Exploring the Dark Web: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters
Beneath the Surface and Deep Web lies the Dark Web—a realm of .onion sites reachable only via Tor or I2P. While it hosts illicit marketplaces trafficking drugs, stolen data, and malware, it also powers secure journalism (SecureDrop), censorship‑bypassing, and privacy‑focused services like ProtonMail. Navigating it safely means using official Tor Browser downloads, reputable VPNs, and “live” operating systems like Tails to avoid leaving any trace.