Dark Web? Deep Web? Surface Web? What you need to know

You’ve Googled a candidate. Nothing alarming shows up. Box ticked. But most of the internet isn’t Googleable - and that is where the trouble often hides. Before we get into hiring and safeguarding blind spots, it’s important to understand the three layers of the web: the surface web, the deep web, and the dark web. Each plays a different role in how we access - or miss - critical information during recruitment. Understanding these layers is the first step in spotting what your current checks might be missing.

TL;DR

👉 The surface web is what you can Google

👉 The deep web is anything private or behind a login

👉 The dark web is anonymous, unindexed, unregulated and often risky

👉 Most hiring checks never reach past the surface web

👉 That’s a safeguarding blind spot that can now be solved
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The Internet has layers - and most checks stay in the shallow end

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⬆️ Surface Web

This is the internet most people know - websites, blogs, social media, online shops. It’s searchable on Google and doesn’t require logins or special tools. If you can find it in a browser, it’s surface web.

⬇️ Deep Web

This layer sits below the surface - and it’s not dodgy. It includes anything behind a login or firewall: your organisation’s HR platforms, email inboxes, private databases. You need credentials to access it. Search engines can’t see it, but it’s where most of your daily online work actually happens.

⬇️⬇️ Dark Web

This is a deliberately hidden part of the internet that requires specialist software like Tor (The Onion Router) to access. It’s anonymous by design - and often unsafe by default. While it has some legitimate uses (like whistleblower platforms), much of the dark web hosts criminal content: illegal marketplaces, stolen data, hacking services, and forums linked to child sexual exploitation, extremism, and fraud. Over 60% of sites there are involved in illegal activity.

It's not a place casual users should ever explore - and it's almost always out of reach for most organisations, particularly schools, doing background checks.

More reading:

🔗 Origin story of the dark web

Why this matters for schools and other regulated sectors

DBS checks (criminal record checks) are essential. References are helpful. But none of them account for the online dimension of someone’s behaviour - particularly the hidden parts.

We’ve seen how people can present professionally, pass background checks, and still have active involvement in online spaces that pose reputational and safeguarding risks.

In schools, the consequences are serious. We’re talking about protecting pupils, staff, and your community’s trust.

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A Google search isn’t enough

When HR teams run an online search, it’s usually a quick Google of the candidate’s name, maybe some social media browsing. If nothing comes up, the process moves on.

In reality, the most serious risks often exist in areas that aren’t indexed or visible - forums, encrypted networks, pseudonymous accounts.

That doesn’t mean every online trace is a red flag. But it does mean schools, or any organisation, should be aware that standard searches leave a lot unseen.

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What Safehire.ai does differently

Safehire uses ethical, compliant methods to help schools and other regulated businesses see more of the online picture. We apply open-source intelligence techniques to identify potential risk signals that traditional checks can’t surface.

No surveillance. No fishing expeditions. Just responsible, relevant insights - with clarity and context.

Our goal is simple: help the world make faster, smarter, safer recruiting decisions with AI-driven, human-validated dark web insights.

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Stop Looking in the Shallow End

If you’re only checking what’s on the surface web, you’re missing most of what’s online.

You don’t need to become cybersecurity experts. But you do need tools that help you see beyond the obvious. Because when it comes to safeguarding, what you don’t know really can hurt you.

If you're in a regulated sector such as education, ask your screening provider:

👉 “Do you check the dark web?”

If not, check out Safehire.ai. First search is free and annual plans have searches starting from £30.
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Sign up here.

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