This expression is often used briefly, without really explaining it. The adjective “obscure” doesn’t refer to any particularly sinister atmosphere, but rather to the technical invisibility of the sites encompassed by this term.
Imagine the internet as a large iceberg. The tip that’s visible is made up of all the websites you know (Google, Facebook, La Presse, etc. ). The hidden web consists of sites inaccessible to traditional search engines.
In fact, you won’t access it by chance or mistake using Chrome or Safari. You need to use a specialized browser, like Tor, which encrypts communications and masks users’ identities by bouncing the connection around the world.
This total anonymity adds to the obscurity of this constellation of websites. While it is indeed fertile ground for criminal activity, it is also, paradoxically, a vital refuge for political opponents, certain groups of cybercriminals who do not necessarily all have malicious intentions, and journalists in countries under dictatorships.
How can we ensure that password management applications are reliable? Should we trust these applications to generate a strong password?
Entrusting your digital keys to a single software program requires a significant leap of faith. Despite this, it’s the safest choice you can make… until password authentication is phased out.
The reliability of reputable applications (like 1Password , Bitwarden , or Dashlane ) relies on a “zero-knowledge” architecture. Your data is encrypted on your device before being sent to their servers. In practical terms, even if the company were hacked, no one could read your data, because you alone possess the decryption key.
As for password generation, the answer is a resounding yes. The human brain is terrible at creating randomness. Annual surveys on the subject consistently confirm this: we far too often rely on predictable patterns. Software generates essentially unbreakable strings of characters.
Your only duty is to memorize a single complex passphrase, your “master password”, to protect everything.
Can Microsoft unilaterally close my OneDrive account on the grounds that I don’t use it enough and haven’t purchased additional storage space?
Seeing your digital memories disappear is a nightmare for anyone. And indeed, Microsoft reserves the right to close accounts, but not for reasons as arbitrary as you might fear.
It’s not the refusal to pay, but prolonged inactivity or exceeding storage quotas that ultimately causes problems. According to Microsoft’s current policies, if you don’t use your OneDrive account for two years, or if you exceed your free storage limit (usually 5 GB) for more than 12 months, Microsoft can indeed delete its contents.
This will never happen unexpectedly, though. Microsoft will send you repeated email warnings before taking action. For peace of mind, the solution is simple: log in to your OneDrive account (on your PC or mobile device) at least once a year. This small sign of activity will be enough to confirm that you are still active on the account.