Deep web comes in between surface web and dark web. The internet has three layers surface web which is at the top which can be accessed by anyone anywhere, next comes the deep web which cannot be accessed easily and has authorized control over it and the dark web that is not indexed by the search engines. The contents of the deep web are hidden from the standard search engines. Though dark and deep web are used interchangeably by people there is a lot of difference between them and its usage. For example; when we log into an account, we have to enter passwords and they need the authorization to access it. A bank login page or account page is deep web. The user Id, password, banking information of a particular account cannot be searched on the search engines. The content is concealed behind the Http forms. Not all the sites on the deep web are safe to use.
Michael k Bergman came up with the term deep web in 2001. They are password-protected pages, important files, and records of top companies and governments which are not for the public to use or see, thus come under the deep web. The deep web is much bigger than the surface web i.e. 500 times. The deep web is an invisible web that cannot be accessed or indexed by search engines. They have not indexed means they are not sent to us by search engines after searching. Some of the parts of the known legal websites include deep web into them like in the Facebook edit profile is deep web. A browser-compatible to deep web needs to be used for accessing the content on the deep web. Tor browser, I2P, and Freenet are the most commonly used browsers. Tor and all such browsers are not dangerous if used for noble causes such as if used by police, military, and journalists for sharing confidential information. Tor is software that can be used to hide the user’s identity and is also at times downloaded as an add-on for surface web browsers. However again this doesn’t guarantee the tor users are at the safer side and anonymous to others.
Most of the deep web has academic, scientific information, medical records, subscription information, legal information, government-related databases and resources, the company data stored on private databases, personal email accounts, social media like Facebook, twitter accounts content, banking accounts information, etc. Accessing and browsing the deep web is not harmful or illegal but hacking information, getting into illegal services is wrong. Also, a cyber-security is required while accessing deep or dark web hence it’s better not to invite the problem. A technical person is the right person to browse such sites and the web as it is a dangerous place.
Whenever a user name, password, authentication is required to be entered the information that is accessible is on the deep web. The deep web protects our information and gives privacy to online data. Deep web content is accessed by everyone whenever websites are searched internally.