Hacker explains the scariest thing he's seen online after working for 30 years

An experienced hacker has revealed the scariest things he saw while venturing across the dark web.

Luckily, 99 percent of internet users will not go beyond the 'surface web' when they're surfing or scrolling on social media.

Think Google, TikTok, or even YouTube - this is all known as a safe space and therefore the surface web.

But deep down, in the underbelly of the online world, is something called the 'dark (or deep) web', a part of the internet that cannot be found on search engines.

It usually requires passwords or paywalls to access, in fact, these webpages need particular browsers in order to access them, to maintain encryption and anonymity.

The dark web is where a lot of disturbing videos, pictures, media and content is hidden, which can disturb even the bravest internet users.

The hacker said that some have been charged millions to get their data back (Getty Stock Image)

An anonymous hacker spoke to Vice in 2021, saying that he has become a 'white hat' over the years, as he uses his hacking expertise for good and finds weak spots in security software, warning people that they could and should be safer.

He has warned to look out for ransomware attacks, which is when criminals use malware to infiltrate someone's computer system, encrypting their data and charging them money before they can access their files again.

The hacker explained that 'black hat' hackers don't follow any code of ethics, even admitting that he too was one himself, despite describing them as 'destructive'.

He claimed that they 'want tot see the world burn', explaining that he has even witnessed ransomware attacks on hospitals, targeting patient data.

"I've watched hospitals get encrypted and people are left with a choice: do I pay to decrypt the data or do I risk lives?" he asked.

The hacker went on: "Back when it started ransomware was charging hundreds of dollars, maybe thousands of dollars for individual targets."

The hacker said he witnessed attacks on hospital data (Getty Stock Image)

He admitted: "The bigger payouts that we're talking about now are easily into the tens of millions.

"This last, most recent attack, they offered $70 million dollars for the campaign key, which is the key that would have unlocked every single computer encrypted during that attack. So we're talking high-stakes games here."

The anonymous hacker isn't alone though, as a well-known hacker in Ryan Montgomery revealed that his experience of the dark web was awful, as he witnessed 'horrible' sites that 'do horrible things'.

He explained: "There’s counterfeit money, there’s fake IDs, there all kinds of different websites that do horrible things."

Montogomery said he would have to venture onto the dark web sometimes to hunt down ''predators and paedophiles', while others even advertise 'murder for hire' businesses.

This would involve people offering Bitcoin rewards for those looking to take out individuals who they want dead.

But in several cases, 'hitmen' are trying to scam people into paying them the cryptocurrency.