What is Tor?
Tor is an anonymous browser that encrypts user data and allows them to maintain the confidentiality of their personal information while visiting websites. The system is supported by volunteers from all over the world, which prevents external observers from learning about the visited sites and the actions that the user took there. The browser is actively used by a variety of people, from journalists and bloggers to employees of large corporations and military personnel.
The TOR browser can be downloaded for free on a computer or mobile device based on Android.
How does the Tor browser work?
Tor changes the chain of requests when connecting to any site. A regular web browser connects to the server directly via an IP address. The latter is present in all devices and can be tracked to a specific street location. Even if the request passes through several other nodes during the connection, the user's IP address will remain "transparent."
Tor changes this system. The first request is received by the entry node, which is also the guard node. Then it passes through the middle node and goes to the exit node, which then connects to the site. Only the exit node knows the user's IP address and the IP address of the site. Additionally, the information is encrypted separately each time the request passes through a node. This creates a "multi-layer" encryption mechanism. As a result, the browser helps to gain access to sites that have been blocked by the government or have limited connections to users from other regions.
Tor does not provide complete anonymity since the exit node receives the user's IP address. Often, these nodes are controlled by law enforcement agencies to catch cybercriminals. However, using VPN over Tor allows even the exit node to be deceived.
Features
Among the main functions are:
- "Onion routing" - encryption in 2-3 stages that prevents the site from obtaining data on location, device type, browser used, and operating system;
- access to .onion - these are sites within the Tor internal network, also often referred to as Darkweb;
- isolation from the site - absence of ads and banners, even the most cunning technologies cannot track the places of clicks and user "attention";
- after the end of the session, the history and received cookies will be completely deleted.
Pros:
- multiple layers of encryption;
- multilevel security;
- easy installation;
- user-friendly interface, support for plugins and modules for fine-tuning;
- can work with different programs.
Cons:
- low speed;
- many sites block the connection through Tor.
You can download the latest version of the Tor browser 2024 from the official website below.
