Darkweb security tips

Browsing the darkweb is not as dangerous as mainstream media make it seem like. Darknets are projects that aim to fight against surveillance, censorship and opressive governments. Journalists, activists, researchers and scientists use it everyday to organize and share their work. Of course there’s also some illegal activity, just like there’s illegal activity on the clearnet (the “regular” internet). Anyone following general internet good practices won’t get in trouble in the darknet: do not share personal information, avoid suspicious websites, do not engage in criminal activity.

If you want to increment your security and anonymity, there are some measures that you can take:

Note that we’re covering the Tor Network, not other darknets

Access the Tor Network using the Tor browser

This may sound obvious but the Tor Network is accesible from any properly configured browser. The Tor Project does not recommend this, because the Tor browser is designed to make everyone using it look the same. This provides a layer of anonymity that would be missing if using any other browser.

If you’re not using the Tor browser, download it from the official site (onion link).

Increment Tor browser security

The Tor browser comes with 3 different Security Levels: Standard, Safer and Safest. If you’re going to browse exclusively .onion sites, we recommend to select the Safest level, because most .onion websites will work with it (a few might not, but you could always change it). If you’re going to visit regular websites, it’s probable that those won’t work in the Tor browser Safest mode, because it disables JavaScript. The Safer mode is recommended in that case.

You change the Security Level by clicking on the shield icon next to the URL bar and clicking “change”.

You should not install extensions on the Tor browser, it makes you stand out

Do I need a VPN?

Short answer: No.

“But if I don’t need a VPN, why do a lot of pages say that I should be using a VPN while using Tor?” - Money. They have affiliated links to whatever VPN they’re recommending and they want you to buy a subscription. Do not trust random tech blogs, they exclusively care about money. Check the official answer by The Tor Project (onion).

Long answer: Probably no. The only usecase for using a VPN before connecting to Tor is hiding your ISP the fact that you are using Tor. In most countries you don’t need this. Only some countries block Tor. But the countries that block Tor will block VPNs too. Read the Tor Project wiki (onion) for more information.

If you’re using Tor bridges, do not use a VPN! (if you don’t know what a bridge is, you don’t have to worry)

Isolate your activity with a specialized OS

This is not needed in most cases, but it’s the best way of using the Tor Network and remaining anonymous. Using specialized Operating Systems which have been built with a strong focus on anonymity, you can separate your darknet activity from your normal use of your computer. There are two great options to choose from:

• Whonix (onion) - Whonix runs inside a Virtual Machine, being isolated from your Operating System. It has been hardened for security and all connections are routed through the Tor Network.
• Tails OS Tails is a live OS, meaning that it does not write data on your hard drive, leaving no trace when you finish your darkweb usage. It achieves this by running in a USB stick. Like Whonix, it also routes all it’s connections through Tor. Be aware that, unlike Whonix, Tails is not security hardened but it’s amnesiac nature and portability make Tails an excellent option too.

Which one should you choose? It depends on your usecase. Whonix is more comfortable to use because you can run it inside your day-to-day OS, meaning that you can continue doing your regular computing while having a secure environment for delicated tasks that require anonymity. Tails on the other hand is really useful if you don’t want to leave any trace of your activities, because it runs inside a USB stick and there’s no evidence that you’ve used it once you turn it off. You may try both of them and choose the one that fits you better.

Which marketplaces are legit?

Most of them are scammers, who take your anonymous payment and never send your product. There are very few real marketplaces, but they’re difficult to distinguish and if you’re buying something physical that requires an address to be delivered, you’re putting yourself in danger. We advise against buying anything from the darkweb and we don’t link to any marketplace.

Which payment method is anonymous? Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is not anonymous. Do not pay with Bitcoin unless you want to be traceable. Use Monero instead. Monero is a truly anonymous cryptocurrency that will allow you to make anonymous payments.

Use common sense

If you follow general online security practices, you will be fine. Use the Tor Browser, do not install addons, do not download files from suspicious websites, do not share personal information, do not buy anything from marketplaces, etc. If you want to make sure that your computer isn’t affected, use one of the specialized OS we recommended above.

Stay safe and enjoy the anonymity that the Tor Network provides. If you found this site useful, you could buy us a coffee, Secret Onions is not financed by scam marketplaces and we don’t include any ads, it’s a community maintained website to provide people a safe place for exploring the darkweb. Donations tell us that people find our site useful and keep us motivated for maintaining it.