The Deep Web: Into the Deep End of the Dark Side of the Web

Thursday, April 30, 2015 by Thought Leadership Team

Deep Web. Hidden Web. Invisible Web. These are names for the underbelly of the Internet that most of us know nothing about. If you’re in that camp, below you will find a few deep Web facts that every legal professional should consider as the lines between security, privacy, data breach, fraud, computer forensics and ediscovery blur.

9 Deep Web Facts

  1. Underneath the World Wide Web lies a whole other Internet where sites are hidden unless you know how to use them and exactly what to look for.
  2. This underside of the web is known as the deep Web, and it contains many, many layers of content. (See an infographic explaining the layers of the deep Web.)
  3. Ninety-nine percent of all the data on the Internet is stored in the deep Web.
  4. The deep Web is a place on the Internet where search engines have not indexed the information.
  5. The deep Web is “invisible” to the mainstream public – especially sites behind private networks, archived sites or standalone pages that connect to nothing at all.
  6. The vast majority of the deep Web holds pages with valuable information – databases, internal corporate websites, government documents, academic journals, etc.
  7. Some parts of the deep Web are associated with illegal or black market transactions – drugs, fake identifications, stolen credit card numbers, counterfeit cash and weapons.
  8. The anonymous nature of the deep Web makes it a breeding ground for unconventional conduct, such as: geeky or esoteric forums, information sharing in censored or turbulent political environments and leakages of confidential documents by whistleblowers or intellectual property (IP) thieves.
  9. The deep Web holds future potential as a place to securely communicate, especially for individuals deeply concerned about privacy or security.

What do the Impacts of the Deep Web mean for Lawyers?

One of my Kroll Ontrack colleagues, Michele Lange, recently sat down with Inside Counsel to explain the deep Web and when it can be a valuable source of evidence in litigation. To learn more about the deep Web, read Michele’s full Inside Counsel interview, “The source that ESI lawyers need to stop overlooking.”