COMBATING WITH DARK WEB

 

COMBATING WITH DARK WEB

On the Internet there are lesser known digital spaces, where users can access and navigate while maintaining greater privacy. A characteristic that has allowed some of these networks to more easily proliferate services that offer illegal content, which minors are accessing. So we want to explain what the Deep Web and the Dark Web are, what their risks are and help you identify if your children are accessing and how you should act.

DEEP WEB

The Internet is much bigger than what we see with the naked eye, and there are other areas of the Internet that are kept hidden from the conventional user. It is what is known as the Deep Web or deep Internet, and responds to the need to maintain greater privacy and anonymity, essential for the protection of the data that is hosted on it. The problem is that this space also facilitates the development of illegal activities that are hidden in this less controllable and known area.

When we use the Internet, we access the content offered by different companies, institutions, people, etc. All of them try to make their products, ideas or services known to other users. These contents can be accessed with the main web browsers, under the usual standards and protocols. We are talking about services like Google, or social networks like Facebook or Instagram.

In addition, there is another part of the Internet that is not available to search engines, as they are private pages or do not allow indexing. This part of the Internet is the Deep Web or deep Internet, and here many of the data necessary for the operation of the services that we use daily are housed, which must be protected. Everything found on the Deep Web does not have to have dark purposes or illegal issues. This Network is configured through encrypted layers, as if it were an onion, allowing a high level of privacy in communications.

But taking advantage of this feature, within the Deep Web there is a small portion of this network that is even more difficult to access, called the Dark Web, the darkest part of the Internet. To access it, it is necessary to use specific browsers, among which TOR stands out for being the best known, although it is not the only one. In this space, services and pages that offer illegal or highly recommended content are concentrated. This does not mean that we cannot find these products or services in other areas of the Internet, but in the Dark Web they proliferate more and it is more difficult to control them, since one of their design characteristics is anonymity.

What Kind Of Content Is Found On The Deep Web?

Within the Deep Web it is possible to find all kinds of information, from an innocent personal web page to sites with inappropriate content for minors. As we have said, not all of the Deep Web is inappropriate or illegal, most of it is intended to store and manage data that needs greater protection, but there is a greater chance of accessing dangerous content.

There are web pages that are authentic markets for illegal products. Thus, false documentation can be found, such as passports, identity documents and cybercriminal services that offer access to social media accounts, companies or banks. Weapons are also sold, all kinds of drugs or even organ trafficking moves. One of the greatest risks, without a doubt, is the distribution and consumption of child pornography, as well as content about violent acts or the services of hired hitmen.

The lack of control of the content that is hosted on the Deep Web and the Dark Web also leads to the appearance of blogs, forums and boards that promote unhealthy and dangerous ways of acting, such as groups that incite and promote anorexia, bulimia or prostitution, including self-harm or suicide. In addition, sects or organized groups also use this part of the Network for their strategies to attract and manipulate vulnerable people.

In addition, the large amount of content offered on these networks fuels the proliferation of all types of malware and computer viruses, which endanger the computers of those users who browse them. Many minors access these spaces without the minimum knowledge to detect them.

In summary, the anonymity of communication on the Deep Web is, on the one hand, a benefit for those who surf normally, but also an open field for those who wish to carry out activities outside of the law.

What Are The Risks?

For anyone, this part of the Network can pose a risk, since there is not much control over what we can find or who offers these content or information services.

For minors, it is undoubtedly even more dangerous due to their vulnerability to being caught by malicious people or finding inappropriate content. They often access the Deep Web guided by colleagues or friends who send them instructions via WhatsApp or Telegram, usually without further information about what they are going to find. These are the main risk aspects to consider:

· Viewing content that is not suitable for minors, which may be complex, disturbing or lead to criminal consequences.

· Recruitment by dangerous communities, which can lead to unhealthy or harmful behaviors on a physical or emotional level.

· Access to illegal services that may entail physical risks and / or legal consequences for the minor: black market of substances and weapons, pornographic content, organs, etc.

For inexperienced users it may seem that there is a certain sense of impunity when using these supposedly hidden digital spaces, but this greater privacy is not a total guarantee, since it depends on many factors. Failures can easily occur that make this anonymity not real and the user is tracked and located.

 

CAN MY CHILD BE ACCESSING THE DEEP WEB?

Of course it is possible. There are minors who access this network out of curiosity, due to the influence of their group of friends or colleagues, to break limits or in order to find specific content, exposing themselves to many risks. Therefore, it is important to have a minimum knowledge that allows us to recognize this activity.

If we monitor the use of the Internet on the computer, the browsers and programs that use this Network can be identified through its onion-shaped icon and also through domain names (the address that appears in the search engine), which they are not legible and clearly differ from conventional web pages. At the same time, they sometimes need specific programs that will be installed on the device, as well as the files or contents that have been found, which will be stored and safely hidden at first sight.

In addition, changes in attitude in the minor should call our attention, which can be a warning sign. The search for private spaces to browse or the exaggerated insistence on having your own device can give us clues about this type of use. Other striking behaviors, such as low spirits, mood swings or trouble falling asleep, among others, can be a sign that something is not right and needs our support.

You can track all the activities of your child if you see something is wrong going on by installing an antivirus software that will help you in giving you all the access of your child activity that he is doing online and this is called parental control, where you are keeping an eye on your child without letting them know and tracking what’s happening online. So to be safe from all the dark web activities you should use an antivirus software which will give you and your family a complete security from online crimes.