The internet is incomprehensibly vast. All of humankind’s knowledge is at the touch of your fingertips. In fact, in one day, you can probably see more information than a person 100 years ago would have seen in their entire lifetime. For all the advances and gifts it has given us, a dangerous world lives below the vastness of this virtual space: The Dark Web.
The Dark Web, on its surface, is like any other series of sites. However, over half the websites contain illicit things, like access to drugs, weapons, and illegal images. People also use it to buy weapons, credit card numbers, drugs, illegal malware, and even people’s full identities.
How does this affect you? Hackers target your personal information if you are anywhere from the age of 8-18. They know you will most likely not have a line of credit in your name for 5-10 years. Then, they could use your identity to take out large loans in your name, leaving you in hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt without your knowledge.
The way to protect yourself is to build upon the things you may already know from reading this blog.
- Never share your passwords with anyone.
- Choose complex passwords and change them.
- Don’t use the same password for multiple sites.
- Enable Multi Factor Authentication whenever possible.
- Don’t overshare yourself on social media.
And today, I’m adding a few new ones:
- Don’t use or stream pirated software, games, movies, or music.
- Avoid software like Tor. Tor, The Onion Router is an open-source software that enables users from around the world to navigate the internet anonymously.This could mean that if your information or location is compromised there is no footprint to recover your data or identity.
- Avoid forums where people share people’s credentials.
The penalties for getting mixed up in Dark Web activities are stiff. Avoid engaging in any behavior that would put your entire future at risk: that game, movie, or fast money is not worth the long-term repercussions a criminal record could have on your life.
Stay safe out there.
GG,
Pete