which-product-is-the-best-for-vpn/164?_=1652206628456

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    One of many issues with working in the Infosec community is an inevitable backlash you’ll come across almost on a daily basis. In this industry, and probably hundreds of others like it are those who have an opinion. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it’s something I always actively encourage. However, there’s a fine line between what is considered to be constructive opinion and what comes across as a bigoted approach. What I’m alluding to here is the usage of the word “hacker” and it’s context. I’ve written about this particular topic before which, so it seems, appears to have pressed a few buttons that “shouldn’t be pressed”.
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    But why is this ?

    The purpose of this article is definition. It really isn’t designed to “take sides” or cast aspersions over the correct usage of the term, or which scenarios and paradigms it is used correctly or incorrectly against. For the most part, the term “hacker” seems to be seen as positive in the Infosec community, and based on this, the general consensus is that there should be greater awareness of the differences between hackers and threat actors, for example. The issue here is that not everyone outside of this arena is inclined to agree. You could argue that the root of this issue is mainly attributed to the media and how they portray “hackers” as individuals who pursue nefarious activity and use their skills to commit crime and theft on a grand scale by gaining illegal access to networks. On the one hand, the image of hoodies and faceless individuals has created a positive awareness and a sense of caution amongst the target groups – these being everyday users of civilian systems and corporate networks alike, and with the constant stream of awareness campaigns running on a daily basis, this paradigm serves only to perpetuate rather than diminish. On the other hand, if you research the definition of the term “hacker” you’ll find more than one returned.

    Is this a fair reflection of hackers ? To the untrained eye, picture number 2 probably creates the most excitement. Sure, picture 1 looks “cool”, but it’s not “threatening” as such, as this is clearly the image the media wants to display. Essentially, they have probably taken this stance to increase awareness of an anonymous and faceless threat. But, it ISN’T a fair portrayal.

    Current definitions of “the word”

    The word “hacker” has become synonymous with criminal activity to the point where it cannot be reversed. Certainly not overnight anyway. The media attention cannot be directly blamed either in my view as without these types of campaigns, the impact of such a threat wouldn’t be taken seriously if a picture of a guy in a suit (state sponsored) was used. The hoodie is representative of an unknown masked assailant and it’s creation is for awareness – to those who have no real understanding of what a hacker should look like – hence my original article. As I highlighted above, we live in a world where a picture speaks a thousand words.

    The word hacker is always going to be associated with nefarious activity and that’s never going to change, regardless of the amount of effort that would be needed to re-educate pretty much the entire planet. Ask anyone to define a hacker and you’ll get the same response. It’s almost like trying to distinguish the deference between a full blown criminal and a “lovable rogue” or the fact that hoodies aren’t trouble making adolescent thugs.

    Ultimately, it’s far too ingrained – much like the letters that flow through a stick of rock found on UK seaside resorts. It’s doesn’t matter how much you break off, the lettering exists throughout the entire stick regardless if you want that to happen or not. To make a real change, and most importantly, have media (and by definition, everyone else) realise they have made a fundamental misjudgement, we should look at realistic definitions.

    The most notable is the below, taken from Tech Target

    A hacker is an individual who uses computer, networking or other skills to overcome a technical problem. The term hacker may refer to anyone with technical skills, but it often refers to a person who uses his or her abilities to gain unauthorized access to systems or networks in order to commit crimes. A hacker may, for example, steal information to hurt people via identity theft, damage or bring down systems and, often, hold those systems hostage to collect ransom.

    The term hacker has historically been a divisive one, sometimes being used as a term of admiration for an individual who exhibits a high degree of skill, as well as creativity in his or her approach to technical problems. However, the term is more commonly applied to an individual who uses this skill for illegal or unethical purposes.

    One great example of this is that hackers are not “evil people” but are in fact industry professionals and experts who use their knowledge to raise awareness by conducting proof of concept exercises and providing education and awareness around the millions of threats that we are exposed to on an almost daily basis. So why does the word “hacker” strike fear into those unfamiliar with its true meaning ? The reasoning for this unnecessary phenomena isn’t actually the media alone (although they have contributed significantly to it’s popularity). It’s perception. You could argue that the media have made this perception worse, and to a degree, this would be true. However, they actually didn’t create the original alliance – the MIT claimed that trophy and gave the term the “meaning” it has to this day. Have a look at this

    MIT Article

    Given the origins of this date back to 1963, the media is not to blame for creating the seemingly incorrect original reference when it’s fairly obvious that they didn’t. The “newspaper” reflected in the link is a campus circulation and was never designed for public consumption as far as I can see. Here’s a quote from that article:

    “Many telephone services have been curtailed because of so-called hackers, according to Professor Carleton Tucker, administrator of the Institute telephone system.

    The students have accomplished such things as tying up all the tie-lines between Harvard and MIT, or making long-distance calls by charging them to a local radar installation. One method involved connecting the PDP-1 computer to the phone system to search the lines until a dial tone, indicating an outside line, was found.”

    The “so-called hackers” alignment here originally comes from “Phreaking” – a traditional method of establishing control over remote telephone systems allowing trunk calls, international dialling, premium rates, etc, all without the administrator’s knowledge. This “old school” method would certainly no longer work with modern phone systems, but is certainly “up there” with the established activity that draws a parallel with hacking.

    Whilst a significant portion of blogs, security forums, and even professional security platforms continue to use images of hoodies, faceless individuals, and the term “hacker” in the criminal sense, this is clearly a misconception – unfortunately one that connotation itself has allowed to set in stone like King Arthur’s Excalibur. In fairness, cyber criminals are mostly faceless individuals as nobody can actually see them commit a crime and only realise they are in fact normal people once they are discovered, arrested, and brought to trial for their activities. However, the term “hacker” is being misused on a grand scale – and has been since the 1980’s.

    An interesting observation here is that hoodies are intrinsically linked to threatening behaviour. A classic example of this is here. This really isn’t misrepresentation by the media in this case – it’s an unfortunate reality that is on the increase. Quite who exactly is responsible for putting a hacker in a hoodie is something of a discussion topic, but hackers were originally seen as “Cyberpunks” (think Matrix 1) until the media stepped in where they suddenly were seen as skateboarding kids in hoodies. And so, the image we know (and hackers loathe) was born. Perhaps one “logical” perspective for hoodies and hackers could be the anonymity the hoodie supposedly affords.

    The misconception of the true meaning of “hacker” has damaged the Infosec community extensively in terms of what should be a “no chalk” line between what is criminal, and what isn’t. However, it’s not all bad news. True meaning aside, the level of awareness around the nefarious activities of cyber criminals has certainly increased, but until we are able to establish a clear demarcation between ethics in terms of what is right and wrong, those hackers who provide services, education, and awareness will always be painted in a negative light, and by inference, be “tarred with the same brush”. Those who pride themselves on being hackers should continue to do so in my view – and they have my full support.

    It’s not their job solely to convince everyone else of their true intent, but ours as a community.

    Let’s start making that change.

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    Well, just remember - No matter where ya’ go, there you are. 🏇 🐎 🐴

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    I’m excited to announce that a new blog section has been added 😛 The blog is actually using Ghost and not NodeBB, and also sits on it’s own subdomain of https://content.sudonix.com (if you ever fancy hitting it directly).

    We’ve moved all the blog articles out of the existing category here, and migrated them to the Ghost platform. However, you can still comment on these articles just like they were part of the root system. If you pick a blog article whilst logged in

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    Then choose the blog article you want to read

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    Once opened, you’ll see a short synopsis of the article

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    Click the link to read the rest of the post. Scroll down to the bottom, and you’ll see a space where you can provide your comments ! Take the time to read the articles, and provide your own feedback - I’d love to hear it.

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    The blog component is not quite finished yet - it needs some polish, and there’s a few bugs scattered here and there, but these will only manifest themselves if a certain sequence of events is met.

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