Deep Web Search Engines
Many websites have search engines built into them, which allow you to find information on the site that isn't indexed by Google or Bing. The information you find on a website's internal search engine is part of the Deep Web. Millions of websites have their own search engines, but here are a few that you may find interesting: The United States Congress website has a searchable index of bills, laws, and congressional records. The United States Copyright Office lets you search for copyright information. IPL's repository of more than 500,000 academic essays is searchable. Facebook's search tool is even a Deep Web search engine—you can find many users, groups, and Pages that aren't indexed by mainstream search engines.
Access the Deep Web at Archive.org
Find archived websites that no longer exist. The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine is an amazing Deep Web tool that lets you view websites that no longer exist and older versions of websites that exist now. For example, if you search for Facebook.com, you can see what Facebook's homepage looked like in 2006. Not all websites are archived by the Wayback Machine—some webmasters prefer their sites not to be indexed and can opt out.
Deep Web Access via Academic Databases and Archives
Academic databases and archives are some of the most interesting parts of the Deep Web. There are plenty of great databases that contain peer-reviewed and other academic data that isn't completely searchable in Google or Bing, including: Web of Science indexes a variety of multidisciplinary academic articles and citations. PubMed indexes articles about biomedical topics. Google indexes some of what is on PubMed, but you can browse and search the website for difficult-to-find articles. Project Muse lets you search peer-reviewed academic journal articles and e-books about the humanities. Voice of the Shuttle is another humanities-focused resource curated by humans who share helpful and interesting Deep Web content. LexisNexis requires a subscription for most people, but if you're a student, you may already have one. This tool is invaluable for finding information from magazines, news articles, and even individuals' public records. Library of Congress's Digital Collections is home to hundreds of manuscripts, photos, videos, articles, and other historical information you won't find in Google. Most regional libraries have extensive websites available for members. As a library card holder, you can search dozens to hundreds of databases you won't find anywhere online. This includes genealogical information, local news archives, public directories, oral histories, and much more.
Other Deep Web Tools
Use Deep Web tools to look up information. As you can see, anything behind a paywall, username and password, or CAPTCHA is technically the Deep Web. You might not realize that many online tools that show live content are also on the Deep Web. Some examples: The FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center lets you view live flight delays across the United States. Melissa lets you look up and verify the names and addresses of people across the globe. The United States Department of Transportation is home to a great lookup tool that lets you find documented safety issues and recalls by vehicle—enter your VIN to find out if your car is safe. Project Gutenberg is home to over 60,000 free eBooks you can read on your eReader, computer, or tablet.
Deep Web vs. Dark Web
The Deep Web is made up of information you can't get to from Google. Library archives, private databases, online banking accounts, subscription-only magazines, and court dockets are all things you'll find on the Deep Web. Although the Deep Web sounds mysterious, you've likely spent time there! Basically, anything that requires a password, subscription, or even a CAPTCHA to access is part of the Deep Web.
The Deep Web is not the Dark Web. While the Dark Web requires using a special web browser to access anonymous websites, anyone can find information on the Deep Web through a regular web browser like Chrome or Safari. Unlike browsing the depths of the Dark Web, checking out sites on the Deep Web is just as safe as browsing any other website.
The Dark Web refers to a small sliver of the web that is impossible to access without special software and links. Since the Dark Web's focus is on anonymity, it's home to a lot of illicit content, which gives it a bad reputation. Although the Dark Web is most known for its illegal marketplaces, it's also used to provide anonymity to journalists, political dissidents, whistleblowers, and the like.
Browsing the Dark Web with Tor
Download and install Tor. Dark Web addresses typically look like long strings of letters and numbers and always end with .onion. Unlike browsing the Deep Web, you'll need a special web browser to browse the Dark Web because of these strange addresses. You can find Tor, the most popular browser used to access the Dark Web, at https://www.torproject.org/download. Tor has some added features for security, including the ability to change your location so that websites think you're in another region.
Connect to Tor. Once your VPN is turned on and no browser windows are open, open Tor and click Connect. This will open the Tor home page. Tor recommends that you don't maximize the Tor window, as doing so will publicize your screen size—this could be problematic if you're trying to be anonymous.
Change your Tor security settings. Once you've launched Tor, click the shield icon at the top-right, select Change, and then choose Safest as your security level. This ensures that tracking scripts and other forms of monitoring cannot load on Dark Web sites.
Browse the Dark Web. Now that you're on the Dark Web, you can visit websites that end with .onion. A mostly safe place to start is The Hidden Wiki, a site that contains a frequently updated set of links to common Dark Web sites including email tools, messaging, website hosting, blogs, and more. Find it at https://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion.
Dark Web Search Engines
Dark Web search engines only index the Dark Web. Be careful when using Dark Web search engines, as many could point you in disturbing directions. Here are a few relatively safe places to start your journey into the Dark Web: Torch is a commonly used Dark Web search engine with over one million indexed hidden pages. You can access it at xmh57jrknzkhv6y3ls3ubitzfqnkrwxhopf5aygthi7d6rplyvk3noyd.onion. DuckDuckGo, is also available on the surface web and has a separate Dark Web search engine. You can get there by pointing Tor to https://duckduckgogg42xjoc72x3sjasowoarfbgcmvfimaftt6twagswzczad.onion. If you go to DuckDuckGo's regular search engine address, which is at DuckDuckGo.com, you'll only be searching the clear (mainstream) web, not the Dark Web. AHMIA is another Dark Web search engine that indexes non-abusive sites on the Dark Web.
Dark Web Browsing Precautions and Tips
Never access the Dark Web without a VPN. Before downloading Tor, which is the most common Dark Web-accessible web browser, you must sign up for and install a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your connection. NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN are common choices, but you can choose any VPN that has the following features: A kill switch for when your VPN goes down. A no-log policy can protect you if the government demands log files from your VPN server. Anonymous sign-up. Quick load times. Protection against IP and DNS leaks. The ability to connect via another country's server.
Make sure that your VPN is on before connecting to Tor. Your VPN will hide your IP address from anyone attempting to view your location.
Linux is strongly recommended for people who plan on using the Dark Web. Tails is a popular option, as it's portable and has the Tor network built in. You could also use a virtual machine instead of booting Tails from a USB or optical drive, such as VirtualBox. If you're on a Mac, you should be fine if you use a VPN and Tor. Just make sure you're protected from viruses and other malware—Malwarebytes is a great option for malware protection.
Avoid buying anything or sending money on the Dark Web. Much of the Dark Web's illegal content is based on things like human trafficking, illicit drug and firearm sales, and so on. Nearly anything available for sale on the Dark Web would be illegal in most regions.
Never download files or accept chat requests while on the Dark Web. Do not search for or click links to pages referencing or participating in illegal topics. Simply viewing certain types of web pages may be illegal in your region, so it's best not to take any chances.
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