The deep web forms an integral part of Internet browsing. Many activities we do online have a deep web component; however, the term “deep web” needs further understanding. Many people use it interchangeably with “dark web,” which is a common mistake. This guide answers the question “What is the deep web?” and explains how to access it.
What Is the Deep Web?
The deep web refers to any website or page that search engines like Google can’t find. These parts of a website are off limits to regular visitors, and only legitimate users can access them. In fact, when you log in to your email, social media, Internet banking, or any personal account, you’re using the deep internet.
Other than frontend site visitors, the deep web is also important to a website’s backend. Under this webpage you’re reading, there is a domain and DNS, web folders, CSS and script files, storage systems, and third-party plugins. If you’re a webmaster, you’re dealing with their deep web pages.
If you think about it further, this terminology also includes other “invisible websites,” such as payment gateways, confirmation screens, discussion forums, chat rooms, intranets, extranets, and paywalls. Also, there are “protected areas”: the hidden databases of corporations, governments, military, and scientific bodies.
Image source: DALL-E 3
Clearly, every website on the Internet has its deep web components. If you add them all up, the number of deep web pages will far outnumber anything on the visible, searchable Web. Accordingly, some estimates suggest that the deep web may comprise 90 to 95 percent of the overall World Wide Web.
This should translate to thousands of terabytes of data. The precise figure is unknown, as there is an unfathomable amount of data resting behind the servers. If you think the visible Internet is big enough, with over a billion websites at present, the true extent of the invisible web is beyond mind-boggling. After all, it forms the very foundation of the Internet.
Image source: DALL-E 3
Is the Deep Web Illegal?
It certainly isn’t illegal – not when it is actively used by all websites and permeates everything we do online, apart from idle browsing.
Some people mistakenly associate the deep web with illegal activity, as the term is often mixed up with “dark web.” The dark web does have illegal sites, but for some reason, news and media have used both terms interchangeably, without understanding the differences.
In short, the dark web is a parallel Internet walled off from the regular Internet. It has many darknet markets, which are risky, and you should avoid them should you run into one.
It’s not that the deep web is entirely free of security threats. It isn’t. If you visit a site with harmful malware or Trojans, it can affect your device. Some scam sites try to trick you into giving them money after you log in. Sharing personal information on a deep website or forum can be a costly mistake.
Some deep web sites may have illegal or criminal activity mentioned in the content that you can access with a subscription. They include forums for illicit activities and forbidden meme sites. It’s best to avoid visiting them.
Good to know: not all dark web websites are unsafe. There are many secure dark web onions that link to free speech and privacy advocates.
How to Access the Deep Web
The deep web connects to the surface web. You just need to be online to use its web pages, like webmail, social media platforms, or a payment gateway. Many times, it requires two-factor authentication with a one-time password.
Tip: to access the dark web, use a special browser, like the Tor browser or an alternative.
There are other ways to easily search the deep web to find what you want.
1. Try Other Search Engines
It’s common for some web pages of a website to not be indexed by Google, but they do get indexed in Bing, DuckDuckGo, and other search engines. Some other uncommon search engines include Startpage, Brave Search, and Ecosia.
2. Find the Main Page with Google, Then Explore
You can use Google search to uncover a site’s deeply buried content. This can get you to a main page, where you can research further by typing site:website name search query. This helps you find hidden PDF files, old updates, content behind paywalls, and even pages with “no follow” tags. Google might not follow such pages, but it will still look through the top directory and may find the hidden content there.
3. Search Open Access Journals and Databases
Often, what you can’t find in a search engine, you can find in various government and open access journals that you can search on Google. One example is USA.gov, which houses all files connected to the U.S. government. Such databases give advanced access to hidden information.
There are also phone number and people finder websites that give you detailed reports of individuals. You can also search Google Books, which contains extra information you won’t find in Google.
4. Try a Deep Web Search Engine
The deep web is so vast that accessing the hidden content requires specialized deep web search engines. Using some advanced deep web search engines, such as Spokeo, requires a paid subscription, but there are also free ones, such as The Wayback Machine, Haystack, WorldCat, Torch, and more.
If you’re concerned that your sensitive information is at stake and could be accessed through these methods, use a dark web scanner to look for security breaches.
Image credit: Pixabay. All screenshots by Sayak Boral.