So you've recently heard about a place called the Deep Web, and the underground darknet markets (DNM) that reside there offering narcotics like cannabis online. Using these websites and the wares these markets sell may be illegal in your country, so learning to take the necessary precautions before visiting a DNM is an absolute must. Educating yourself on the basics of operations security (Opsec) is a great idea before exploring the depths of DNMs found on the invisible web.

Learn the Very Basics of Deep Web Opsec Before Visiting a Darknet Market

Just recently, news.Bitcoin.com reported on the top DNMs out there – like the Dream Market, Wall Street, and Point Marketplace places which are entrenched in code within the confines of the deep web. Now maybe you have heard about these places before, but it's always good to learn the very basic Opsec techniques that are highly recommended before purchasing something, or even entering a darknet market.

A Browser That Crawls the Deep Web is Required

The first and foremost thing to learn is you can't find DNMs using a Google browser. Only a deep web indexing browser like Tor can get you to those special destinations. Tor is a free browser that enables a level of anonymous communication by concealing every Tor user's identity under an overlay network of relay nodes. Tor also allows users to access the deep web and .onion addresses. Basically, a .onion is just a domain suffix, which is tethered to a hidden website found only on the invisible web. Downloading and using a deep web browser like Tor to access any DNM is required.

Tor is a free browser that enables a level of anonymous communication.

 Tor is Nice But a VPN Obfuscates Internet Traffic Even More

Next up is acquiring a Virtual Private Network (VPN), because most people would agree that using Tor alone is just not enough Opsec to visit a DNM. Whenever someone surfs the web, and visits any website they leak the IP address which is tied to a physical address. Using a VPN a user can extend a private network transversely online negating an individual or organization's ability to tie an IP address to the end user.

A VPN is highly recommended for visiting any DNM or doing anything that may get you in trouble with law enforcement.