Tor – complete online anonymity network

Tor…. what is it actually..??

Tor (onion router)  is free software and an open network that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security by creating online anonymity

Why it’s important to create anonymity online..??

It’s not a secret that everything on the Internet is essentially available to the public, and that most certainly does not exclude your personal information. By merely visiting a slew of websites, you leave digital footprints that can easily be traced by anyone watching, especially those who only have malicious intents with your online identity and presence. Tor takes the ease by which these cyber hoodlums operate and complicates the process, giving you back some control over the data you produce. Just like in real life, everyone connected to the World Wide Web deserves to enjoy a part of their experience online free from prying eyes.

How does it works..??

Tor aims to conceal its users’ identities and their online activity from surveillance and traffic analysis by separating identification and routing. It is an implementation of  onion routing , which encrypts and then randomly bounces communications through a network of relays run by volunteers around the globe. These onion routers employ encryption in a multi-layered manner (hence the onion metaphor) to ensure perfect forward secrecy between relays, thereby providing users with anonymity in network location

onion-network

Who uses Tor..??

First and foremost, the utility isn’t exclusively for cyber criminals. Tor is for everyone who is concerned about privacy. For starters, many Tor users fear their browsing history is possibly being logged. Many sites, including Facebook, sell your browsing history to advertisers. It’s likely those ads on the sides of your social network and email accounts are the product of third-parties buying and analyzing your browsing history without your approval.

So, to maintain online anonymity Tor browser is one of the best solution.

The easiest way to use Tor is the Tor browser bundle. The preconfigured Mozilla Firefox browser is easily downloaded from Tor’s official site. Once downloaded, a message will appear that asks if you’d like to connect or configure your browser. In most cases, you can simply connect. However, you should configure your browser if it’s possible that your connection is censored, filtered, or proxied. It’s also worth noting that Tor may violate internet browsing policies at work or over other public networks.

tor screenshot

Cons:-

Aside from the risk of being targeted by the NSA and other Security Administrations, Tor does come with some drawbacks. Tor will make your Internet connection slower, because it has to go through a bunch of relays to mask your location.

To learn more about Tor visit:-https://www.torproject.org