Is it true that my ISP is spying on my web browsing? Does DuckDuckGo fix that?
Gabriel Weinberg, CEO & Founder at DuckDuckGo.com (2008-present) Updated Jun 11 · Upvoted by Adam D'Angelo, Quora CEO

Yes, your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is likely spying on your web browsing, and yes, DuckDuckGo can help you significantly cut down on their ability to spy on you.

Your ISP is the company that gets you onto the Internet – your home Internet or mobile data provider. If your ISP is spying on you, it means they can use or sell your browsing history to others for things like creepy ads that follow you around the Internet or to junk mail providers.

Whenever you connect to a website or other place on the Internet, you can be using either an encrypted (secure) connection, or an unencrypted (unsecure) connection.

In a web browser, you can check on whether you are using an encrypted connection by looking for a padlock or similar icon in the address bar. If you see that icon, you should also see an "https://" at the beginning of the website address, rather than "http://".


If a website is using an encrypted connection (i.e., HTTPS, like https://duckduckgo.com/):

ISPs cannot see which specific pages within that website you visit (everything after the '/').
ISPs cannot see what you search for or what you type into forms.
ISPs can still see the domain of the website you are visiting (everything up to the '/').



When you do a search, you may have noticed that you can see your search terms in the address bar. That might make you think, even if the search engine is using an encrypted connection (i.e., starts with https), then your ISP can still see your search terms. But, actually that's not correct — the ISP can only see the domain part — the rest (everything after that first slash) — is actually encrypted and the ISP cannot see it (see picture).

What all this means is that with your web surfing, you can block ISPs from spying on you to a great extent by using as many encrypted (secure) connections as possible. Unfortunately, that’s not something you can do entirely on your own – the website you want to visit has to offer an encrypted connection option, but more and more of them are doing just that.

How DuckDuckGo can help you use more encrypted connections

At DuckDuckGo, we offer a tool to help you more regularly use encrypted connections when browsing the Internet. If you’re unfamiliar with DuckDuckGo, we are an Internet privacy company that empowers you to seamlessly take control of your personal information online, without any tradeoffs. We operate a private search engine alternative to Google at https://duckduckgo.com, and offer additional apps and extensions to protect you from Google, Facebook, Twitter and other tracker networks, no matter where you go on the Internet.

So, how do our apps and extensions help you use encrypted connections? They offer Smarter Encryption, which is a feature that automatically ensures that you use encrypted connections to websites whenever available. You don’t even have to think about it; this feature works in the background, silently redirecting you to secure website connections. We keep a list of millions of websites that offer encrypted connections, and make sure to encrypt your connections to those sites.

On desktop, you can get our Smarter Encryption by installing DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials for Firefox or Chrome. On mobile, you can get Smarter Encryption by using our DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser on iOS or Android. In addition to Smarter Encryption, our apps and browser extensions include other privacy essentials like tracker blocking and private search.

Unfortunately, some websites still do not offer encrypted versions. You can’t change that, and neither can we. But, if you want to take further steps to protect your privacy, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Doing so isn’t as seamless as our tool, and there are a lot of VPN options and considerations, so we have put together a guide for further information. You could also go one step further and use a technology called "Tor;" we have another guide with information on that option.

In any case, you should consider using our tool or another similar tool to make sure you are using more encrypted connections when surfing the Internet. Doing so will cut down significantly on the ability of your ISP from spying on your browsing history. And it’s not just your ISP that can do this. When you connect to a website unencrypted, many parties could spy on you (like the ISP of the website you are connecting to), or anyone snooping on your wifi. Using encrypted connections will help shut the blinds on all of them.

Strap on your VPN and go for the bumpy ride on the (shudder) DARK WEB!!!!!




How do you access the dark web for free?
Zral Kheri Updated Jul 9

*Note* I am not responsible for any trouble you may get yourselves into. This is just the point of view from a person who knows a little bit about the concept of the dark web and is not a full expert in this subject.

Also, there is a difference between the dark web and deep web.

The dark web can be accessed in many ways. However, I only know one way, which is through Tor browser (Tor).



On Tor, instead of “.com” or “.org” endings for websites, the tor ‘Dark web’ endings are .onion or otherwise known as Onion links.

Onion links go to a variety of types of websites (shopping [lol idk maybe illegal?], bitcoin deposits [again I have no clue why], and etc.)

I will be showing you the levels of the internet which lead on to the dark web. (It would be hard explaining the details of it, and I know people love visuals for explanations)



You see, The deep web is above the dark web, which means the dark web is really *low low* on the hierarchy and is considered “dangerous” in terms of the type of data that is located there. I highly advise not to access this part of the web as it is not such a smart idea to do so.

Alright! I am done here - Zral Kheri


https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-access-the-dark-web-for-free

Venture where angels fear to tread - the DARK WEB!!!!!!

Take care beware or you may be buried in SCAM email if the denizens of the DARK WEB get your email address.

TOR and a VPN are essential before goring into the DARK WEB.

A spare machine and a different internet account is a good idea to foil scammers,


Out from the Shadows: The Dark Web
by Austin Castle | Jul 23, 2019 | Featured Posts, Home + Mobile

You’ve likely heard of the dark web.

This ominous sounding shadow internet rose in prominence alongside cryptocurrencies in the early 2010s, eventually becoming such an ingrained part of our cultural zeitgeist that it even received its own feature on an episode of Law & Order: SVU. But as prominent as the dark web may be, few average internet users can properly explain what it is and the cyber threats it provides a haven for. Let’s step back from the pop culture mythos and dive into what makes the dark web so dark.

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Open Web, Deep Web, and Dark Web: Know the Difference
The open web, or surface web, is the internet we use every day. This includes all the web content that can be found through search engines and is accessed by traditional web browsers. Though you might find it surprising that the open web accounts for just 5% of the internet. The rest is made up of the deep web.

The deep web is the section of the internet that is not indexed by search engines and cannot be found through traditional search methods. This means that the only way to access deep web content is through a direct URL. While rumors about the deep web make it seem as if it is exclusively used for nefarious purposes, content on the deep web is often banal. It is largely comprised of school and university intranet systems, email and banking portals, internal sites for businesses and trade organizations, and even things like your Netflix or Hulu queues. Nothing to be afraid of there.

While the dark web is technically a part of the deep web, it takes anonymity a step further by using overlay networks to restrict access, often attracting users engaged in illicit activity. These networks use special anonymized software to grant users access; the largest and most famous of which is Tor. Tor stands for “The Onion Router,” which references its “onion routing” technique of using encapsulated layers of encryption to ensure privacy. Tor websites are most easily recognized by their “.onion” domains, and by the fact that they cannot be accessed through traditional web browsers. You may have heard stories about the NSA trying to shut Tor down, but don’t expect the services to go away soon. It has funding from high places, with a recent FOI request revealing that one of Tor’s largest financial contributors has long been the U.S. State Department—likely to offer encrypted communication options for State Department agents working in the field.

Is the Dark Web Illegal?
The dark web isn’t inherently illegal—the illegality comes from how it can be used. Darknet markets, such as the infamous and now defunct original Silk Road, showcase how thin the line is between legal and illegal dark market activities. As long as what you are purchasing is legal, using a darknet market is as lawful as making a purchase from any other online retailer. But buying illicit drugs or human organs? Yeah, that’s definitely illegal.

Although not as remarkable as some of the more grotesque items available, one of the most commonly found items for sale on the dark web is data. With a reported 281 data breaches in just the first quarter of 2019, we have already seen 4.53 billion records exposed this year alone. That’s potentially more than 4 billion chances for hackers to profit off the victimization of strangers, and a majority of them will use the dark web to do so. We have seen several high-profile data breaches resurface on the dark web—Equifax, Canva, Under Armor, and Evite all recently had their user data available for sale on darknet markets.

The Dark Web and Malware-as-a-Service
Beyond selling your data, the dark web can be used to harvest it as well. Webroot Security Analyst, Tyler Moffitt, explains this growing threat:

“Anyone can create malware in today’s landscape where the dark web is very accessible,” says Moffit. “There are ransomware services on .onion links that will allow you to input just a few bits of information, like a bitcoin address, desired ransom, late fees, etc., and unique binaries are generated to distribute however they like. The only ‘catch’ is that the portal creator usually takes a cut (around 30%) for any ransom payments made.”

These malware-as-a-service attacks mean that an attacker doesn’t even need to know how to execute one; they just need to know how to navigate to the portal. Therein lies the largest dark web danger for many consumers—anonymized cyberattacks available at the click of a mouse.

Keeping Your Data Off the Dark Web
Like a hydra with its multiple heads, black markets will likely never be wiped out. When you shut one down, two more will pop up. Darknet markets are just their newest evolution. While you can’t expect to see this threat disappear anytime soon, you can take steps to keep your data secure and off the dark web.

Read the rest here

https://www.webroot.com/blog/2019/07/23/out-from-the-shadows-the-dark-web/