The darknet or darkweb connects a closed group of people who communicate via a virtual, segregated and encrypted network on the existing internet (overlay network).
The users use existing cables to transmit requests and responses via a virtual channel (comparable to a VPN). The Tor network is one of the best-known peer-2-peer darknets. Alternatives are GNUnet or Freenet.
The Tor network uses .oinion as its top-level domain (TLD). In contrast to normal domains on the Internet, Tor domains aredynamic with a changeable suffix:
lippke823h62safh.onion or shop24kasdfh2asd.onion
Steffen Lippke
onion domains that you bookmark today can no longer be found tomorrow if the suffix changes.
08 Your own domain
You can register your own Darknet website at http://onionname3jpufot.onion/.
The Darknet is decentralised, anonymous, free and not censored.
Steffen Lippke
Internet = good – darknet = evil?
The media claim that criminals only use the darknet for weapons, drugs, criminal offences etc. and that normal users should therefore not go there.
Journalists often present the darknet in a one-sided, exaggerated and false way!
Steffen Lippke
Freelance journalists, whistleblowers, politically persecuted persons, artists and many others exchange information legally via the darknet. The decentralised Internet is also intended to provide a platform for undisturbed and unmonitored private communication.
The Darknet offers you a number of ways to communicate with others anonymously and in encrypted form. If you use the Tor Browser, you are generally anonymous and untraceable. The Tor Browser is a standardised browser (no modifications make sense) that makes all users “appear the same”. As a website operator, ISP or government, you only see that some Tor user has accessed the website.
On the normal Internet, you will find plenty of websites with illegal content. The reach of the internet is higher because more people have access to the normal internet than people have access to the darknet.
The best link tips
This article is intended to emphasise the good side and how important it is that a darknet exists. Governments should not block Tor nodes. Some websites have dark sides. Any tool (knife) can be used by the user (cook) in a good way (preparing a dish) or a bad way (stabbing people).
You can only use the dark links if you have opened this website in a Tor browser. If you have not yet installed a Tor browser, follow the instructions in my darknet tutorial.
Steffen Lippke
Note: The Tor browser is slower because it redirects your requests via several servers (nodes). This process guarantees your anonymity. The browser does not prioritise speed, but maximises privacy, anonymity and non-traceability on the web.
In the following section, I would like to show you websites that you should be aware of:
Whistleblower disclosures
Some high-ranking officials (whistleblowers) of governments, authorities and companies anonymously publish documents that are TOP TOP TOP SECRET.
These whistleblowers want to preserve democracy and create transparency on an issue. The whistleblowers want to enlighten the general public and warn of abuses and misuse.
Whistleblowers can make states, companies and individuals vulnerable to attacks in the short term.
Search engines for Tor
02 Torch
The Torch search engine gives you a list of hits for a search term. The search engine is not as convenient as Google, Startpage or DuckDuckGo because the darknet is changing too much.
The following link only works in the Tor browser – see Tor Tutorial http://xmh57jrknzkhv6y3ls3ubitzfqnkrwxhopf5aygthi7d6rplyvk3noyd.onion/cgi-bin/omega/omega
03 DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is a well-known search engine that offers a Darknet search in a pure HTML version.
The following link only works in the Tor browser – see Tor Tutorial https://3g2upl4pq6kufc4m.onion/
Uncensored wikis
05 The Hidden Wiki
Public encyclopaedias provide the basis for an uncensored exchange of knowledge on the Darknet. Governments and companies cannot adapt knowledge and facts to “their invented reality”.
Anyone can publish articles and contribute uncensored content.
The Hidden Wiki is a mixture of a knowledge library like Wikipedia and a link collection for known Darknet websites.
The following link only works in the Tor browser – see Tor Tutorial http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Secure e-mail services
09 Confident Mail
The NSA and other state institutions monitor normal e-mail, text messages, the web and other means of communication. Former NSA whistleblower Snowden has shed light on this abuse in detail.
Some email providers on the darknet enable communication via PGP-encrypted email messages. Only this form of email encryption is considered secure according to asymmetric encryption. PGP is independent of the public key infrastructure with the certificate authorities, which can be corruptible.
If you want to send secure emails, you need an anonymous email provider such as Confident Mail. These encrypt the mails and you can receive and read your mails anonymously.
The following link only works in the Tor browser – see Tor Tutorial https://protonmailrmez3lotccipshtkleegetolb73fuirgj7r4o4vfu7ozyd.onion/
Torbook is a social medium that you can only find in Tor:
The following link only works in the Tor browser – see Tor Tutorial http://injz4qvzyun6zq3a.onion/
Uncensored messages
Many governments and publishers adapt the news on the well-known news websites as soon as they are “correct”. To combat censorship, freelance journalists (and anyone else) can publish their news on news websites.
The published entries cannot be deleted or censored.
The magazine ProPublica offers journalists a platform to speak out freely. This website is also accessible via a normal browser.
The following link only works in the Tor browser – see Tor Tutorial http://facebookwkhpilnemxj7asaniu7vnjjbiltxjqhye3mhbshg7kx5tfyd.onion
The real Facebook offers its social network for anonymous use. Some users do not want to be traced. For this reason, Facebook has opted for an additional onion domain. If you are trying to protect yourself from Facebook’s tracking, you are wrong. If you are logged in, you are automatically no longer anonymous.
If a person wants to donate to an NGO that is critical of the government, for example, the person can donate money anonymously via this network. Users use cryptocurrencies as a means of payment and not officially recognised currencies. The crypto market offers more than just bitcoins:
Lite Coin
Ethereum
DogCoin
Flip Coin
The Coinhive Javascript Cryptocoin Miner explains [Trojan] Cryptocurrencies are comparable to our well-known exchange gold. A group measures this limited virtual quantity of coins with a real value (e.g. euros or dollars). Many cryptocurrencies are subject to major fluctuations due to their low liquidity.
Hidden Wallet is used for anonymous payments with Bitcoins:
The following link only works in the Tor browser – see Tor tutorial http://d46a7ehxj6d6f2cf4hi3b424uzywno24c7qtnvdvwsah5qpogewoeqid.onion/
You will also find illegal content on many websites in this network.
Shops for weapons, drugs and illtegal passports
You can get everything in the deepest depths.
By “everything” I really mean everything for sale. Scammers sell illegal weapons, drugs and passports and get paid for the goods or digital content using cryptocurrency
“Ebay” for security vulnerabilities in software
Some black-hat hackers publish exploits for Windows, Facebook, macOS etc. on this network. Interested criminals or the affected companies themselves buy the exploits at auction. The companies try to protect their users (but at the same time encourage the black hat hackers).
Purchasing criminal services
In addition to goods, you can also buy services in this network. For example, you can hire a hacker to hack a private individual or a company.
Copies of sound, images and text
This network does not recognise copyright. Many providers offer well-known films, audiobooks, music and e-books free of charge or for a measly price.
The digital rights management licence has been removed from the multimedia files. The distribution and sale of DRM media is illegal.
What is the difference to the deep web?
The deep web includes many more computers.
Protected company servers and private servers are available via the web, but an access block prevents access. Only authorised persons can access and use the storage.
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