Adaptive Trust Scoring in Decentralized Identity Systems Using Generative AI for Digital Marksheet Verification in Education

The Dark Web

The internet has three main layers:

• Surface Web: This is the visible part of the internet that anyone can access, like Google, social media, and shopping websites. It’s about 4% of the internet.
• Deep Web: Below the Surface Web, the Deep Web includes things like medical records, academic databases, and private company files. It isn’t searchable through regular search engines, but it’s not hidden—it’s just private.
• Dark Web: The Dark Web is the smallest, most hidden layer of the internet. It requires special software to access and keeps user identities private, which is why it’s often associated with illegal activities.

2. What is the Dark Web?

The Dark Web is a part of the internet designed to keep activities hidden and anonymous. While some people use it for privacy, others use it for illegal activities, as it’s harder to track.

Imagine the internet like an iceberg: the Surface Web is the tip, the Deep Web is underwater but reachable with permission, and the Dark Web is the darkest, most hidden part.

3. How Does the Dark Web Work?

To access the Dark Web, you need a special browser like Tor (The Onion Router). Tor hides your online identity by routing your activity through many different servers worldwide, making it hard for anyone to track where you are.

Example: A user in Europe accessing a Dark Web site might first get routed through servers in South America, then Asia, and finally to the website. This makes it nearly impossible to know where they started.

4. Why Do People Use the Dark Web?

People go to the Dark Web for different reasons:

1. Privacy: Journalists, activists, and people in countries with strict censorship may use it to avoid being monitored.
2. Secure Communication: Whistleblowers use it to report sensitive information.
3. Illegal Activities: Unfortunately, the Dark Web is also used for buying illegal goods like drugs or stolen information.

Example: In a country with tight internet restrictions, a journalist might use the Dark Web to share stories without risking their safety.

5. Impact of the Dark Web

The Dark Web has positive and negative sides:

1. Positive Impact: Helps protect free speech and privacy for those who need to share information anonymously.
2. Negative Impact: Allows for illegal activities like cybercrime, drug trafficking, and stolen data exchanges.

Real Example: Hackers may sell stolen credit card details on the Dark Web, putting people’s financial information at risk.

6. What If the Dark Web Disappeared?

If the Dark Web disappeared, both privacy and crime could be affected. People in restricted countries might lose safe ways to share information, and illegal activities might shift to the regular internet but be easier to monitor.

7. Conclusion: Use with Caution

The Dark Web is like a hidden part of the internet—some use it for privacy, while others use it for illegal reasons. Accessing it isn’t illegal in most places, but what you do there matters. It’s a tool that requires responsibility and awareness, as both its benefits and risks can impact our digital world.