It is often grouped with search tools because it organizes links by topic, such as forums, marketplaces, and privacy tools. Dark web marketplaces, often referred to as datastores, serve as a primary hub for trading stolen digital credentials, commonly known as stealer logs. While not for casual users, Kilos is noteworthy for indexing dark web marketplaces, including black markets. The majority of users (over 90% as per our research) only need a Tor Browser for accessing .onion links; they don’t need to know about other methods. It provides .onion addresses for search engines, news outlets, marketplaces, and other sites on the deep and dark web. Although specialized dark web search engines like Ahmia exist, most credible users prefer verified, curated directories (such as the updated Hidden Wiki) or trusted forums to find accurate .onion addresses, since search engines often display outdated or phishing links.
It does this by categorizing search results into "secure," "moderate," and "risky," allowing users to better assess threats before clicking. Its index is partially built on user-submitted .onion sites. It provides access to hidden services through both a standard web interface and a free API.
How Can You Access The Dark Web Safely?
The invests in technology to fish out clone sites before they trap users. But users (even the researchers) shouldn’t avoid the risks. Vortex is among the newest e-commerce marketplaces on the dark web. Here’s our list of 17 marketplaces that are currently in charge of the dark web. The real impact comes in the trust factor; once a marketplace has been shut down, the buyer and sellers become uneasy. Recent dark web statistics reveal a significant shift; for instance, businesses on the marketplaces made revenue of about $3.1 billion in 2021.
These activities range from discussions about hacking, the sale of counterfeit goods, and the dissemination of leaked data to radical conversations. Popular platforms such as XSS, WWH-Club, and Hackforums have stepped up their security measures. In the image below, taken from our dark web monitoring tool Lunar, you can see greater use of dark web LLM models, which have been developed in underground laboratories. The potential risk is huge and requires vigilant attention through continuous threat intelligence monitoring and mitigation strategies. These models have one thing in common – they operate without the ethical and regulatory constraints that govern models like ChatGPT or Bard. These logs, which are obtained by infostealer malware, include information stored on a victim’s browser.
Although these sites are certainly not “nice” to the exchange site level, they are advanced Internet cybercrime syndicates that continue to support global fraud, malware dissemination, and major data breaches. By being proactive about your digital security, you can make your personal data much harder to steal and ultimately, worthless to the cybercriminals on the other side of the screen. Think of everything you use online, and chances are, the login details or personal information for that service can be found on a Dark Web marketplace. If you’re looking to validate your security posture, identify hidden risks on the dark web, or build a more resilient defense strategy, DeepStrike is here to help. Dark web markets are one piece of the puzzle in cyber threats, but an important one. If you’re in law enforcement or threat intel, understanding the reputations and tactics of these markets helps prioritize efforts.
Search Darknet
Facebook’s dark web version allows users to access the site where it is banned or restricted. Awazon is a dark web marketplace that has quickly become popular for its anonymous e-commerce services. You will find all the necessary .onion links to access any content or service on the dark web. It is possible to navigate the dark web even though it doesn’t host user-friendly onion search engines. It has onion links you cannot access with regular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.
Its massive database of indexed dark web content rivals that of Torch and even goes a step further with filtering tools. Many people don’t realize that DuckDuckGo has a Tor-accessible “.onion” version. Inspired by Google’s former motto “Don’t be evil,” Not Evil stands as a user-friendly search engine with an emphasis on ethical indexing. It offers a sleek interface, a zero-logging policy, and an enormous, frequently updated index of “.onion” sites.
Cyble TIP Threat Intel
It’s now commonly monitored by threat intel firms as one of the big fish. Overall, WeTheNorth’s security approach is about building a walled garden, a somewhat self contained community where people follow the rules or get kicked out. By 2025, it serves not just Canada but also international buyers, though it retains a distinctly Canadian character in terms of vendors, products, and even language supporting both English and French. WeTheNorth, often abbreviated as WTN, was launched to fill the void left by a previous Canadian market and has since grown steadily.
Helpful Tips For Staying Safe On The Deep Web
On November 26, 2021, Panasonic joined a long list of companies that suffered a data breach over the past year. A reliable VPN encrypts your traffic before it enters the Tor network, preventing surveillance from your ISP or malicious actors. I always cross-reference links from multiple verified sources before visiting any dark web address. If the address is in one of the cybercrime datasets, the person will receive an email that includes personalized instructions on how to clean up their computer and make it safe again. In some countries, such as China and North Korea, the government uses heavy online censorship and blocks many dark web websites.
Secure By Design
Through threat intelligence platforms, dark web monitoring tools, or by using services that index dark web leaks and credential dumps. Healthcare, financial services, SaaS platforms, education, and government sectors are among the most targeted by data leaks and credential theft. The most traded data includes stolen credentials, credit card information, government IDs, malware kits, RDP access, fullz (complete identity profiles), and medical records. As of 2025, there are approximately 35–50 active darknet markets, with new decentralized and blockchain-based platforms on the rise. The dark web is a portion of the internet accessible only via special anonymity-preserving networks like Tor. ⚠️ Companies must balance security needs with user rights and privacy mandates, especially when dealing with PII on hidden networks.
- As a result, even if the site was seized or hacked, the escrow system protected users from major financial losses caused by “exit scams.”
- Attacks typically target users of banking, cryptocurrency, e-commerce sites, and even email.
- Onion sites are hosted on a web server in the same way as ordinary sites, but you change web server configurations so that it only responds to your localhost.
- While the platform has been serving as a gateway for new users to explore the dark web, onion links, it’s no longer the only player in the game.
- A professional, functional dark web marketplace browser interface reduces the chances that users will have operational errors, like improperly providing a PGP key or improperly placing deposits in a cryptocurrency wallet.
This .onion site is a bit different from the others reviewed above. The .onion site has thousands of downloadable comic books ranging from niche to mainstream. Another notable security trick Wasabi uses to verify transactions is the Neutrino protocol.
What Is The Tor Browser?
While technically not an onion site, we’re including Sci-Hub (sci-hub.se) as an interesting example of a site you can access via Tor. The best dark web markets are highly subjective and constantly changing due to the nature of the dark web and law enforcement efforts. The top dark web sites in 2023 are expected to offer a wide range of illicit services and products. As for drug markets serving Western customers, ASAP Market held a 25.0% share, followed by Mega and Incognito.
Implications For Security Leaders
This means your ISP (internet service provider) won’t even know you are using Tor – this provides a substantial layer of defense against traffic analysis and initial identification. Standard surface web search engines do not index the dark web on the Tor network. POS malware easily harvests the data, and criminals quickly cash it out because it has high immediate value. This data allows criminals to encode a blank card and create a clone usable for physical purchases. A carding dump is raw data (Track 1 and Track 2 data) copied from a credit or debit card’s magnetic stripe. We will start to see new financial innovators in the dark web space exploring new alternative blockchain technologies, or “Layer 2” privacy solutions built on existing Layer 1 chains, which will provide even greater obfuscation.
As you might guess, it's geared toward the Canadian audience, which makes it somewhat unique within the dark web landscape.It offers over 9,000 listings, ranging from drugs and malware to scam guides and fraud tools. WeTheNorth, or simply WTN, was launched in 2021, and its name is a nod to the famous Toronto Raptors slogan. Additionally, it offers automatic purchases, buyer protection, and even a loyalty points program.Since its launch, it has conducted several massive data leaks. It operates both on the dark web and the clear web, making access significantly easier. Everything is conducted within the Tor network, with payments made in Bitcoin or Monero, as is customary.One of its most curious features is its daily raffle system, funded by the market's commissions. It offers over 20,000 listings ranging from narcotics and forged documents to hacking software and fraud tools.
The interface is set up similarly to modern e-commerce sites – sleek menus, quick search filter options, and an easy checkout process. The website is easy to access; it has a simple and user-friendly interface. The site ensures anonymity and is accessible only through Tor. Vendors must be vetted before they join, and while scams still exist, the overall risk is still lower compared to completely open markets. Awazon feels more like the “corporate” version of a darknet store, clean, organized, and surprisingly easy to navigate.
Mistake #5: Finalizing Early For New Vendors
I also included instructions on how to access the dark web, and outlined how to stay safe when browsing dark web links (the dark web is also home to many scams and malicious sites). It’s divided into commercial links (from crypto services to gambling sites) and non-commercial links (like social media). The forum offers leaked databases, malware, auto-checkers, lists of stolen credentials, account hacking tools, and several other threats. It provides safety and anonymity for journalists, privacy-conscious users, or those in high-censorship countries. But if you still decide to access these websites, for education or research purposes, make sure you stay cautious. Here are some of the now-defunct dark web markets that were notorious for cybercrime.
Dark web forums, in particular, are notorious for hosting discussions on illicit topics. The dark web, a subset of the deep web, is where anonymity and secrecy intensify. Although they are sometimes used interchangeably, they refer to distinct parts of the internet with their own characteristics and purposes. Two terms often mentioned when discussing these hidden areas are the deep web and dark web.
