You learned about the hidden part of the internet, the Tor hidden services. Then you downloaded and configured your Tor browser for the first deep dive into this unknown territory. As I mentioned before, the hidden services is a region of the internet that is not crawled and indexed by ordinary search engines like Google and Bing. You have to know the .onion URL of the site that you are looking for. These URLs are not the usual easy-to-remember domain names you see in the clear web. The hidden services URLs are generated text with the .onion ending. Luckily there are popular link collections and wiki sites as your entry points to the hidden services.
Disclaimer: While exploring Tor hidden services can provide anonymity and privacy, it is essential to emphasize the importance of practicing operational security (OPSEC). You should be aware that engaging with Tor hidden services comes with potential risks, including exposure to malicious actors, scams, and illegal activities. Exercise caution, stay informed about security best practices, and be mindful of the potential consequences of navigating the dark web. This article aims to inform and educate, but readers are urged to prioritize their safety and adhere to legal and ethical guidelines when using Tor or any similar networks.
Before you start browsing this part of the internet there is a last question I want to discuss:
Use Tor with or without a VPN connection?
You already researched the Onion Routing protocol and you know that using this technology your connection is routed through multiple Tor relay servers. Every relay will peel off a layer of encryption from the connection.
What is about your ISP and the first Tor relay?
Your ISP will see that you are connecting to the Tor network, and it is more than sure that they collect logs about your browsing habits.
The first Tor relay you reach will see your real IP address. It is probably your home (or huh, your work?) network address that is visible to enter into this vast ocean of hidden services.
Though there is always a debate on the internet about using VPN with Tor, the opinions are quite different. A lot of people quote something about the Tor developers that they encourage you to use the browser without a VPN connection, though there is no mention of it in the official Tor browser documentation at the time of writing this article. After finished reading this you will be able to decide for yourself.
A client VPN will encrypt and secure your connection between your device and the end point you communicate with. In this case the ISP does not know what are you doing in your connection channel, you simply authorize your VPN provider to see it.
These VPN providers advertise their services as “zero log” or “no log” solutions. Think about it, and let it sink a bit. In case of a complex connection issue, or some routing/configuration problem, how could they help their angry customer without any logs? In most countries there are laws for these public services about collecting and storing logs. Do you still think there are no logs?
So, if you authorize a VPN provider to see your connections, then authorize one with a good reputation. You should not trust most of the free VPN providers.
When you use a VPN connection then the first Tor relay will see the VPN provider’s IP address instead of your real one. It does not disturb your Tor experience at all, nor your browsing speed. If you do not do any illegal activity then the authorities will not knock at your VPN provider’s door for your real address. Moreover the other users of the Tor hidden network, including the owner of the first relay server will not know your real address.
Now you can decide whether you want to use a VPN provider or not. Do not believe to random people on the internet (including me), instead, do your research and decide about it for yourself.
Hidden services link collections
You do not know any .onion links, but you have to know the exact address of a site you want to visit on the Tor hidden services. How can you start then?
Open your current browser and search the surface web for hidden services link collections. Use a nice search term like:
tor hidden services link collection
You will have a quite exhausting amount of results to browse.
The Hidden Wiki is one of the entry points to start browsing the hidden services. It is the Wikipedia of the deep web. The search query will lead you to sites with the .onion address of this collection.
http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
This is the .onion address of the Hidden Wiki. There are different topics and sections you can browse.
If you navigate to the Introduction Points chapter you will find several hidden services search engines.
http://zqktlwiuavvvqqt4ybvgvi7tyo4hjl5xgfuvpdf6otjiycgwqbym2qad.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page#Introduction_Points
These search engines does not work like those on the surface web. They can only find the pages that want to be found. The hidden services is huge, and most of the sites are really hidden, so you have to know the exact .onion address to find them.
The Onion Links is similar to the Hidden Wiki. It is a link collection “starter pack“.
http://jaz45aabn5vkemy4jkg4mi4syheisqn2wn2n4fsuitpccdackjwxplad.onion/
The last that I want to mention here is Ahmia. It is a search engine of the hidden services.
http://juhanurmihxlp77nkq76byazcldy2hlmovfu2epvl5ankdibsot4csyd.onion/
It can find different topics hidden in those Tor services.
Conclusion
At this point I have to release your hands and let you investigate the topics and things on the hidden services yourself. Never forget that though the Tor browser gives you just a certain level of anonymity, but it is not 100% anonymous. In one hand the law enforcement can find you if you do illegal or suspicious things, and on the other hand you can meet with professional hackers and other malicious actors who can trick you to share personal information or in edge cases even steal your money.
The Tor hidden services was created for journalists, whistleblowers and those who want to avoid their governments spying eyes, who want to avoid or escape dictatorship. Unfortunately this level of anonymity was good soil for other gangsters, drug dealers and illegal firearm dealers to find an opportunity in it.
Never engage in such activity!
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Tom's IT Cafe 