The whole of the internet can be broken down into three categories: the surface web, the deep web, and the dark web. The surface web includes sites that are indexed and can be found using a search engine such as Google, YouTube, Amazon, and Facebook. The Deep Web includes sites that are not indexed and cannot be found using a search engine, but can be accessed with proper credentials. This includes subscription services, corporate web pages, academic databases, medical records, bank information, etc. Finally, the Dark Web includes sites that are not visible to ordinary search engines and can only be accessed through the use of “Tor,” an anonymizing browser which cannot be traced. While there are many legal sites within the Dark Web and some may use it as a tool for political protest or private communication, the Dark Web is well-known for its illegal activity and cybercrimes.
When most people hear the term “black market,” they think of people selling illegal weapons, drugs, etc. However, there is a side of the black market many don’t know know about which includes people selling/purchasing personal data over the dark web to include credit card information, names, addresses, social security numbers, usernames, and passwords.
These data points can easily be exploited and used for identity theft. A CBSN video interview from 2019 had employees voluntarily investigated by Terbium Labs to find what information they could about them on the Dark Web. The results were quite surprising.
What can be done to protect yourself from identity theft? Check out this page from usa.gov for some suggestions: https://www.usa.gov/identity-theft
“Oh what a tangled web we weave when we first practice to deceive” – Sir Walter Scott
Additional Exploratory Research:
“Things You Can Do on the Dark Web that Aren’t Illegal,” not suggesting you download Tor to surf the Dark Web but here are a few fun sites
“Dreaded Pirate Roberts” – creator of the online black market Silk Road, the site has had multiple iterations, Silk Road 2.0 and Silk Road 3.0, which have all been shut down but an interesting story
“Godfather of the Dark Web” Podcast, the story of Brett Johnson, a con man who operated on the Dark Web, served seven years in prison, and then became a consultant for the Secret Service
Defense Advanced Research Military Projects Agency (DARPA) Memex Program, software developed to identify those involved in human trafficking, many operating through the Dark Web
Unwind_My_Mind 
I thought this was an interesting read as I think everyone at some point has heard of the dark web, but may not know more about it. I also thought the links you listed provided extra information that was surprising to read about, such as the guy who used to work on the dark web, went to jail, then started working for the Secret Service
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I really liked how you included the graphic explaining the web and the ice. It was a good visual for the reader. I am not that knowledgeable on the dark web so I am glad you included the links for further research. It is important for people to be aware of this and how to protect themselves.
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