If you visit the darknet and you’re not into criminal activities, you won’t get into trouble. However, a big portion of the dark web is what’s considered illegal. The dark web, on the other hand, is a part of the internet that you can access only with a special browser that can access “.onion” sites. Every site on the dark web has this domain, which cannot be accessed with conventional browsers. In our opinion, you should ALWAYS invest in a proper, safe, and secure premium provider that you won’t have to worry about. After all, they’ll cost you merely a few bucks per month, which you already spend on cigarettes, snacks, and whatnot.
Is It Safe To Access The Dark Web Without A VPN?
Traffic logs are a bigger concern than session logs, but neither are good. The VPN service is designed to maintain respectable speeds, ensuring that even when security features are fully enabled, users experience minimal disruptions to their browsing speed. To protect your data from the websites you visit, one of the most effective steps is to hide your IP address, which can reveal your location, identity, and browsing habits. Using a virtual private network (VPN) masks your real IP by routing your internet traffic through a secure server, making it appear as though you’re browsing from a different location.
How To Access The Dark Web Safely Step-by-Step In 2024
With their poor device compatibility, no simultaneous connections, and very slow speeds, your enjoyment is surely going to take a nosedive. It takes literally one click to connect to one of these servers, after which, you’ll need to open Tor and enjoy browsing safely. NordVPN packs all the security features I talked about – bank-grade encryption, split tunneling, kill switch, and even a proprietary NordLynx protocol. The Tor browser uses the Tor network, which was developed in the mid-1990s by US Naval Research Laboratory employees. The browser is open-source software that is free to download and enables anonymous communication online.
How Do I Access The Dark Web On My IPhone Safely?
CyberGhost allows up to seven simultaneous connections per account. It has some of the fastest speeds I’ve seen and with over 5,500 servers it operates one of the largest networks on the market. Further, NordVPN doesn’t restrict or throttle the user’s speed or bandwidth in any way, which is ideal given how slow the Tor browser can be. The advantages of I2P are based on a much faster and more reliable network. Additionally, I2P doesn’t rely on hidden directories that serve as a resource for .onion domains.
VPNs To Avoid Using With Tor
You can use the VPN rated #1 on this list with no restrictions for a full month. It’s a modified version of Firefox that routes your internet traffic through the Tor network. You can also download and install Tails OS, an operating system that is built to work directly with the Tor network, but for the sake of simplicity, we’ll go with the Tor Browser for now.
NordVPN: Very Secure VPN For Tor
Let’s find your key to safe access to the best dark web sites and anonymous browsing. As explained earlier, you won’t be able to access the dark web the same way you would the surface web. You can’t type dark web addresses into your usual browser or search for them via Google. Instead, you have to use a specialist browser, designed to navigate the dark web. A phishing website or link is one that appears legitimate but is actually a trick designed to make you hand over your personal information to hackers and other bad actors. Often, these sites are made to look just like real, trusted platforms, such as banks, social media sites, or email providers.
- You can also raise queries and make complaints via its 24/7 customer service.
- It includes protection against IPv6 and DNS leaks, as well as a kill switch.
- Each address also contains cryptographic information that enables a dark web browser to connect to the site.
- ExpressVPN can’t reveal what you do online as it doesn’t log any session or activity data.
- Traffic logs are a bigger concern than session logs, but neither are good.
- The Swiss-based provider has a staunch no-logging policy and uses industry-leading encryption protocols like AES-256, CHACHA20, and SHA-256 to protect user traffic.
How To Fix Your VPN Not Working With Tor
To gauge how easy it is to use each VPN provider’s service, we evaluated them against 10 different criteria. PrivateVPN is based in privacy-friendly Sweden and was set up by a team of privacy activists. As you might expect, it has a strong commitment to privacy and a clearly defined no-logs policy. Apps are designed to be easy to use, and the dashboard makes it fairly obvious what users need to do in order to establish a VPN tunnel. There’s no option for obfuscation in the Settings menu because ExpressVPN obfuscates traffic by default. This enables the provider to work in countries like China, which try to block VPNs.
The table below compares our chosen VPNs for Tor based on logging policy, short-distance download speeds, the highest number of server locations, and price. If the signal goes through the Tor network first, your ISP will be able to see that you are attempting to connect to a Tor node. A VPN hides your internet activity, making it harder for your connection requests to be traced back to you.
If you’re just browsing the dark web out of curiosity, Tor, or a Tor and VPN configuration is safe enough. If you’re trying to hide from an oppressive government or want to be a whistle-blower for something illegal, take as many steps as you can to be safe. However, because it’s almost completely anonymous, there are a lot of illegal images, information, products, and services on the dark web. Attempting to even view these can be illegal in many countries and states, so stay well clear of them if you want to keep a clean record and conscience. Many cybersecurity and tech experts recommend using a VPN whenever you want to access the dark web via the Tor Browser or any other specialist browser. A quality VPN like ExpressVPN will encrypt your internet traffic and mask your IP address, providing an extra layer of anonymity when establishing the initial Tor connection.
This means you’re able to protect all your devices at once, ensuring that your PC, your smartphones, and more remain shielded whether on the surface web or Dark Web. If you exercise due caution and use a combination of the Tor browser and common sense in which sites you access on the dark web, yes, the dark web is safe to use. You may be targeted by law enforcement, exploited by hackers, or threatened by criminals using the dark web for nefarious purposes.
No data caps or bandwidth limitations are ever imposed on PrivateVPN customers’ online activities. PrivateVPN does a great job of protecting your privacy thanks to a no-logs policy and their acceptance of Bitcoin, which keeps your subscription info undercover. If the Tor browser is available for your device, ExpressVPN likely offers a native VPN app for it. MacOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and others make the scene. NordVPN is the best VPN available for protecting your dark web activities from prying eyes.
Plus, there are only a few VPN providers that offer this option (PrivateVPN is the only one that comes to mind). While the Tor Browser and the Onion Network are an excellent way to protect your online privacy and anonymity, it is by no means a perfect solution, and it has a few weaknesses. All of this keeps the sender anonymous thanks to how each intermediary node only knows the location of the previous and next node.
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Needless to say, you get a much more impressive service on a paid plan. While ExpressVPN doesn’t have the same Tor-native servers that NordVPN does, it does allow you to use the Tor browser to connect to onion sites over its servers. This doubles up on the security you’ll receive from just using the Tor service, as your ISP provider won’t be able to tell you’re using Tor. When combined with ExpressVPN’s obfuscation technology that disguises the VPN protocol too, you’ll be able to use Tor even in countries where ISPs are obligated to block it. Surfshark – from $2.19 per monthThe best cheap dark web VPNIf you’re on a strict budget then Surfshark is the answer.
There are many ways to connect to Tor, but for brevity’s sake, we’ll assume you’re using the Tor browser. The editorial team did not participate in the creation of this guide. Gizmodo may earn a commission when you buy through links on the site. Not to mention a VPN’s ability to protect you against trackers, viruses, and malware. However, using only Tor isn’t a great idea because of the way it works.
