April 8, 2020
Dark Web
Deep Web
FBI
Internet Security
Online Safety
TAILS
The Onion Router
Howdy. I’m Stephen Talik, a native Texan born in College Station, and an Eagle Scout. I find history – especially the World Wars, Cold War, and the espionage world – fascinating. I also enjoy learning about the newest and coolest gadgets for technological use and internet security, and watching sports. I have also interned in the Washington D.C. office of a member of Congress, and I am a Political Science Senior at St. Mary’s University.
Author Portfolio PageLindsey Ogle
I had never heard about the Harvard bombing or anything about TOR until I read this article. It is crazy how someone would do all of this just to get out of finals! It was definitely an informative piece that explains what TOR is and all of the outcomes of using it. I knew the dark web was a big and unknown place but I never knew that the government and the FBI also knew about it too and had the tools to be able to get passed all that stuff that comes with the dark web and still track down people.
23/08/2020
2:34 pm
Elijiah Logan
While I have heard about the Harvard bomb threat, this seemingly accessible service named Tor seems highly suspicious after reading your article. With your article is highly informative, there are still so many unknowns. For example, what if Tor is allowed simply due to the easy accessibility agencies like the FBI have to it. It makes you wonder just how safe browsing on the Deep Web truly is. Overall, I think the way you explained Tor and the history of it was very well done. It is perfect for a reader like myself who has never heard of it, to be exponentially informed.
23/08/2020
2:34 pm
Samson Pullattu
I had always thought that anyone who needed to use a VPN or any other means to hide themselves while on the internet is probably doing illicit things, but reading this article has shown me that there are people around the world who need these “alternate pathways” when there lives could be in danger if anyone found out their intentions.
30/08/2020
2:34 pm
Jakob Trevino
The complexities of the deep web are hysterical to me. I cannot fathom the kinds of things that happen in this type of server that allows for child pornography, assassinations, murders, and much more obscene material. I have had prior knowledge of the dark web, but have never heard of Tor, nor the deeper understanding of what the dark web is and how to access it. The fact that this guy made a bomb threat to miss exams almost seems oblivious, and I would not trust him especially if he has that kind of access to the dark web.
05/09/2020
2:34 pm
Pedro Lugo Borges
okay so it was really interesting how the government decided to drop the case on a pedophile and someone who had shared child pornography rather than show how they were able to invade a presumably uncrackable cloaking Program. This later made a-lot more sense when u realize one of tor biggest user and backer is the us government making me think tor is more like a trap for the so all wanna be criminal but more likely a way for the us government to do shady things without public scrutiny. it really scary to realize the level the government goes to hide and gain information without the public even knowing. You hear scrutiny over Chinese internet regulators but then you realize that in the us we still have such regulator just in different way like moderators on social media that target and hiding certain polarizing political rhetoric while pushing the other polarizing view onto its users, or the government using the patriot act to ever increase the reach that the government is able to enter into our personal and private life.
06/09/2020
2:34 pm
Elizabeth Santos
I appreciate how the article is so informative and really paints a picture with the examples and graphics. It’s crazy to me how Tor is used and supported by government agencies, and how they lurk among all the other users that may be selling on the black market or leaking significant information. It’s also scary how the U.S. works with this and their security alliance, and I can only imagine the corruption that may be taking place. More people should know about this, although I can already hear many providing excuses for the sake of “security”.
13/09/2020
2:34 pm
Vianka Medina
I had never heard of Tor, like I knew of the deep and dark web but never Tor. I am not surprised the FBI decided to drop all charges honestly, we only know a fraction of what the government knows and tells us. It’s honestly scary knowing the government is behind everything we do, especially when we think we have “privacy.” This was pretty interesting to read, makes me feel like I’m in a Mission Impossible movie.
13/09/2020
2:34 pm
Kayla Mendez
I find it mind-boggling that the public typically uses only 10% of the internet, meaning there’s a whole other side of the internet unknown to us. Although I understand the position of the FBI, in the case against the pedophile, it shocked me how easy of a decision it was, to drop all charged instead of revealing their methods. When the article explained how the government is so heavily involved in TOR, it made sense. This article just reiterated the type of culture we live in today, nothing is truly private anymore, for our information/movement can be found anywhere through the internet.
18/09/2020
2:34 pm
Micheal Baladez
Being a person who grew up on the internet, I knew about the deep web, onion browser, and Tor for an incredibly long time. However, I found it incredibly interesting that the government decided to drop the case on an individual charged with the possession and distribution of child pornography. However, this action made a lot of sense when one realizes that the single biggest user base for Tor and the Onion Browser is the United States government; being primarily used to find websites showing less then savory content. Yet, if the government had decided to go after the alleged pedophile, it would demonstrate to all of the hackers and such that their presumably untraceable browser could actually be cracked in to. all things considered, it is rather disturbing to think about how much governments could invade our private lives and gather information on us. Incredible article overall, would definitely read again!
27/09/2020
2:34 pm
Sophia Rodriguez
This article is really interesting. I had heard of Eldo Kim using Tor for his bomb threat, however I never knew as much information as I learned from your article. I agree that Tor is not a bad thing, but people could turn it into something bad. I like how you wrote some of the ways you could help protect your identity by using the VPN and TAILS. Overall I loved this article and I was really happy to learn more information about Tor.
22/08/2020
2:34 pm