How to access the Tor Browser or Dark Web

So you want to start using the Tor browser? Access the dark web and be all cool? Well this is a very simple tutorial on how to access the Tor browser. It's really quite simple.

What is the Tor browser? Tor stands for "The Onion Router", the Tor browser was a project developed in the 1990's by the USNRL (United States Naval Research Laboratory) along with mathematician Paul Syverson and computer scientists David Goldschlag and Michael G. Reed. It's primary object was to mask the identities of American intelligence online. However it didn't take long before they realized that if other intelligence agencies were to simply backtrack the IP addresses they'd see a pattern. And in return they released the Tor browser to the public.

But is it illegal? No, not at all. In fact you can scroll through almost everything and not even have an eyebrow raised. Sure your friends might think that you're some crazed hacker, but in reality you barely know anything about the subject. A darkweb newbile child. A wannabe cyber terroriest, a cryber criminal.

Now, to access the Tor browser, it's really quite simple. Go onto your browser, being Google Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Safari, even Microsoft edge. Then lookup "Tor browser download". It should be the first result, but if it's not. Only trust links from https://www.torproject.org and nothing else. If you're on a Mac, click download for macOS, Windows click Download for Windows, Linux click download for Linux. Very simple. Now navigate to the setup file. An example for Windows users is "torbrowser-install-win64–12.0.4_ALL.exe".

Once you finish installing simply click Connect if it doesn't connect you automatically and you're in. Congratulations you've installed a file. Good job!

There's quite a lot of things to do on the Darkweb, however I won't really cover this in this post. However, you can check out all my other articles. I will be covering subjects like "What are Honeypots and how to avoid them with other scams", "Link Directories for verified tor links", "What are Tor Bridges? How can you access them?", "Vpns and Tor, The do's and Don'ts", "What is Tails OS? Should you use it when accessing tor?" ", "How to buy things off of the Tor market?" and many many more. This is going to be a relatively short post, but I think you'll enjoy a lot more of the rest of my articles.

How to Be More Secure on the Dark Web

When you open the Tor Browser and step into the shadowy corners of the internet — those hacker forums, dark web markets, and encrypted spaces — you might feel like something's off. Like you're not as secure as Tor promises you are.

You're not being paranoid. You're right.

But the good news is, there's a lot you can do to be actually secure. Digital security is important in general, but when you're surrounded by cybercriminals and data-hungry surveillance systems, it becomes absolutely critical.

That's where this guide comes in. No more blindly trusting your setup. Let's break down some actionable steps to help you take control of your digital footprint and anonymity.

Step 1: Turn Off "Always Connect Automatically" in Tor

The first thing you should do when you launch Tor is disable automatic connections. This ensures you always have a moment to configure your security before connecting. One careless click can blow your whole setup — don't let that happen.

Step 2: Enable Tor Bridges

Go into your settings, turn on "Select Built-in Bridges…" and choose obfs4. These bridges help bypass censorship and make your traffic look less like Tor traffic, which can be useful in more restrictive environments or when trying to stay under the radar.

Step 3: Spoof Your Fingerprint (User-Agent, Location, Timezone, and More)

Let's get into the technical side. These spoofing tools help minimize your traceable footprint. Think of it like wearing gloves, a mask, and different clothes every time you go out.

User-Agent Switcher and Manager

Download it here

Set your browser to report as something else — Chrome on Windows, Safari on iPhone, etc. Just keep it believable and varied.

Location Guard

Download it here

Set it to "Fixed Location." Choose a city, or zoom in and drop yourself somewhere random (like a hotel in Amsterdam). You're blending in while still spoofing.

ProtonVPN (Firefox Extension)

Download it here

Yes, the old rule says don't mix VPN with Tor. But in reality, VPN → Tor → VPN is a powerful combo if used properly. The ProtonVPN browser extension gives you quick, layered protection.

Spoof Timezone

Download it here

While Tor does some timezone spoofing automatically, this extension gives you tighter control. Small inconsistencies can matter — patch every leak.

Final Thoughts: Security Is About Variation

Tor handles a lot of this for you — but it's not perfect. In fact, building a consistent pattern of spoofing (even a fake one) can make you more trackable. Imagine someone wears the same disguise every day — eventually, the disguise becomes an identifier.

That's why you must vary your configuration. Every session should look different. Don't connect automatically. Don't reuse the same fake fingerprint over and over. OPSEC isn't about hiding behind one identity — it's about not having an identity at all.

Ultimately, your setup should match your risk level. Some people go too far and end up being traced because of how much spoofing they do, not in spite of it. But the fix is simple: switch it up. That's the mistake most people make — using the same setup repeatedly.

If you're looking for more on OPSEC and PERSEC, I've got dedicated articles breaking it all down — especially for those who need a deeper dive.

Stay smart, stay safe, and never forget: anonymity isn't a one-time decision. It's a discipline.

How Whonix OS Works and How to Install It

If you're someone who values privacy and worries about government surveillance or remote access exploits, you've probably heard of Tails OS — a live operating system that routes all traffic through the Tor network. Tails is designed to run from a USB stick or DVD and leaves no trace on the host machine. It's not recommended to run it on a virtual machine, as that can compromise its security features.

Now, if you don't have a USB or don't want to deal with live booting, Whonix is a solid alternative. Released in 2012, Whonix has evolved over the years but has remained true to its purpose: anonymity and privacy.

Key Difference

Unlike Tails, Whonix is meant to be run in a virtual machine — typically using VirtualBox or VMware. It uses a two-part system:

Whonix-Gateway: Routes all internet traffic through Tor. Whonix-Workstation: An isolated environment where your activities occur.

Think of it like looking at the moon through a telescope — the moon is the internet, the lens is the Gateway, and your eye is the Workstation.

How to Install Whonix

Install VirtualBox Go to VirtualBox Downloads (https://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads) and choose the version that matches your system (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.). Download Whonix for VirtualBox Visit the Whonix VirtualBox page (https://www.whonix.org/wiki/VirtualBox) and download the Gateway and Workstation OVA files. Import into VirtualBox

Open VirtualBox. Go to File > Import Appliance. Select each OVA file and follow the prompts to import them. Start the Virtual Machines Start Whonix-Gateway first and wait for it to fully boot. Then start Whonix-Workstation.

Setting Up Tor Bridges (Optional but Useful)

If your network blocks Tor, you might need a bridge:

Open Tor Browser in Whonix. Uncheck "Always connect automatically". Go to the three lines (☰) in the top right > Settings > Connection. Scroll to Bridges, click Select a built-in bridge, and choose obfs4.

Final Notes

Whonix is great for daily secure browsing, using Tor, or visiting sites you don't fully trust. It's easy to use — just open VirtualBox and start your machines, no rebooting required.

However, if your needs are more extreme — like making purchases on the dark web or handling sensitive whistleblowing material — Tails OS is the better choice due to its amnesic nature. While Whonix can be configured to leave no traces, Tails is designed that way out of the box.

In the end, both systems serve different purposes. Use Whonix for convenience and persistent privacy. Use Tails for maximum anonymity and temporary sessions. Your choice depends on your threat model and what you're trying to accomplish.

I became a victim on the Dark Web at 13…

At the age of 13, I became a victim on the Dark Web. A curious young mind, full of naivety and innocence, I downloaded the Tor Browser at my friend's request — unaware of the dangers that lay ahead. I didn't really know where to look for anything, so after a couple of Google searches, I stumbled upon something called The Hidden Wiki. While I now know it's a mostly useless link directory, back then I didn't.

I found many "services" listed there — most involving drugs or fraud — but a few piqued my interest. One was a service selling "blood gold": gold illegally mined in Africa using slave labor, then sold on the global market. Accepting or participating in blood gold in any way, shape, or form is a crime. Still, I kept searching and eventually found Torch, a search engine for the Dark Web.

I began looking up random things and eventually figured out what a link directory was. One such directory led me to Daniel's Link Directory, which then introduced me to Daniel's Chat. Later on, I found a web hosting service on the Dark Web that allowed me to create my own website on the onion network — Freedom Hosting. That's where I set up a blog to post angry, nonsensical ramblings filled with teenage angst. But that came later.

Back in Daniel's chat room, I started talking to people and engaging in conversations. I felt at home, learning more about the Dark Web and how to stay safe. No one knew how old I was, and no one really cared, either.

Then a user joined the chat — he went by the name "CJ." We started talking more frequently, eventually moving to private messages. One day, he sent me a link. I was completely naive and stupid. I didn't think twice. Whatever information he may have pulled from that link was probably useless to him, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that I clicked on it.

And what I saw horrified me.

On the screen was a still image of a girl around my age being raped by a group of men. A paywall and login screen were overlaid on the page. Her anguish and disgust were visible — unblurred, unlike the men, whose faces were obscured. It was vile. It was heartbreaking. I didn't know how to feel. I just saw her face — and the men. Her expression haunted me. That image was burned into my vision.

I sat alone in my room in the middle of the night. Nobody was home. I was frozen in horror. It was true fear — possibly the most intense fear I've ever experienced.

I had seen YouTubers play fictional horror games inspired by the Dark Web. In those games, this would be the part where the character gets kidnapped. I immediately closed the browser, shut all my tabs, turned off the computer, and turned on the lights. I laid in bed, shaken and revolted. I cried uncontrollably, haunted by the thought that I could be next.

I tried to calm myself and go to sleep, hoping I'd forget it all by morning. But when I woke up, I remembered everything. Her face still haunts me to this day. It left a permanent imprint. All I could do was cry.

Eventually, I got back on my computer. I saw the Tor Browser icon on my desktop and tried to pretend nothing had happened. I watched YouTube videos, talked to my friends, and played games. But her face stayed with me, like a shadow in the night — lurking even when I didn't expect it. I felt disturbed. I felt cruel — for not helping her.

Days became weeks. Weeks became months. I couldn't forget her.

And now, almost a decade later, her face still appears in my mind from time to time, bringing with it a wave of existential dread. It feels like it was somehow my fault. I often wonder — if I hadn't gone into that chatroom, if he hadn't messaged me — would I have been spared?

This is a cautionary tale. Do not engage with random strangers on the Dark Web. If you must use it, only stick to verified onion mirrors and directories like:

onion.live

dark.fail

tor.taxi

Don't explore random chatrooms, imageboards, or "Omegle-style" websites. I don't necessarily think of myself as a victim — but I promise you: if you wander into the wrong places, you will see things you never wanted to see. It doesn't matter if you're young or old. People are victimized on the Dark Web every single day in different ways.

I beg you: take PERSEC (Personal Security) and OPSEC (Operational Security) seriously. You could easily be doxxed from the smallest piece of information, which can lead to serious consequences — SIM swapping, SWATtings, DDoS attacks, extortion, ransomware, malware, worms, RATs (Remote Access Trojans), and more.

Please, genuinely — be careful. Whether you're on the Dark Web or just browsing day to day, the internet can be a dangerous place.

If you guys want to hear more of my interactions on the Dark Web, please let me know. Or if you want to hear more about Cyber Security, let me know as well.

How to prepare if TikTok is banned again.

On January 18, 2025, TikTok was banned for a whole 12 hours. It left a permanent scare on the American people, people began acting erratically and losing their minds, one man in Wisconsin even set a congressman's office on fire, who is now looking at more than 50 years in prison. So how do you prevent burning down a building because of TikTok being inevitably banned again?

For computer users, simply download Tor browser, open TikTok, create a new account and viola. Though this won't work on your phone, this is really all you need. However there comes a problem when you are laying down on your bed or sitting on the toilet and trying to pass the time. This is where things get tricky

For Android users, again, just download the Tor Browser app off the Google Play Store. But again, you'd have to connect to Tor every single time and open the browser, this again is complicating things because you shouldn't have to connect to Tor just to open TikTok. Now let's talk about what you actually have to do if you're using an iPhone, or if you want to use the TikTok app.

This requires a bit of spoofing, since not only is your ISP blocking TikTok packets, DNS blocking, IP filtering, and of course the App Store restrictions. So all we'd have to do is just, spoof all of this.

The first thing you'll need to download is ProtonVPN, this is completely free, and all you need to do is connect to one of their non American IP Addresses. This is more of a base level system, since it won't unlock TikTok for you because of the ISP blocking. Also if you have a NordVPN subscription, this is good too since you can use the obfuscated servers option. ProtonVPN does this as well, but just in case you have a Nord subscription.

If you're using an Android, just download any GeoLocation spoofer from the Google Play Store, I recommend "Fake GPS', but if you know of any other apps or anything off of FDroid I recommend those as well. It doesn't matter too much, just as long as it works. Unfortunately for iPhone users, you're kinda boned. There's not much for GPS Spoofing on the App Store, let alone installing any exterior apps. There's 3UTools, so what you need to do is install it on your comptuer, or laptop, or macbook or really anything. Install the 3UTools program, connect your iPhone to your laptop or computer, choose the location and viola. This sadly requires a computer, but you can thank iPhone's "security measures"

DNS Spoofing now, for Android users, just install Intra off the Google Play Store, and then in settings click "Choose Custom DNS Provider" and set it to: https://dns.quad9.net/dns-query

For iPhone users however. Here's the steps:

Go to Settings > Wi-Fi.

Tap the (i) next to your connected network.

Scroll to Configure DNS and tap it.

Switch to Manual.

Tap Add Server and enter:

9.9.9.9

149.112.112.112

Delete any other DNS entries

Tap Save.

Depending on your technological literacy, whichever one will probably be easier. If you’re more used to apps, Android will be easier, however if you’re used to configuring settings and such, Apple will be easier.

Now for your account creation, while I highly recommend making an account on Tor browser, or buying an account for like $2 from z2u, you can make an account with this setup. However just do not under any circumstances attempt to login without this setup on, you could genuinely just leave this open, since you’re not spoofing much. However you will occasionally need to solve captchas. The main problem isn’t the OPSEC just to open up TikTok, it’s actually your ISP

Your ISP uses different tactics to block TikTok. Which is why it’s really hard to pinpoint exactly which methods to cover. I’m sticking with this right now, but the main issue is your ISP. If you have some small town useless ass ISP, you could probably access TikTok without anything. However there’s still obviously the TikTok end, which is the other half of spoofing.

'

Now the easiest part on how to bypass TikTok’s ban. Since it’s blocked from the App Store itself, all you’d have to do is download from a different source. So iPhone users might have difficulty here, all you’d have to do is block any updates from TikTok and pray. All the OPSEC you’d have to use is already listed above. The saddest part though is the App Store blocking. Which means Apple users are doomed if that is the case.

Thankfully for Android users, all you have to do is just go on apkpure, apkmirror, uptodown or whatever trusted APK provider you like. Get TikTok or any older versions for extra security. Now I highly recommend that you do this instead of using the Google Play Store, since I don’t know the entire extent of every single blocking method depending on the ISP.

Now, above all else, if none of this works, simply just download Tor Browser and skip the rest of the semantics. While true you can’t access TikTok without it, you can’t access TikTok without all of this OPSEC. I don’t know if TikTok will be banned again, let alone if they’ll change up their censorship. All I know is this is what helped me rub in my friends faces that I had TikTok and they didn’t. If you can’t live without TikTok or genuinely don’t care, it’s still nice to know this stuff just in case.

Why the scam you may have received will never work.

There is a guy on some burner gmail account sending out really bad extortion attempts in mass through some mailing list he had bought, or even worse, found on some data brokerage website. He has many bold claims, including that he had installed an RDP on your phone, as well as saying that the video of you jacking off to a porn website was "fire", flattery aside, there is a couple of good reasons why this scam will never work, and why his bitcoin address is still empty.

This is one of the many emails he had sent. I know a person's mom who was sent this email, and it's a carbon copy. Information as the header, ransom for the rest. He mentions having an RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) on the "victims" smartphone, but what he means is a RAT (Remote Access Terminal) not an RDP. Not to mention, he didn't correctly explain what an RDP is, simply saying "Remote Protocol" which isn't what RDP means. But enough about semantics, the asking price is far too high. Most people won't actually care if the alleged videos get released, if he asked for maybe $50-$80, he'd be a lot richer. Not to mention, his bitcoin wallet is empty, meaning that nobody has fallen for the scam, and if they have, it's not many. There currently isn't any inbound or outbound transactions on the wallet from multiple sources. There probably won't be either.

The asking price being too high, the copy and paste format, it's like he went on an unhinged edge lord spree and sent these emails out, having to individually tailor each one from the mailing list. A mailing list by the way, is more like a contact list. It has the person's name, phone number, address, and email address, sometimes more but that is the main thing data brokers want. He probably had the mailing list on the back burner, and tried his hand at internet extortion. Created some giant fabricated story, and prayed that the people receiving the emails would fall for it, spoiler, they didn't.

His asking price was too high, he was almost vague in what he was talking about, and majority of the buzz words or attempts to sound like he knew what he was doing fell short. He says "With a simple click, I can send this garbage to every single one of your contacts." which sounds good, however the span in which he's sending these emails means he's genuinely typing out every single email, attempting to scare them with publicly accessible data, and using buzzwords like malware. I believe the main reason his asking price is so big, greed aside, is that he needs it to cover the price he paid for the mailing list.

The email is full of power tripping and insufferable ignorance. I understand the approach of only asking for bitcoin, however it still falls short, since all a law enforcement officer would have to do is just, find out who owns it. I'm assuming again that he doesn't have a hardware wallet, but even if he did it doesn't matter. There's barely any OPSEC, and the fact he sent it through a burner gmail account is laughable. There's many other options for sending emails securely, I'm assuming he just thought gmail was the easiest to use.

There's also a mention where he installed the malware on a porn site. Bold claim, there's no way to get malware on certain devices, like the main "victims" he's attacking use iPhones, which if you aren't familiar, have no way to install outside software, regardless of any malware injection attempts. What he's describing is a "drive-by download" a form of attack where the user just visits a website, and the code inside the website installs the malware directly to the users device. However the problem is where Java Applet Security has gotten miles better in the past decade, meaning it won't happen anymore. And if it does, modern browsers are prone to prompting this kind of thing.

As a last ditch effort, he attempts to scare the user by saying there's a "pixel" hidden inside the email that will tell him if you've read the email. What was even the point in saying that? If you're scary hacker man with complete access to what's supposed to be just one guy, why wouldn't you just watch their screen through this "RDP" you have? Why wouldn't you just, steal the money from their account, buy crypto and move on? If you have access to the social media accounts through whatever scary hacker means you did, why wouldn't you just get access to the bank account? Above all else, it's a RAT, you basically control everything about this persons life, why bother with the email?

Because it's a lie, it's fiction, it's a sad attempt at trying to get some extra money, whilst not doing anything correctly. The amount of edginess in the email made me feel sympathetic because it feels like some 14 year old attempting to become some famous scary hacker. But this is a grown man, behind a computer screen, trying to scam for a living so he can get rich without working a job like everyone else. But one look at this email, his bitcoin address, his spending habits for a mailing list. It seems it's time to change career paths.

Dark web markets and their possible downfalls

Back in 2013, Ross William Ulbricht was inside the San Francisco Public Library when he was cornered by the FBI. They arrested him, seized his laptop, and shut down his dark web website, "The Silk Road," which had garnered him over one billion dollars but ultimately cost him his freedom. Following his arrest, new markets emerged and disappeared, creating a domino effect with more and more marketplaces opening and closing, often ending in similar outcomes.

Many times, my friends have asked me if I would like to start a dark web marketplace. They ask me this every year, deluded by grandiose ideas and their belief in their own abilities. In reality, these ventures always end the same way. Every single dark web marketplace has met one of three outcomes.

In the most recent case, the Incognito Market, hosted by Rui-Siang Lin, attempted an exit scam, but the money he would have made wasn't enough for him. Consumed by greed, he attempted a large-scale extortion targeting only cybercriminals. This was possibly the dumbest mistake any criminal could have made; extorting one criminal is foolish enough, but extorting thousands of criminals places the largest target on your back. Within a couple of days, his identity was exposed, and the FBI arrested him. He could have easily made off with all the money, but greed caused him to lose everything.

In a similar sense, though not involving a dark web marketplace, Aleksanteri Kivimäki went from DDoSing XBOX Live on Christmas to extorting an entire Finnish psychotherapy company. He held the company for ransom with all the patient notes, which he progressively released from the most distressing stories to the least, one hundred patients at a time. The company attempted to hire a cybersecurity team, but it was too late. Aleksanteri had already downloaded all the company and patient data and saved it to his desktop. When a patient begged Aleksanteri to remove his data from the website, even offering to pay for its removal, Aleksanteri got an idea. He proceeded to send an email to every single patient from the database, extorting them with a ransom ranging from 200 to 500 Euros. In one of the data dumps, he accidentally uploaded his desktop folder, revealing enough information for the Finnish police to issue a warrant for his arrest. He went on the run, and after being caught, he faced over 20,000 felony charges. Upon bail approval, he attempted to flee the country again but was stopped at the airport. Despite his crimes, the Finnish police sentenced him to a little over six years in what was essentially a hotel room-like prison cell, making him the laughingstock of Finland.

Another peculiar case was that of Silk Road Reloaded. Unlike others, they neither exit scammed nor got arrested. They simply stopped. In fact, they notified all their users in advance that they were halting all marketplace activity and suggested that users withdraw their money before the site shut down. This is extremely rare, as it seems to be the only instance of such an occurrence.

From these examples, we've discussed the concept of exit scamming, where the website closes down the dark web marketplace and steals all the users' money. We've talked about the usual route, which leads to the arrest of the dark web marketplace admins and founders. And finally, the rare instance of successful OPSEC and generosity, as seen with Silk Road Reloaded, where they were neither arrested nor prevented users from withdrawing funds before closing down.

Despite this, my friends still pester me about starting a dark web marketplace. Though it might seem like an attractive idea, I know that starting one is a death sentence, throwing away all the money made, the time spent on creating and marketing such a site, as well as risking my friends' and my own life.

Why hackers are starting to use Monero instead of Bitcoin

Bitcoin began in early 2009, with its creator still unidentified, presenting itself as a secure method for online money transfers. However, over time, the original Silk Road emerged under The Dread Pirate Roberts, revealed as Ross Ulbricht, currently serving a life sentence for various drug trafficking charges.

Following Ulbricht's arrest, new cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Litecoin surfaced, attempting to address Bitcoin's security issues but encountering similar challenges. One significant concern is the reuse of wallet addresses. While this may seem like a mere oversight, it poses a serious risk as transactions associated with a wallet address can potentially expose its user and associates.

Moreover, there are concerns such as KYC (Know Your Customer) requirements and other forms of user data collection by governments worldwide on transactions involving cryptocurrencies like Litecoin, Ethereum, and Bitcoin. This raises the question: which other cryptocurrencies offer anonymity?

Enter Monero, originally created in 2012 as Bytecoin and later forked into BitMonero, now known as Monero. Monero enhances security through features like RingCT and stealth addresses, obscuring transaction details such as sender, recipient, and amount, thus ensuring anonymity for wallet holders.

Monero also decentralizes its network effectively, unlike many predecessors, reducing the risk of government taxation, as seen with Bitcoin. Regular updates bolster security by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities, supported by an active community.

As a result, Monero has become popular among hackers seeking anonymity. Some dark web marketplaces exclusively accept Monero, guaranteeing user security and anonymity. Creating a Monero account is straightforward and secure, with options like Monero's GUIWallet for user-friendly transactions or the CLA (Command Line Application) for a more technical approach.

Overall, many users prefer Monero for its enhanced security, making it their cryptocurrency of choice.

How hackers infect seemingly innocent files with devious malware

When you were younger, you might've lacked the funding for certain games or entertainment and would like to get something for cheaper, free even. So you open up Google and find something like "Minecraft for free" and upon downloading and installing, noticed that your computer ran much slower than before. Windows defender, or McAfee goes off and as your monitor fills up with advertisements, you realize you have just gotten a virus on your computer.

But how? Minecraft ran perfectly, and even if it didn't it sure looked like it. There are a few ways to mask malware on a computer, or even inside of a file. Today I will be discussing with you a few ways hackers could do such things.

Nothing shows up

You open the program, and nothing happens, or a command prompt appears for a brief second. Possibly, you see an error message. This is the most basic form of malware you'll encounter, being the easiest to create. Hackers often send some form of virus, and if it doesn't open, you might send a message saying it doesn't work. They then send a patch file for the virus, which is the same file you just downloaded, but with a different name. When this happens, it's usually something simple like a crypto miner. These are generally easy to remove, which I will discuss later on.

The program runs fine, however my antivirus is going off

This is called an "executable binder" or just a "binder" file. I will refer to it as a "binded exe." This is usually done through a default program on Windows called "iExpress Wizard," which allows users to merge two exe files into one. This can be extremely dangerous, as multiple pieces of malware can be continuously merged into one and then added to any file or software the hacker chooses. These, on the other hand, can be quite strenuous to remove, depending on how infected the file is, whether it's just a simple crypto miner or something worse.

How to remove common malware

In the windows search bar, type in the word "regedit" and press enter. Paste the following at the top of the bar under "File"

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

3. You will see something such as "MinerGate" or something involving a crypto miner. Simply delete and quickly power off your PC/Laptop. This is due to something called "WatchDog" which, upon the uninstallation of the malware, will reinstall it a few seconds after removal

4. Make sure that your PC has the Malware removed by repeating the steps, if you don't see anything involving a crypto miner, you're safe.

However, if an error message appears, the malware could be more sophisticated, possibly being spyware. Spyware stalks the PC and collects all the information it can. It logs every key you press, takes everything from your cookies and other site data, and has access to your personal files. For this, do the following:

Disconnect from the internet. They cannot have access to the computer if the computer has no internet. Use your phone or some other device to change important passwords Connect your phone or some form of storage device to your Computer Transfer important photos and videos to the storage device If you have a restore point set up, proceed to system restore to that point If you do not, you will have to factory reset your PC. If you do not have access to any forms of storage device, put the important files inside of a zip file Connect to the internet and quickly upload them to some form of cloud, then disconnect and factory reset your computer

How to defend yourself from future malware attacks

There are a couple of easy ways, such as not downloading anything online that isn't from a verified source. However, sometimes that isn't always possible, as you might be pirating a file or a friend has sent you some software to test. This can be easily avoided in a few ways:

Having an Anti-Virus software

Many Anti-Virus software are, ironically viruses. I recommend just using Windows defender, as it's free, preinstalled and is purely for anti-virus. However there's others such as

McAffee BitDefender Norton 360

Preemptively scanning files after or before download.

Scanning files for malware can seem dangerous, however most malware simply downloading the file isn't enough to cause any harm to your computer. So upon download, just insert the file into https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/upload to check for any malware. And of course, if you don't wish to download any suspicious files, you can also simply right click the download link, click copy url, and insert the link into https://www.virustotal.com/gui/home/url

I found a red room on the dark web…

My friend, whom I found through Daniel's chat — a dark web/cybersecurity chat room — contacted me on Jabber/XMPP (a peer-to-peer chat system) with an onion website he had made to earn some extra income on the side. Once he sent me the link, I clicked on it to find a paywall for a "red room" costing $300 (around 0.06 Bitcoin at the time). I asked if it was legitimate, and he told me no — it was a honeypot, a scam to get some easy cash passively while sadistic degenerates waited on the other side of the screen for a live stream that never started.

This friend of mine also ran another Tor website, but instead, he posted gore content, which he found on clear net websites like BestGore and LiveLeak. He would re-upload these videos and charge a monthly subscription of $5.99. From there, subscribers could watch all the gore they wanted. He didn't actually do anything illegal — he just re-uploaded the gore he'd found online to his website to make some easy money off of sadistic degenerates who didn't know any better.

I was extremely intrigued by the red room website he sent me. I knew from the start it was fake, but him telling me so provided clarity. However, I was still curious about how he'd get people to pay for the red room, let alone find it.

He later told me that the easiest way to get people to buy into this idea wasn't through dark web ads, which were usually pretty obvious scams, but instead to bait them through TikTok and other social media platforms. On his TikTok, he'd sneak into basements of buildings and post videos with a chair, saying ominous things. This was followed by other videos of him wearing a ski mask with a bunch of "tools" for torturing people (pliers, knives, hammers, etc.). This baited several curious people to join his Discord server to check out his content, only to see more of these gore/torture-style videos and possibly even buy a ticket to the red room, where he'd exit scam them.

He never told me how much he made from the scams, but probably not that much, considering that the majority of people on TikTok are teenagers and don't have $300. But that wasn't his main goal. His main goal was to organically spread the word that he was a legitimate red room operator, who would torture people online for a couple of dollars and totally wouldn't exit scam them.

Combine all of that, and you have a common example of what red rooms are. They're exit scams for sadistic individuals who would like to pay money to see someone get tortured. Obviously, there's not a real red room — there never has been, and there never will be. It's all a hoax to get people arrested or scammed. There are several similar websites like red rooms, hitmen-for-hire services on the dark web, or even services like a hacker-for-hire. If you haven't gotten the memo yet, these are also scams.

Why wouldn't these cybercriminals stay true to their word? If you were faced with large amounts of money, with the sole intention of throwing your life away for a couple of hundred, if not thousands, of dollars, purely based on the foundation of trust, would you? Would you throw away your life for some random person online who sent you a couple of hundred dollars to take somebody's life and throw away yours?

What is Tails OS and how to access it

Commonplace to the Tor browser is attempts to become completely secure. However there is also another version of Tor designed only for Tor usage, nothing else. Enter Tails OS, the completely secure, encrypted lovely and beautiful Operating Software designed with built in Tor bridges, routing all information through Tor. Everything about Tails is literally just Tor. When you think of Tails, think of Tor. But what is Tails OS? Tails (AKA The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a privacy-focused operating system designed to provide anonymous online communication and web browsing. It is a live system, which means it can be booted from a USB stick or DVD without being installed on the computer's hard drive, making it ideal for use on public computers or for maintaining privacy on a personal computer. So what would be the point of using it? I mean, isn't Tor supposed to be completely secure? The future of anonymity? Wrong. Very wrong. Imagine Tor as some sort of egg. And your computer being the yolk. But, what happens when you wrap the egg in several layers of duct tape. You get a Tor bridge. Now let's dip the duct taped egg inside a resin mold. Now you've entered Tails OS running through a Tor bridge. You're completely fine once you've entered this state. Sure the egg might break, but you still have all these layers protecting your soft, insecure connection. So, how do we actually connect to Tails OS? Well you'll have to get a DVD or a USB stick (I recommend the USB.) If you are using a USB stick, I recommend at least 16 gigabytes of capacity. Before you do anything, make sure the USB stick or DVD is completely empty, or you just don't mind if it get's deleted because fun fact: It will. Now, firstly you want to download Tails OS from their website which you can find here: https://tails.boum.org/install/ Pick your Operating Software of choice and begin the download process. I'm going to be using Windows guide since you're probably on a Windows PC. The first step is to Download the Tails USB Image file found in the first step. Now back in the day you'd have to use two different USB sticks to download the whole Operating Software. Now you only need one and a file known as balenaEtcher, which you can find here: https://www.balena.io/etcher From here you'll want to plug in the USB Stick you'll want to use to install Tails OS. Open up balenaEtcher and click the "Flash from file" button, should be the first one under the plus sign hexagon shaped icon. It'll open up the select file menu and from there you'll want to find where you downloaded the Tails USB Image file, it warns you on the site to make sure that it has .img at the end of the file so I'd recommend you do it I guess. Click the "Select target" button and find your USB stick that you will be using. Remember, everything on this USB stick or DVD will be deleted forever. Now what you do from there is click the "Flash" button, it will format and load the .img file onto the USB stick. Congratulations, you've successfully downloaded Tails OS, anytime you want to load the file just stick in the USB and it'll load. Oh wait, no it won't. Let's say you want to see if it works. Simply turn off your computer and the turn it back on. On startup press and hold the "F8" key on your keyboard. Not "F+8" just "F8" and from there the boot menu will appear. Simply select the file from there. Another way to do this is to click the Windows key on your keyboard then select power, then while holding down the Shift key, select "Restart". A new screen will appear and will say "Choose an option" from here you'll select "Use a device" and viola, You have successfully loaded Tails OS. Once you're in you're pretty much set, a side note however is upon startup you'll be asked about selecting a Tor bridge, I'd recommend you check out my other article "What are Tor Bridges? How can you access them?" so you can learn more about how to access a Tor bridge and why you should. Other than that you're completely good to go on your new adventure with Tails OS.

How to buy things off of the darkweb

Welcome! This is going to be the one of my most viewed articles. So for the ones who are going to be with me through this, thank you for reading. I hope you're very interested in the dark web and security, so from here on if you want to learn more, check out my other articles, other than that enjoy.

So you want to buy things off of the big bad dark web? Well you're just in luck! As a darkweb veteran I'd love to help you.

But before we begin, what is the darkweb? Well, most people probably already know what the darkweb is, especially if you looked this up but hey some people don't know. Well the dark web, as it is known today, began to emerge as more people started using Tor to access hidden websites that were not indexed by search engines and were not accessible through regular web browsers. These hidden sites, which are often used for illegal activities such as drug trafficking and hacking, can only be accessed through specialized software that can connect to the Tor network. Now majority of the the things you've heard online from dark web YouTube personalities talk about how you can buy so many insane things. Things so insane not even real black markets would sell them. Some at least. Things like buying a mail order bride, blood goods, organs, dead babies (?), firearms, hitmen for hire, redrooms, are not and will not ever be available for public usage. If you find one? Congratulations you've been scammed and are now out of honey.

Before you do anything at all you'll need a Bitcoin wallet. There's several options, for someone experienced I'd recommend something like electrum, however for someone new I'd recommend something like Exodus. First you're probably asking "Padrino :( why can't I just use coinbase Padrino :( Why oh why oh why!" Well, thankfully for you I have your reasons. Number one, Coinbase is insanely secure, to the point where it is no longer secure. It is hated by criminals for how hard it is just to send bitcoin to your little darkweb escrow wallet. But let's say, you can't find a Bitcoin ATM, or a Bitcoin seller that's trusted. You can use something like PayPal even at that point because the rates on Coinbase are insane. Too many exchange fees. Instead for Paypal you just need to pay a minimum amount to buy crypto with a very small fee. And from there you can send the Bitcoin to your Exodus wallet.

For Exodus simply google "Exodus wallet" or go to https://www.exodus.com/download/ and download it from there. Now that you have the wallet we can move on to sending the money to your wallet on the market of your choice. Go to ONION.live's mirror verification once you have your Tor market link at https://onion.live/sign/key or simply use one of the trusted link directories from my article "Link Directories for verified Tor links," From here you'll have to find where it says "Deposit BTC" or "Deposit", Copy the Bitcoin address there and copy the Bitcoin address, Go to your Exodus wallet and find the "Send" button right next to "Receive," Enter in the amount you'd like to send, then paste the Bitcoin address you copied from the market. Then? Press send. From there your Bitcoin will enter a pending state and you'll have to wait until the transaction is complete before it appears in your account. Sadly this could be instant or take up to an hour depending on how thick it is. If you want to see the transaction look here: https://mempool.space/

So now it's in your account, what now? Do you enter the lottery? Do you buy a shitty deal? Do you get scammed? It's completely up to you what you want to do now. However legally speaking, I have to include the fact that "they will catch you" and "It's totally dangerous man" which is exactly why I have more tutorials on how to stay safe! So that the worst thing that happens to you is that the market exit scams and you're left without no Bitcoin. So go check them out and remember to be safe!

What is XMPP/Jabber and how to use

Some people may say that something like Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp, Discord or whatever you think is secure. I promise you one thing and one thing only. They do not have your security and privacy in the best interest. In fact here's a snippet from the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy's of all the Apps.

Discord: "We provide emergency disclosure responses only when enough information is provided for Discord to, in good faith, believe that the exigent situation requires disclosure of user information, as outlined in 18 U.S.C. ยง 2702. We do not disclose information for emergency requests unless they are from law enforcement." -https://discord.com/safety/360044157931-working-with-law-enforcement#:~:text=We%20provide%20emergency%20disclosure%20responses,they%20are%20from%20law%20enforcement.

WhatsApp: "We do not retain data for law enforcement purposes unless we receive a valid preservation request before a user has deleted that content from our service. In the ordinary course of providing our service, WhatsApp does not store messages once they are delivered or transaction logs of such delivered messages." -https://faq.whatsapp.com/444002211197967

Signal: "When legally forced to provide information to government or law enforcement agencies, we'll disclose the transcripts of that communication here." -https://signal.org/bigbrother/

Telegram: "Contrary to Telegram's self-promotion as an opponent of privacy infringement, a new report reveals Telegram has leaked user data to German authorities on multiple occasions. Telegram promises to keep user data secure and private, even on chats that aren't end-to-end encrypted (which isn't automatically enabled)." -https://www.cyberghostvpn.com/en_US/privacyhub/telegram-hands-data-to-authorities/#:~:text=Contrary%20to%20Telegram's%20self%2Dpromotion,isn't%20automatically%20enabled).

So what we can tell from these sources, either from verified sources or the sources themselves. These are the primary perpetrators for the cyber and real criminals of the world. They prey on the stupid and ignorant. People who just look up "Secure messaging" or "Anonymous messaging" so they think they can be safe from the authorities. Except for Discord. If you use Discord for "security" you're in the wrong field. Enter Padrino, the savior of your business. The savior of your life actually. We will now be covering several topics around the encrypted p2p (Peer to peer) chat system known as XMPP or Jabber.

What is XMPP or Jabber? Jabber is strictly p2p which just means all information is sent through the peer to the other peer, quite literally. See when using something like signal, discord, facebook or any of the other messaging software you interact with the app like a middle man service. Being sent by the user, storing everything on a the database before being received by the other user. In a peer to peer system, there is no middle man service, making a complete lack of database. However I do have to clear one thing up. With XMPP/Jabber, it is stored on an encrypted database through the server. This is the major problem when releasing the information to authorites is that even if they send the information, it is disgustingly encrypted. This is why XMPP/Jabber is the favorite among cyber criminals as it's too complex to begin the complex decryption process for every single person using the program.

Many XMPP/Jabber hosts state specifically that they cannot even decrypt it themselves and they own the server. Now, how do we access this XMPP/Jabber service? Well firstly you'll have to find an address provider for your account. Unless you want to just use the default provider given from your client you can skip to the next paragraph. For this example we'll be using danwin1210.de, one of my childhood hero's. simply go to https://danwin1210.de/mail/register.php and create an account, you'll need to remember this information for later whenever we use the Jabber program. Once you've made the account you need to find a client for you to use. Depending on which OS you'll be using I'm going to give you a couple of my favorites. For Windows OS, Gajim, completely free and available on most operating software's and comes with OMEMO support.

For iPhone, Monal IM, completely free and comes with OMEMO support.

For Android, monocle, completely free, installation through F-Droid and comes with OMEMO support.

For Linux OS, profanity, completely free and comes with OMEMO support.

For, macOS, Monal IM, completely free and comes with OMEMO support.

From here simply use your login and now you're in. What you'll need to know from here is how to turn on OMEMO, for an example we'll use Gajim, simple when in a chat with a friend just click the shield next to the message bar and select "OMEMO", to add a friend simply type in their XMPP or Jabber username and you'll begin a private chat. To create an XMPP or Jabber channel simply press the "Control" key along with holding the "G" key on your keyboard. And from there you can change your privacy setting on the channel or invite friends.

Congratulations, you have are now an XMPP/Jabber professional. From here you can simply beg your friends to use Jabber instead of getting all their information being collected and sold to the FBI, to prevent any further arrests for your ignorant friend. If they don't believe you simply send them this article and they'll join you in your new adventure of cyber security.

Who is the king of the darkweb?

Who is the king of the darkweb? Is it your wannabe crime lord friend? Is it the scary hacker who's being mean to you on ableonion? The title of King belongs to one of the forefathers of the darkweb is none other than The Dread Pirate Roberts, The Ross Ulbricht, The king of the darkweb. You can look it up and he is the only man, the only face who appears.

But who is Ross Ulbricht? Ross Ulbricht is one of the first, if not, the first owner of anything darkweb related. The one who put a face to the darkweb at the very least, who set their place in stone. He was the founder of an onion service known as the "Silk road" a somewhat downplayed service which was supposedly only made for the pure intent of selling narcotics and fraudulent material. This isn't too far from the case however the pure intentions by Ross represent a different aspect of a revolution. Before we can even get into that we must discuss what Agorism is. According to Wikipedia, "Agorism is a social philosophy that advocates creating a society in which all relations between people are voluntary exchanges by means of counter-economics, engaging with aspects of nonviolent revolution," This is going to be a recurring theme which you'll begin to notice the deeper you get involved in these topics, such as anonymity, hacktivism and social revolution involving cybernetics and darkweb activity. This is one of the main principals covered by several darkweb newsletters and other similar topics.

Ross created the silk road around 2011, with the Bitcoin price around $1–30, and he ran the market with several controversies happening throughout, including the depressing but hilarious case of when Ross hired a fake hitman and fell for the scammer twice. However it ended in 2013 when the FBI sieved several assets belonging to Ross which began the #freeross movement upon his arrest.

During the trial there was many problems with how Judge Katherine B. Forrest dealt with the case. In the end he was charged with seven different felonies including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, distributing narcotics, distributing narcotics by means of the internet, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to traffic fraudulent identity documents, and conspiracy to commit computer hacking. In return for this he was charged with two life sentences plus another 40 years, a guaranteed death sentence. Judge Katherine B. Forrest said quote "You are no better a person than any other drug dealer." which mentioned by several different newsletters and pretty much everyone in the world can agree, "Too bad he wasn't sentenced like any other drug dealer."

Let's take a look at a two of the most prolific drug dealers. "Big Meech", who was charged with Continuing criminal enterprise (drug trafficking) money laundering and only received 30 years. Another example closer to Ross, "El Chapo", One of the world's most infamous drug lord quote "Guzman Loera was convicted of all 10 counts of a superseding indictment, including charges of narcotics trafficking, using a firearm in furtherance of his drug crimes and participating in a money laundering conspiracy." He a received a life sentence along with 30 years. A life sentence for a serial murderer, a serial escape artist and one of the most dedicated drug lords in the world. "El Chapo" is aged at 66 at the time of writing, and the average Hispanic life span is 78.8 years. Which means he was technically charged with 16.8 years plus 30 more years. Big "Meech" received 30 years, and the world's most infamous drug lord was charged with 46.8 years. Ross Ulbricht has received two life sentences along with 40 years without touching a single narcotic "he sold". With out murdering a single man, sure he hired it but he got scammed by the very man he was trying to kill. Not to mention he was never charged for the said crime and only charged for cyber crimes and drug trafficking.

This caused a major cyber outcry over social media and calling for the freedom of Ross Ulbricht or at the very least a fair trial. This was met with very little change of his sentence, besides whenever a hacker robbed his Bitcoin wallet and they just removed the debt he had to pay due to the amount of identities stolen and sold on the Silk road, along with the drugs and other fraudulent items sold.

In short, the face of the darkweb was known as a "The Dread Pirate Roberts" was a man known as Ross Ulbricht. A man who believed heavily in revolutionary ideologies, such as Agorism and freedom of privacy and a very anti-economical approach. In return for his efforts of a free market, he was charged with an insane amount of time for his actions. They claim it was to make an example of him and to scare any future darkweb market owners (Fun fact: it failed) but in reality they were pissed at him, his ideas or at least how he used his ideas. So in return they fucked him harder than any infamous drug lord arrested in the United States.

What are the do's and don'ts of using a VPN on the Tor browser?

Why shouldn't you use a VPN with the Tor browser? The do's and don't of tor are quite simple. You see using a VPN with Tor is quite detrimental, as it can compromise the privacy and secure features that is used on the Tor network. You see the Tor network was designed exclusively for anonymity and privacy concerns by a protocol that routes your internet traffic through multiple servers. Which in turn makes it much more difficult to trace your internet activity back to your device. However when using a VPN it introduces a central point in the internet traffic, which routes your traffic through a single server before it makes it through the Tor network.

Doesn't sound too bad until you realize that this could potentially log your IP address and other identifying information, which defeats the purpose of trying to be anonymous. Also using a VPN with tor could actually prevent your security even further by exposing your Tor usage to the VPN host, such as Proton or Nord VPN. This is because the VPN provider can see the websites you visit and the content you access through Tor, which compromises your security even further. Though I recommend you don't.

There are some upsides to using a VPN with the Tor browser. Though it's even more important to weigh the risks and benefits of such. Using a VPN can improve the performance of the Tor browser depending on your location and internet connection. It can improve the speed and stability due to the VPN's ability to help bypass some of the network restrictions that may happen in certain countries or via an ISP. As well as being able to access certain content that is blocked such as websites or services. Not to mention the the addition encryption that may occur. While Tor already encrypts your traffic, using a VPN could hold an addition layer of encryption, which would make it harder to view your online activities via third party. However if you do choose to use a VPN with the Tor browser, I might as well lead in you into the right VPN for the task.

NordVPN

Nord VPN offers strong encryption and a strict no-logs policy. It also has a feature called "Onion over VPN," which routes your traffic through the Tor network before it reaches the VPN server, adding an extra layer of security. Onion over VPN is a feature offered by NordVPN that allows you to route your internet traffic through both the Tor network and NordVPN's servers simultaneously. This improves Security by routing your traffic through the Tor network first, giving you access to several Tor hidden services or the "dark web" with a secure front and improves performance by bypassing some of the network restrictions that may occur in certain ISP's and other countries.

ProtonVPN

ProtonVPN is a service based in Switzerland and offers a free option as well as paid plans. It has a strict no-logs policy and uses strong encryption to protect your online activity. They also include a free email service, which you can pay to upgrade or simply keep it at the free level. They do not push to buy on you so it's one of the favorites among the Tor community. But with the paid version of ProtonVPN, you have access to over 2,500 and a server network across 95 locations and 67 countries. I personally have had an amazing experience with the platform as well as many other members in the community. So I'd highly recommend Proton to anyone new and looking for help finding the perfect VPN.

And using my code, you can get 50% off your first month with ProtonVPN! Use it here: https://protonvpn.com/padrino

Mullvad VPN

Mullvad VPN is known for its focus on privacy and security. It does not log any of your internet activity and accepts anonymous payments, such as cryptos like Bitcoin. They also have a strict no logging policy which is similar to rest of the VPNs above, however they are completely open source, which means that anyone can view and audit the code to ensure that there are no backdoors or other security vulnerabilities. Along with this they provide a strong encryption, including AES-256-GCM and Wire Guard, to protect users' internet traffic from interception and eavesdropping. And just like the rest their available on all Operating Systems but are also able to be used on routers! All in all, using any old VPN may not be the best course of action when using the Tor browser. However when using one it's best to use the best of the best. Preventing yourself from getting hacked, cyber bullied into losing your credit card info or getting doxxed and swatted.

If you are going to use a VPN, I highly, highly recommend Mullvad VPN, ProtonVPN and then NordVPN, in that order. A good way to remember something like this is: "DON'T, use a VPN with Tor, but if you DO use Mullvad, Proton or Nord…" -Padrino

What are Honeypots and how to avoid them with other scams

Honeypots are computer security mechanisms designed to attract and detect unauthorized access or attacks to a system or network. They are typically deployed as decoys, mimicking a legitimate system or application, with the intention of luring attackers into revealing their methods, tools, or identities. Honeypots can be deployed for various purposes, such as research, monitoring, or mitigation of cyber threats. So how do you avoid them?

Some of the most common Honeypots on the dark web include but are definitely not limited to: Child Exploitation sites, Bitcoin laundry sites, Phishing links to mimic popular legitimate sites such as Markets or Services, Any form of casino, Gun stores, Onion Directories, Redroom's, Gore sites, Hackers for hire, forums and honestly? Anything. As I'm writing this I realize a lot of the items are copied on the dark web. Which is why I have to teach you the ways of remaining secure on the darkweb. It's important to know what is a scam or a honeypot and what is a legitimate site.

So how can you tell? Most of the time the fakes are so bad if you have common sense you should be able to tell, however a lot of the onion honeypots and scams are very hard to catch. A good example of a honey pot you can't tell is a phishing link. A lot of phishing links are literal clones of legitimate sites which just a few tweaks here and there.

How can you avoid even seeing one? Refer to my article "Link Directories for verified tor links" or if you don't want to, In short you have to use only verified and trusted sources of onion links. Be warned however, even the most trusted link providers can't control the authors on the other end. A lot of the time they will exit scam, a tactic in which many market hosts or sellers will use in order to gain the most money possible without getting stopped by the FBI. Personally me I don't mind when the market hosts do this tactic. It's just the smartest thing to do. However this is the best way to avoid honeypots.

But I did have one subject on there I wanted to talk about which was a link directory I mentioned in my article before this one "Link Directories for verified tor links". Which was thehiddenwiki. Which is many of the users first link provider for the dark web. Honestly mine too. I hate to admit it but yes, even I was once a skid cyber criminal. But now I'm here for you to prevent it from happening to you too.

thehiddenwiki.org, which, is now only a clearnet site, still only contains the same links from 2016. 2016 and they still haven't even tried to update their fake ass site. I thought it was full of phishing links but no, they simply contain only the same scam onion links. They have several categories, Hidden Wiki sites, Bitcoin anonymity, Drug stores and More commercial links. All of which are made by thehiddenwiki for scamming it's users. Possibly for the better, some sort of fake vigilantism against future dark web users.

I included thehiddenwiki for purely an example purpose on my Link Directory article. In reality it is one of many fake link directory sites. That's why I recommend only those few sites. I only want to be completely honest and for Tor links, only use the first three. The second two were examples of different link directories. One of fake links and one of an entire link dump, with over 20,000 links.

If you do ever find yourself in the event of your friend asking if a link is real or not. Pay attention to a few key things. First thing you should always do, is copy and paste the website in ONION.live's verify mirrors tab, which you can find at https://onion.live/sign/key

Second if you find nothing, you'll want to take some context clues. It can be difficult to tell if a website is a scam or not, especially if it is well-designed and appears legitimate. However on the dark web this is a little easier. Markets take on a very similar approach of design. One side full of categories, an anti DDoS protection before login page, requiring a login before finally reaching the site and giving you a security phrase along with a mnemonic. And being full of reviews per different seller. A lot of scam websites on the other hand will take a more modern approach. Being less painful to get into you'll be put right into the market. Starting off you'll see something similar to a real ecommerce store that you'll find on the clearnet using shopfiy or squarespace. However this is done on purpose to put a form of familiarity into the victims mind. They see the tile like website and remember that real websites look like this so of course it'd be real right? Wrong. I remember when I was attempting to create a fake website on Tor, this was the literal exact approach I took. So, be careful.

Finally if it's a claim of a new market, copied and pasted by the template bought for $80 off something like Bohemia. You're in a bad spot. However this is an easy thing to skip past by simply asking someone in a forum, like reddit, 4chan and dread. Other than that you're kind of unfortunately out of luck. These "new market" clones are very popular however, so you can just tell your friend it's fake while you wait. In reality you should just tell your friend that they'd have better luck going onto a legitimate website instead of trying to search for it.

Another good tip would be ask where they got the link from. If they got it from a search engine, chatroom or another person. You can probably guarantee it's fake. If they got it from a link provider or directory, please ask which one. Once again if it's not from dark.fail, onion.live or tor.taxi. It's probably fake still. But it never hurts to try and check. Hell if you're in the mood you can make fun of this friend for being "new" or whatever and send him real directories or even my site. But I recommend you don't. Remember, you were once new before.

All in all, there's quite a lot of scam on the Tor browser, in fact according to my article mixed with other sources, I can estimate that only 47.05% of the darkweb is legitimate services. Then again, this could factor in only legitimate websites or hell that percentage could only be mirrors. If it's only legitimate websites I'd say around 85.55%, and if it's only mirrors 9.81% is only legitimate. Sadly it's very hard to estimate such a large number, so I'd recommend you just experience it for yourself.

Link Directories for verified tor links

Commonplace of Tor, almost the only things associated with Tor is the dark web. What is the dark web? The dark web is the supposed black market of the internet. Homeplace to several drugs, methods, fraudulent items and exit scams. Sadly though, this is only a mere spec on what the reality is. That the Tor browser is home to security. So of course cyber criminals will use markets as their stomping grounds for illicit goods.

But what are link directories? Well that one is a little less known, aside from that link directories are common place with the dark web, mainly because a lot of the link directories are filled with scams. Something I should clarify before we begin is once you are using these link directories, you'll notice that there's something known as "mirrors". What are mirrors? Mirrors are clones of the website you are attempting to view. Complete replicas, not phishing links. Phishing links are something completely different, all you should know is what mirrors are. The following blog post will contain 5 of the need to know link directories for the Tor browser.

1. dark.fail

Dark.fail is one of the most trusted link directories. It is a completely free and trusted directory, backed by the entire dark web community. Though they have been disregarded by some for simply not hosting certain v3 onion links. They are a favorite however among the rest of the community for it's insightful posting on their socials (which you should check out for all updates on dark web markets and forums) such as nitter, twitter and masodon.

Dark.fail is so trusted however that certain markets will only display their links and information through them. They've built quite the reputation over the years as not only an anonymous journalist, but also as the dark web's favorite link directory. They do have an onion link available as well which makes it even more favorable among the community.

Among all these beautiful things about dark.fail, they also have a PGP verification tool which I highly recommend you check out if you are going to commit to this sort of thing, or just in general honestly.

Overall, if you are trying to make it long term in this environment, I'd highly recommend dark.fail.

Clearnet: https://dark.fail/

Onion: https://darkfailenbsdla5mal2mxn2uz66od5vtzd5qozslagrfzachha3f3id.onion

2. ONION.live

ONION.live is another well respected onion link directory, due to it's clarity on legitimate and scam onion links. It provides the links to both services, however it very well details the facts. Each site has it's own description of itself handwritten by what I can only assume being the hosts of ONION.live. They are crystal clear in their works.

Upon loading of the site you will see many categories on display, upon clicking of a certain category you will notice that some of these names have a skull or a castle next to them. A castle would indicate that they are using anti-phishing protection. Which is highly recommended. Now if you see a skull, I would recommend you do not buy from there. You see the skull means that site is dangerous, not in the cool badass way either. You'd best stick to verified green links for websites off of ONION.live

ONION.live also provides many services including a Trust Database. In which users can look up scammer's in the database to see if there's anything about them. There's the section where you can verify mirrors of certain onion websites to verify if you're using a phishing link or a legitimate mirror. They also have a newsletter which I also think you should look into for any current or previous news about the dark web.

All in all, ONION.live is another one of the most favored in the dark web community and I'd highly recommend it to any new or current user.

Clearnet: https://onion.live/

3. tor.taxi

tor.taxi is a very popular onion directory, a lot similar to dark.fail, however they are structured very differently. Sadly I do not have too much experience with the market, but they are also a trusted source and some might even say for the deeper of users.

I would recommend this site however, being that it has been used as provider of links to many markets. Such as Bohemia market, who only trusts this, dark.fail and dread as onion directories.

Clearnet: https://tor.taxi/

Onion: http://tortaxi2dev6xjwbaydqzla77rrnth7yn2oqzjfmiuwn5h6vsk2a4syd.onion/

4. thehiddenwiki

Why am I adding the hiddenwiki? Well a lot of people are under the impression that the hiddenwiki is a legitimate source of finding links. I will be discussing thehiddenwiki and many others on my common honeypots article. However there once was a time where thehiddenwiki had a bit of reliability. However, now they are notorious for hosting scams and honeypots. I would highly recommend you do not visit this site for links, though you may look through it for a bit of personal experience for phising links.

5. danwin1210.de

danwin1210 or as I like to call it "daniel's chat" is a very prolific figure in my experiences with Tor. His site is not a primary for onion links, but it is a good bunch. A lot of the sites are scams, like. A lot. However he has a little over 200 sites he has found to be legitimate. I would still proceed with caution. This is a onion link dump, not a good way to find links. However Daniel has many other services you'd probably find worth your while.

I wanted to include this mainly because I have relied on Daniel's website for a very fucking long time. I believe a lot more people should know about his services than offered. I would love if you supported him in his efforts. He was my go to place for a while on services I didn't know much about. Like whenever I used his website to host my old tor site/sites. I miss Padrino's Domain. Anyways, here's his links and his donation address.

Clearnet: https://danwin1210.de/

Onion: http://danielas3rtn54uwmofdo3x2bsdifr47huasnmbgqzfrec5ubupvtpid.onion/

Monero: 8AJ7wCCshe6Vni5VxQqDgR9VyghZx1ZTJP2gmpEBpi8S4ZbX91eBnGkdZbR1HBgS5pNSE2D7hKyYmDFcNRv26dA71wq7wqE

BItcoin: 1Ba8AV59YtqbKBe7YMopjY9kd1e5QqKdsv

In short, there's a lot of different onion directories, however these are the most common and most trusted. I didn't include oniontree.org because it is no longer up at this time. However if you ever look up oniontree.org, you'll probably find it. I highly recommend all except thehiddenwiki.

OPSEC and PERSEC, How to stay anonymous online

OPSEC (Operations Security) and PERSEC (Personal Security) are both important factors depending on what you plan to be using them for. Today I will discuss some basic things to use for your personal life, as well as in certain scenarios.

PERSEC

One of the most important things for your daily life is your personal cyber security. A majority of peoples lives are spent online, but even if they're not, it's very important for day to day life. Most people will spend time on their phones, if not they'll be on their computers. I will be covering both of those today.

Using a VPN/Proxy/VPS

Most people shouldn't really care about the other two. But I'll cover them anyways. A VPN for day to day life is extremely important. If you're playing games online or visiting a sketchy website, it's extremely important to use a VPN. People can easily grab your IP Address, or any other personal information and find out a lot about you very quickly. To prevent this, I recommend using ProtonVPN. I've been using ProtonVPN for years now, and with their speeds, along with their ease of access and user friendly GUI, it's very easy to use in my day to day life. To sign up for ProtonVPN just visit the link below to see their prices. Don't want to spend any money? No need to, they offer a free plan for their VPN, as well as their email service. Visit https://protonvpn.com/pricing to see what it's all about.

Proxies are basically masks for your IP Address, they are usually undetected and are harder to use, however they will remain idle on your browser and depending on the provider will work fairly seamlessly. Using some form of proxy provider you can grab the proxy address and port and install it on your Firefox based browser. You can use a service like IProyal, or if you don't want to spend money every month, you can use something like https://spys.one/ with an entire database filled with free proxies. Applying the proxy with Firefox, which is something I also highly recommend for daily PERSEC, clicking on settings, searching the word "proxy", clicking Settings, then using the manual proxy settings.

VPS's are very good for PERSEC, as with a VPS, all routing goes through the VPS, instead of through some network with high traffic volumes, and slow wait times. The only downside is the price, as with a VPS, you would expect to pay around $10 a month for a VPS, which most people would have a lot of difficulty setting up due to the differences in VPS providers. And with subjects like OPSEC, it makes it a bit more difficult for users to want to use VPS instead of a proxy or VPN. But if you don't mind and are a bit more tech savvy, I'd highly recommend it.

Using a MAC Changer

MAC addresses (Media Access Control addresses) are basically the machine address for the device you're using. If you're using an iPhone, Chromebook, ASUS Computer, or an Android tablet, they all use a MAC address. Masking your MAC address is important online, as it helps prevent hackers from accessing your computer information. The main MAC Changer that most people use is TMAC (https://technitium.com/tmac/) which is very easy to use. It has the docs on the same page for more information, but basically you choose one of the listings for your traffic data, find the one that has spikes in the corner, and update it through there.

Using a DNS Switcher

DNS (Domain Name System) is another piece of data that's shared while you're online. Changing your DNS is again, really easy. I created software specifically for this, which you can find here: https://www.padrinos.blog/programs.html#dnsswitcher

Using an OS/Browser Spoofer

Using an OS/Broswer Spoofer is usually to protect your identity even more online. This one I'm pretty sure you'd get away with not using on a day to day basis, along with most of the others, but using this when visiting certain websites can be very helpful, as it masks your identity even further. For Firefox, I use (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/user-agent-string-switcher/) They're very useful, user friendly, and easy to access.

OPSEC

OPSEC is a bit different however. Most of the information from PERSEC will be useful, but there's a lot more that can be used for safety.

OS (Windows 7, Linux Distro)

Depending on what you'd use this computer for, it'd be better to use something like Windows 7, for a more friendly and convenient situation. However if you're some die hard hackerman. You'd probably want to use a Linux distro. Whichever one you use doesn't matter, as soon it'll be covered up. But finding tools for linux distros is usually easily, such as a MAC Changer, DNS Switcher, OS/Browser Spoofer, VPN service is a search away.

Virtual Box — Tails OS

This part is more important however, see with something like the main OS, it doesn't really matter. Just use some proper PERSEC and you'll be good. However more paranoid people will say otherwise. Regardless, a virtual box with Tails OS is crucial to your OPSEC. To install Tails OS onto a Virtual Machine, just do the same steps in my other article: https://medium.com/@misterfine777/what-is-tails-os-and-how-to-access-it-82f15e1ffd80 but instead of putting it into a USB, just burn it into a .iso file and import it to your Virtual Machine.

Tor Bridge

A tor bridge (Which I've also covered here: https://medium.com/@misterfine777/what-are-tor-bridges-how-can-you-access-them-4bf4b9958673 ) is a network that relays your traffic information through multiple servers for more anonymity. This part is also important, as without it, tracking the IP address used by the tor network would be fairly simple.

An OS/Browser Spoofer

This one we already covered, but it's still very important, instead of appearing as a person using the Tor Browser on Tails OS, you could appear as someone using Google Chrome on a Windows 10 Computer. In case you don't want to scroll up for 5 seconds, it's right here: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/user-agent-string-switcher/ and yes it's compatible with the Tor browser.

Phones

Phones are very important in our day to day life. It helps us with a lot of things. However if for some ungodly reason you want your cell phone to be secure, there's a couple of ways to do so. Before doing anything, factory reset the phone, remove the sim card, and turn off the wifi. Extreme note here. You DO NOT have to do this to your phone. This is only for if you want some super secure phone for whatever reason.

Make sure to have another OS prepared to install after you root your phone. Depending on what you'd need is a pretty big factor, I personally prefer linage, but once you root a phone you don't really need to change that much.

After the root however, you're going to have to change a ton of settings. Start off by figuring out how to turn on developer mode.

Remove all Google default programs (don't remove chrome yet), all the bloatware from your phone company, disable sync, turn off wifi/bluetooth scanning, tur off gps, turn of private dns, turn off forward lookup, turn off reverse lookup and people's lookup, and turn off any location tracking.

If you're paranoid and more tech savvy, look up the schematics of your phone, and try to find the Hammerhead II GPS, or whatever gps it has, and the NFC Coil. Remove both of them.

After removing everything, look up "firefox apk file" on your chrome browser, if you deleted it already (LOL?) factory reset and restart. If you can't factory reset, just link it up to your computer again to root, and then reinstall lineage OS. You're going to have to do everything again however. Anyways download the firefox apk file and remove chrome.

After that, look up "fdroid apk file" and download it. Majority of your security tools will be in there. MAC Changer, DNS Switcher, and for things like a VPN (proton (here's my affiliate code btw)) and for anything else you want, everything will be able to be downloaded if you just look up "filename apk file" on firefox. A bit tedious, but you're the one who wanted some super scary hacker phone.

If you want a phone to call from, using TextNow would help. I recommend buying the e-sim so you don't have to keep updating your phone number, preferably with some form of gift card so whoever can't just contact TextNow and find out your name and card info, otherwise just use the free version.

For some added security for the super scary hackerman, buy one of those privacy cases for the front glass of your phone.

Again, I don't recommend you do this for your personal phone literally at all. In fact it'd help if you buy an older phone instead of using the one linked to your service provider and in case you fuck up don't lose your phone and waste your money paying for your phone service.