###### Abstract  
The World Wide Web (www) consists of the surface web, deep web, and Dark Web, depending on the content shared and the access to these network layers. Dark Web consists of the Dark Net overlay of networks that can be accessed through specific software and authorization schema. Dark Net has become a growing community where users focus on keeping their identities, personal information, and locations secret due to the diverse population base and well-known cyber threats. Furthermore, not much is known of Dark Net from the user perspective, where often there is a misunderstanding of the usage strategies. To understand this further, we conducted a systematic analysis of research relating to Dark Net privacy and security on \(N=200\) academic papers, where we also explored the user side. An evaluation of secure end-user experience on the Dark Net establishes the motives of account initialization in overlaid networks such as Tor. This work delves into the evolution of Dark Net intelligence for improved cybercrime strategies across jurisdictions. The evaluation of the developing network infrastructure of the Dark Net raises meaningful questions on how to resolve the issue of increasing criminal activity on the Dark Web. We further examine the security features afforded to users, motives, and anonymity revocation. We also evaluate more closely nine user-study-focused papers revealing the importance of conducting more research in this area. Our detailed systematic review of Dark Net security clearly shows the apparent research gaps, especially in the user-focused studies emphasized in the paper. draft: systematic literature review; user studies; user perception; security and privacy 2022202202220  
Furthermore, these networks can only be accessed with specific software, configurations, and authorizations, thus making it difficult for anyone to monitor or track users on the Dark Net. In this way, Dark Net provides a haven for users that want to maintain privacy in their online activities [6]. Although the general media often view Dark Net as a source of malicious activities and a platform full of threat actors and ill-disposed hackers, the reality is more nuanced [4]. [PERSON] et al. concur that Dark Net is also a source of new information and a meeting ground for journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, whistleblowers, as well as scholars [7]. With ever-growing users and content on the Dark Net, it is imperative to understand the security and privacy threats that users might face while interacting within the Dark Net. It is also critical to note that Dark Net can be accessed through specific software and tools such as Tor, a browser implementing onion routing and bounces communication over a network of relays run by volunteers to allow access to the Dark Net. Subsequently, due to the network structure of Tor, it provides some level of anonymity for the users. According to [PERSON] et al., in January of 2018, there were an estimated 4,000,000 users on Tor visiting the Dark Net [6]. Creating a platform for anonymity undeniably attracts malicious actors to the surface of the Dark Net. Unfortunately, however, various users utilize the Dark Net, which includes:  
* Users intend to conceal web browsing to circumvent internet-activity monitoring by local ISPs (Internet Service Providers) or law-enforcing government agencies. These users can include people from legitimate backgrounds such as journalists or whistle blowers [6,8]. However, these users can also include criminals who intentionally use these services to conceal their identities. It is challenging to provide selective anonymity without compromising on the anonymity network in the first place, making other legitimate users vulnerable to the system. * Users seek encrypted communication with an immediate network, concealing logs of chat or instant messages being documented on a database. These users might need the protected network not only for anonymous communication but also for financial transactions.