Q&A: What is the dark web and why do criminals use it?

The dark web is not the internet you or I use every day

The main reason someone would access the dark web would be to make use of the extreme privacy and anonymity it provides. How this anonymity is used is a different matter. File Picture: iStock

The Government and the HSE have confirmed that, as a result of the ransomware cyberattack on the health service last week, sensitive patient data stolen by cybercriminals will likely appear on the dark web from today on.

But what exactly is the dark web, and why do cybercriminals use it?