What is the Hidden Wiki?
The dark web is something we have all heard of thanks to television and movies about true crime, digital warfare, and the like. But what is the dark web really and is it a hidden corner of the internet from which no one returns? What is the deal with Hidden Wiki and what is it used for? How can you access this hidden chunk of the internet, and for what purpose are these sites used? Most importantly, are they safe to use?
The first time the world ever learned about the Hidden Wiki was back in 2007. The location of the website was linked to an onion domain but it has since changed. Another iteration of the Hidden Wiki was founded in 2011 which became popular for all the illegal content it contained. In 2013 it was reported that Hidden Wiki was hosted on a Freedom Hosting domain which then moved to another location in 2014, where it was hacked and moved again. The Hidden Wiki is a collection of sites at this point whose hosting is not certain.
Is it Connected to Darknet or Not?
There are many onion domains operating that work just like Hidden Wiki so it is extremely difficult to rely on the source. Three is no single official Hidden Wiki in the present day and there are many websites on the dark web that will frequently be down or hacked. When these links are not down they are home to many illegal activities such as child pornography, terrorism, and more.
Well, this article is dedicated to helping you educate yourself on the dark, its existence on the World Wide Web, the different ways in which it is used, and how you can safely access it. The first thing that you need to understand is that the Hidden Wiki is not an online encyclopedia, it is a directory of sites that are used for multiple reasons, not all of them legal. However, anyone can create an account and you can access it legally.
The reason why the Dark Web or the Hidden Wiki is shrouded in mystery is that if you access it you will be subjected to sites that you won’t normally find on the internet (as we know it). You must access the dark Web cautiously because you don’t want to compromise your safety.
How to Access the Hidden Wiki?
The first thing you have to understand when trying to access the Dark web is how onion websites work. The dark web consists of a series of websites that are created in a way that has complicated domain names. Finding directories such as the Hidden Wiki is not possible if you use regular browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. These browsers are adamant about collecting data of users for later and that defeats the very purpose of any site that exists on the dark web. A large sum of their earnings comes from all the information they have on the people who use these engines daily, complying with this information being collected and used. But someone using the dark web will not play by the same rules.
To avoid being tracked and accessing the dark web you must download a special browser such as TOR, I2P, Freenet, Freegate, and more. These web browsers will help you surf the internet while keeping your location hidden from hackers, and authorities. You can also access websites that are otherwise not accessible due to censorship such as the Hidden Wiki
You will have to use search engines such as DuckDuckGO which will not ask you to log in or collect your personal information or history. This is great for privacy, especially when you are searching for the Hidden Wiki.
Here are the top 10 browsers that you can use to access Hidden Wiki
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TOR browsers
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I2P
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Freenet
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JAP/Java Anon Proxy
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Freegate
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Ultrasurf
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Psiphon
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CyberGhost VPN
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Hotspot Shield
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Kproxy
The Hidden Wiki: Here’s what to expect.
You can easily access the onion sites now that you are on a private search engine as it is high up in the search results. You can look for anything that interests you from here on. Using the Hidden Wiki is not illegal at all but there is a myriad of illegal activities that you will find when you do start looking at different websites. We recommend that you are mindful of what you search for and indulge in. It is not only that you will find disturbing and mature content, but you will also likely come across many scams. The Hidden Wiki is the last place where you should be providing paying information. We also recommend upgrading to a powerful antivirus for your computer and backing up your files before you embark on your Hidden Wiki adventure.
Moderation
Of course, there is a list of preferred lists that you can go for on the Hidden Wiki and that is the Daniel Onion Link List or the TorLinks. These lists provide a degree of moderation and you will likely come across fewer scams. Daniel Onion Link List provides you a chance to test the link before you click on it to see if it is a broken link or a scam.
Ransomware
A common threat that users face when they come across malicious links is ransomware whereby your system is infected with a virus that encrypts all your files until you pay for a decryption key. These threats are usually designed to have no solutions, which means for the most part you won’t find any tool for decryption and will have to either pay for the key or lose personal information.
Keyloggers
You might be wondering how people purchase drugs and other items online if it is not safe to use your payment information. The use of cryptocurrencies is quite common on the Dark web. This does not guarantee safety entirely, in fact, many scams are aimed at stealing bitcoin. These are called keyloggers. The better option is to look for alternative payment methods such as Western Union and Moneygram, while also checking the freedom score of the different vendors.
Monitoring
Another thing to look out for is law enforcement agencies that monitor activity on the dark web. When using secure browsers such as TOR you must use an IP address that is not of the country or region you are in so that your location cannot be tracked.
How safe is the Hidden Wiki?
It is important to remember that the Hidden Wiki is not accessed by an official website. It is not monitored or moderated by any authority. The users are anonymous and there is no identity linked to any of the activities, everything is fair game. The Hidden wiki can be used safely to some extent if you take all the necessary precautions. But it is not a safe place by design.
What is the Hidden Wiki used for?
There are many different reasons why people use Hidden wiki:
Gambling
Gambling activities are quite common on the Hidden Wiki and you can find gambling websites that are safe to visit. These gambling activities are not linked to money laundering, funding terrorism, and any other kind of illegal activity so you should be just fine.
How To’s
The internet as we know it is not the best place to find information on how to make bombs using household items or how to travel with drugs without getting caught at the airport. The dark web is a place where you can find clear instructions on how to do things that will not be found in books. Or taught in schools. It is a place where information that is deemed dangerous is distributed freely. Without a care that someone might get hurt by the process. As the dark web is a place free of censorship, it is also a place where you can learn just about anything.
Drugs
The most common reason why people end up on the Hidden Wiki is that they are in search of drugs. This is also one of the most common ways to end up in scams and lose a great deal of money in cryptocurrency.
Browsers
Another reason why people search for the Hidden Wiki is because of links that cannot be accessed otherwise. Tor browsers are designed to navigate a large influx of information.
Top 10 websites you will find on the Hidden Wiki
- Dark Market
- Black Death Group
- Assassination Market
- Flogs Dark
- HackBB
- French Dark Web
- Onion Forum 2.0
- Black Goblin Market
- Onion Forum
- Alpha Bay
What to expect from Dark Web and Hidden Wiki?
There are a great many scam websites. Most of the stuff you will come across on the Dark web may either be useless, or malicious. Here’s what you should look out for when using the Dark Web or Hidden Wiki.
Browsers for the Dark web:
The Hidden Wiki is one place where you can easily find Tor browsers, Whonix, Tails OS, and other programs that allow you to access the dark web.
Forums:
There are many forums on the Hidden Wiki. Because many people use the dark web as a place to discuss cryptocurrency, news, and other general topics. These forums provide a rather space for discussion and people tend to socialize and share information here. The chances of getting your personal information stolen or your computer infected with malware is pretty low on the forums. Also, if you are looking for information here, you might find it.
Blogs:
The Hidden Wiki is a place where you will find very little useful information. There are little to no blogs and it is incredibly difficult to find content of substance. There is also a consensus about the fact that if you were to find something valuable on the Hidden Wiki. It would be time-consuming as there are a great number of malicious and useless websites.
Useless information
The Hidden Wiki is often seen as a place that has useless information on different topics. Such as news about China, Russia, and other countries where access to the internet is limited. This means that either there is no information or it is unreliable and misleading. Moreover, there is no authority responsible for fact-checking or moderating the Hidden Wiki. This means that you may never know what website or link is safe and reliable on the dark web.
Concluding thoughts
The Hidden Wiki is a place that is visited by many for legal and illegal purposes. It is by no means a safe place for you to visit and even if you were to visit it, you must follow certain steps to protect yourself from the adverse effects.
The Hidden Wiki is home to many things and often the website. And the links you find here lead to nothing but trouble. But there are certain things that you can find on the dark web, which you can’t find anywhere else. It is entirely a matter of how you use it.
Whatever you do on the Hidden Wiki, we recommend that you do not underestimate the dangers of being on the dark web. The most important thing to keep in mind is that the Hidden Wiki is used by dangerous people who are quite familiar with illegal activity, even if you are only using it for educational purposes. Your security can be compromised if you are not careful. Using the Darkweb can be quite a hit or miss, so we recommend using it with caution.
