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Cyberexperts say the dark web is used by a range of bad actors. Using special Tor addresses and the Tor browser, one can anonymously connect to these “dark” web pages and surf them. To access the dark web, one needs a special type of anonymization software found on the internet. First and foremost, how do you access the dark web? We asked professor Engin Kirda-a systems, software, and network security expert who holds joint appointments in the College of Computer and Information Science and the College of Engineering-to discuss the dangers of this little-known corner of the internet. But it’s also used by good actors, including whistle-blowers and activists.
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It’s been said to be a breeding ground for organized crime, sex traffickers, and hackers. The dark web-which utilizes a technology created by military researchers in the 1990s to allow intelligence operatives to exchange information completely anonymously-is unknown to many.
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