European Countries Are the MOST Interested in the Dark Web, Study Finds

The US also features among the countries with the biggest interest in the dark.

Many of us immediately associate the "The Dark Web" with criminal behaviour due to its reputation for suspicious activity and illegal content. From fake passports to stolen data, rumours continue to swirl online about what can truly be accessed on this mysterious area of the internet.

Although the vast majority of people would never intend on visiting the site, for some the dark web is more than just a curiosity; it is something they want to experience for themselves. In fact, it has been reported that 2.5 million users access underground sites every day.

But which country is the most interested in the dark web?

To answer this question, SEO service provider Reboot, used the online analytics tool ads.google.com to discover the number of Google searches in relation to the dark web for each country and thus determine which country has the biggest interest in the dark web. Only search results over 1,000 were considered, giving a list of 33 countries.

It turns out Greece is the country most interested in the dark web. It has the most amount of monthly Google searches in relation to the dark web from Jan 2022-Dec 2022.

Greece is the Country MOST Interested in the Dark Web

The study can reveal that Greece is the country most interested in the dark web as of 2023, scoring 97.1/100 for dark web interest. There were a total of 202,920 online searches last year, with 2,561 of those internet users searching for the dark web in Greece.

Ranking second is Croatia, with a dark web interest score of 94.1. Dark web crimes in Croatia have increased by 31% in recent years, and there were a total of 58,440 online searches in 2022 - with 2,079 internet users in Croatia looking up the dark web throughout 2022.

Albania ranks third, with 1,818 internet users looking up the dark web, giving the country a dark web interest score of 91.2. There were a total of 38,280 searches for dark web-related queries in 2022.

Fourth place is taken by the Czech Republic, with a dark web interest score of 88.2. There has been a total of 150,840 searches for dark web-related terms throughout the last year, equating to around 1,805 internet users searching for the term.

The US and UK also feature among the top countries with the biggest interest in the dark web in 2023, ranking at number 11 and 13 respectively. Russia and Ukraine were omitted from the study.

Rank

Country

Searches per

100,000 users

Dark web interest

score (/100)

Greece

2,561

97.1

Croatia

2,079

94.1

Albania

1,818

91.2

Czech Republic

1,805

88.2

Hungary

1,652

85.3

Netherlands

1,605

82.4

Slovakia

1,541

79.4

Ireland

1,515

76.5

Romania

1,489

73.5

Portugal

1,379

70.6

United States

1,357

67.6

Sweden

1,355

64.7

United Kingdom

1,350

61.8

Estonia

1,342

58.8

Belgium

1,302

55.9

^{*The total search volume data was then weighed against the number of internet users in each country to determine the number of searches per internet user, yielding an overall index score of 100.}

Tips On Keeping Your Data Safe

In light of the significant interest in "The Dark Web" around the world, and its association with criminal behavior, suspicious activity, and illegal content, it’s important to protect your data from cybercriminals that may be active on "The Dark Web."

Some expert tips you can use to keep your data safe include:

1. Use a VPN

A VPN can protect your online activity from corporations, governments, and other prying eyes. By connecting to an external server and adopting its IP address, you can appear to be in the same country as the server you are using.

For example, if you are in America and connected to a server in the United Kingdom, the website will believe you are in the United Kingdom.

Although a VPN doesn’t make your online activities impossible to track, having that extra layer of protection gives you the best chance of keeping your data safe.

2. Use a free dark web scan

If you suspect that one of your accounts, whether personal, email, or bank, has been compromised, one of the first things you should do is run a free dark web scan. A dark web scan will search the dark web for your personal information among all stolen data lists.

A web scan will not reveal the entire amount of stolen information on the dark web, but it will notify you immediately if any of your information is discovered.

3. Use a password manager

Another way to give yourself the best possible chance of protecting your personal information is to change your passwords and use a password manager.

Many of us are guilty of using the same password for all of our accounts, but this can lead to your information being more easily accessed.

Your passwords for online accounts should all be different, strong, and one-of-a-kind. Your Instagram password, for example, should not be the same as your Amazon or online banking password. Using a password manager is a simple way to avoid this.

Password managers generate secure passwords for you, so you never have to worry about forgetting another password again.

4. Enable two-factor authentication

One of the best ways you can try to protect your online accounts from the dark web is to use two-factor authentication.

A second authentication step makes it much more difficult for a hacker to gain access to your accounts because it combines two factors as a way of confirming authorization, either your username or password and then your phone number or possibly something physical like a fingerprint.

If your username or email address has been compromised, this additional layer of security will protect you even further].

5. Close accounts and report evidence of identity theft

Identity theft is one of the most common crimes in the world, with an increasing number of victims each year. It is critical to act quickly if you notice any suspicious transactions on your financial statements or if you receive an email about a login attempt that was not made by you. By closing your account, reporting it to your bank, as well as filing an identity theft report with your relevant governmental authority you can prevent further financial harm.

In Conclusion

While there is no single solution to data security, true security comes from a combination of the right software tools, increasing your knowledge of cyber threats, and establishing safe online practices. Hackers are constantly devising new and innovative methods of gaining access to your data, which can then be uploaded to the dark web and sold.