The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that you can’t access with regular browsers; you need special software like Tor to get in. While many people think of it as a place for illegal activities, it also has some legitimate users, including journalists and activists, who need secrecy, especially in repressive countries.

Even though the dark web makes up just about 0.01% of the entire internet, it hosts hundreds of thousands of websites. Daily, around 2.5 million people use Tor, which is just a small slice of all internet users. Before it was taken down, one of the biggest dark web marketplaces was handling transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

A lot of the activity on the dark web is illegal. In fact, drugs make up around 60-70% of the transactions happening there. Stolen data and credential sales can range from $5 to $500, depending on how sensitive the information is. It’s estimated that cybercriminals make about $1 billion annually by trading stolen personal information.

However, it’s important to note that around 40% of dark web activity is focused on protecting privacy. This is crucial for people in countries where the internet is heavily censored, allowing journalists and human rights advocates to share information safely without fear of surveillance.

Law enforcement has been active in tackling crimes linked to the dark web. From 2013 to 2023, many major marketplaces like Silk Road and AlphaBay were shut down, and those convicted of dark web crimes face an average sentence of over eight years, signaling the serious nature of these offenses.

Overall, the dark web is a tricky area where privacy rights and criminal activities coexist. Approximately 60% of its activity is still unmonitored, posing ongoing challenges for both cybersecurity experts and law enforcement agencies around the globe.