The three layers of the web
In this article we are going to talk about the Internet, the Deep Web, the Dark Web and what type of content can be found in each of them. These are what are commonly known as the three layers of the Web or the three levels of the Web.
Internet
The Internet is a web-like network of interconnected computers across the planet. It consists of servers that provide information to millions of people who are connected to each other through telephone and cable networks. Its origins date back to 1969, when the first computer connection, known as ARPANET, was established between three universities in California (United States).
One of the most successful services on the Internet has been the World Wide Web (WWW or the Web), to such an extent that confusion between both terms is common. The WWW is a set of protocols that allows, in a simple way, remote consultation of hypertext files.
The Deep Web
The Deep Web is the part of the World Wide Web that you cannot find in regular search engines like Google. The part that is available to everyone is called Surface Web. The first person to use the term “Deep Web” was Mike Bergman, a computer scientist, in 2000.
Deep Web is not the same as darknet and Dark Web, although they could easily seem to have the same meaning.
Accessing the deep web does not require unique protocols, that is the main difference.
The Dark Web
This term refers to content that is not indexed by search engines and requires authorization or special software to access. It is all that deliberately hidden content that we find on the Internet.
A darknet is a type of private or closed computer network. They are the independent networks that make up the Dark Web (specific networks such as TOR or IP2).
The Dark Web is the part of the World Wide Web located on dark networks. To access a dark web you would have to know a password, use specific software. The dark web can only be accessed through the Tor or IP2 browser. The encrypted nature of the browser means that anyone trying to access the dark web remains anonymous by default.
Google or any other search machine cannot find any darknet. The Dark Web exists within the Deep Web, but it is not an equivalent network.