The dark web is surging in popularity, with the number of daily users reaching over 3 million by March 2025, a study has found.
Panda Security conducted an analysis showing that around 60% of dark web domains host illegal content, with over 30% of traffic coming from the US (17.6%) and Germany (13.5%) alone. The UK makes up a relatively small proportion of traffic at just under 3%.
The dark web is a concealed segment of the internet that is inaccessible through standard search engines and browsers. To access it, users need to download a modified version of Firefox known as the Tor Browser and can access websites through specialised .onion links. It uses encryption and rerouting techniques to make it much more difficult to trace the location of users on the network.
While it hosts some legitimate content, a significant portion is dedicated to illicit activities, including the trade of stolen data, cyber-attack tools and marketplaces used for drugs or other banned services.
While the dark...