Terms such as the Clearnet (Surface Web), the Deep Web and the Dark Web are circulated widely in media, but what do they mean?
The Clearnet refers to information that a search engine can find.
The Deepweb refers to information that can be found via the Internet (i.e. accessed by navigating to a specific database by using a browser), but it is not indexed by a search engine.
The Dark Web or Darknet refers to a portion of the Internet that is more private. It generally requires a specific browser to access it, and it favors anonymity. Certainly, there are criminal activities that happen on the Internet as a whole, and the darknet specifically, but it is more about privacy and anonymity, which is why it attracts some criminal activity.
The following video explains provides some additional information about these concepts:
Video source: European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) YouTube Channel.
If you want to learn more about darknet data in OSINT investigations, we invite you to review the highlights of one of our 2024 webinars, “Darknet Data in OSINT Investigations” by DarkOwl.
