What is the Difference Between the Deep Web and the Dark Web

You may have heard terms such as the Deep Web and Dark Web in news articles, but you’re not sure what exactly they are. While both may sound scary, these concepts have very different meanings. 

What is the Deep Web?

The Deep Web refers to pages on the internet that are not searchable by most major search engines such as Google or Bing. They may include private financial information contained in restricted databases of banking institutions or personal information such as social security numbers or license plate numbers contained in restricted government databases. To access these pages, you would need to know the exact URL address for the page or would need to follow a direct link.

These pages are invisible to search engines. They include private pages for member-only websites that you use daily, including services such as video streaming pages, tools for taking notes, and many internal pages for businesses, and schools are all a part of the Deep Web.

What is the Dark Web?

The Dark Web is a layer of the internet that goes farther than the Deep Web. Most internet users cannot access these pages since they need special software to be found. Due to this, the Dark Web is also not searchable using standard search engines such as Google or Bing and requires specific knowledge of server locations. Sometimes programs such as TOR are used to randomly bounce encrypted traffic around the globe to provide anonymous access.

Due to its secret nature, the Dark Web is often focused on illegal services and activities, such as the buying and selling of financial information, credit cards, private documents, personal records including social security numbers, and other physical and digital items. It has been reported that cybercriminals were found selling millions of stolen credit card records on the dark web.

Does Spokeo Search the Deep and Dark Web?

We do not gather information on the dark or deep web. We only gather our data from publicly accessible sources such as census data, marketing lists.

However, our new identity protection tool actively scans the Dark Web for your personal and financial information, allowing you to monitor and protect yourself if your information has been compromised. You can read more about our Identity Protection Tool here: https://help.spokeo.com/hc/en-us/articles/360046318774-What-will-I-get-