After six years of running Dark Web Academy on Thinkific, I hit a wall. The platform was solid for getting started, but it couldn't do what I actually needed. No Tor support. Limited customization. Third-party trackers everywhere. And worst of all? No way to build the interactive labs that actually teach cybersecurity.
So I did what any reasonable person would do. I burned it down and rebuilt the entire thing from scratch.
Here's what changed.
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## Why I Left Thinkific
Don't get me wrong, Thinkific is great if you're selling yoga courses or marketing tutorials. But for a cybersecurity education platform focused on privacy and the dark web? It was fighting me at every turn.
How could I create something great but not put it on Tor? And not offer labs? Also Thinkific comes slammed with tracking, cookies, analytics, things that aren't about privacy. I needed a platform that practiced what I preached. So I built one.
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## Tor-Friendly by Design
If you're teaching people about the dark web and privacy, your platform better be accessible over Tor. That was something I kick myself for not having for so long.
**So what did I build?:*
- .onion address for full Tor access
- Optimized for Tor Browser's security settings
- Works perfectly with JavaScript disabled (for the most part, some features are really hard to offer well without JS. Especially the labs portion. But the Javascript there is tries to be as limited as possible.)
- No tracking scripts or third-party analytics. Except Plausible which provided anonymous GDPR compliant solutions. I still think its good to see what you guys like and are viewing so I can do more of it.
You can now access every course, every lab, and every resource directly through Tor. The way it should have been from day one.
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## Custom Tails Labs (This is the Big One)
Here's where things get interesting. Reading about cybersecurity is one thing. Actually doing it? That's where real learning happens.
I built completely custom virtual labs that run Tails OS. Students can spin up a full Tails environment, experiment with tools, practice OPSEC, and learn by doing. All from their browser.
This was the hardest part of the rebuild and will continue to improve over time. If you sign up for this that confirms to me you like this and more dev time will go there.
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## Security Upgrades
Security is important, right? Well I tend to think so. So I did a nice refresh of the site and what it offers.
**What I added:**
**Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)**
- TOTP-based (works with any authenticator app)
- Optional but highly recommended.
**Account Security**
- Passkey support (Coming soon but it IS coming)
- Limited backend tracking.
- Account deletion requests (GDPR compliant)
**Backend Hardening**
- Rate limiting on all endpoints
- SQL injection protection
- XSS prevention
- CSRF tokens on every form
- Constant security audits
Does this mean I am hack proof? HAH. No shot. But it is far better than it was.
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## No More Tracking Nonsense
The old site had Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, Hotjar, and a bunch of other trackers I didn't want but they came with Thinkific by default.
The new site? Zero third-party trackers.
**What I use instead:**
- Self-hosted analytics (Plausible)
- No cookies unless you log in
- No IP logging in analytics
- No user behavior tracking
- No data sold to anyone, ever
If you're teaching privacy, you can't simultaneously be harvesting user data. It's that simple.
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## New Features You'll Actually Use
Beyond the core rebuild, I added a bunch of quality-of-life improvements:
Lesson Comments
- Built-in.
- Give immediate feedback, see what others are saying.
**Progress Tracking**
- See exactly where you are in each course
- Resume where you left off
**Dark Mode (Obviously)**
- Default is dark and muted.
**Mobile Friendly**
- Fully responsive design
- Works on tablets and phones
- Touch-optimized lab interfaces
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## What This Means for Current Students
If you had an account on the old platform, here's what happens:
**Migration:**
- I'm manually migrating all paid accounts
- Your progress is preserved
- Email me if you have issues
**New Features:**
- Everyone gets access to the new platform
- Old subscribers get grandfathered pricing
- Labs are included in existing Pro plans
**Support:**
- The old site stays up for 60 days
- You have time to export your certificates
- Full support during the transition
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## What's Next
This rebuild isn't the end. It's the foundation for what I actually want to build.
**Coming Soon:**
- More lab scenarios (penetration testing, OSINT, malware analysis)
- Live hacking challenges with leaderboards
- Guest instructor courses
- Student project showcase
- Certification program with industry recognition
The goal was never just to have another course platform. It was to build the best place to learn about cybersecurity, privacy, and the dark web. A place that actually respects your privacy while teaching you how to protect it.
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## Try It Yourself
The new Dark Web Academy is live right now. If you've been thinking about learning cybersecurity, this is the time.
Check it out at **darkwebacademy.com** or access directly through Tor at our .onion address (listed on the main site).
Start with the free tier. Try a lab. See if it's for you.
And if you're a current student, welcome to the new platform. I think you're going to like it here.
**Let's build something better.**