The easiest and most common way to access the darknet is to download the Tor browser, since it is in its network that the most shadow resources are located. Tor was developed in the late 90s at the US Navy Research Laboratory for secure negotiations of special services, but then the project became open, and now the Tor Project team is responsible for its development.
Another service to enter the darknet is the I2P network. There are significantly fewer resources in this segment than in the Tor network, but it is more secure and anonymous, since it was originally designed to access hidden sites. However, this project is developing more slowly, since there are much fewer funds for its development: it was developed and is still supported by a team of enthusiasts.
Who uses the darknet
By itself, the use of the darknet does not necessarily and does not always mean belonging to something illegal, there are inherently neutral analogues of social networks or forums for communication, says Kaspersky Lab cybersecurity expert Dmitry Galov. “It all depends on the purpose for which a person goes there, what he does there,” he said. Nevertheless, it is attackers and hackers who develop the greatest activity in the darknet, Galov added.
Attackers use the darknet as a means of communication, and ordinary users use it as an option to circumvent legal restrictions, said Vladimir Dryukov, director of the Solar JSOC Cyberattack Counteraction Center at Rostelecom—Solar. “But to get access to deeply sensitive information, you need to have an account verified by other members of the hacker community,” he said.