The terms "dark web" and "deep web" are often used interchangeably, but they actually refer to different parts of the internet. Here's the distinction between the two:
Deep Web:
The deep web refers to all the parts of the internet that are not indexed by traditional search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo. This includes a wide range of content that is not publicly accessible or meant to be indexed, such as password-protected websites, private databases, subscription-based content, personal email accounts, and more. The deep web also includes content that is dynamically generated by databases when a user interacts with a website. Estimates suggest that the deep web is much larger than the surface web (the part of the internet that search engines can index).
The dark web is a subset of the deep web that consists of websites and content that are intentionally hidden and require specialized software to access. The most common software used to access the dark web is Tor (The Onion Router), which routes internet traffic through a series of nodes to anonymize users and their activities. The dark web includes websites that have been intentionally concealed and are not accessible through regular web browsers. While some legitimate content and services exist on the dark web, it's also known for hosting illegal activities, black market transactions, and other illicit content.
In summary, the deep web encompasses all parts of the internet that are not indexed by search engines, including both benign and private content, while the dark web specifically refers to the hidden, encrypted, and often anonymous subset of the deep web that requires specialized software to access. It's important to note that while there are legitimate uses for both the deep web and the dark web, there are also risks associated with accessing certain areas of these parts of the internet, especially in the case of the dark web due to its association with illegal activities.