What is Tor Browser?
Tor Browser, short for “The Onion Router” Browser, is a web browser that prioritizes user privacy and anonymity while surfing the internet. It relies on onion routing technology.
Tor routes internet traffic through a global network of volunteer-operated servers (relays) to obscure the user’s geographical location and the specifics of their online interactions.
Tor Browser - The Basics
Who uses Tor, and Why?
Tor attracts users from diverse backgrounds, driven by a shared desire for heightened online security and privacy. Here are the primary categories of Tor Browser users:
Privacy Enthusiasts: The largest group comprises individuals seeking to browse the web without the prying eyes of ISPs, advertisers, or data-hungry businesses.
Anti-Surveillance Advocates: Journalists and human rights activists, operating in regions plagued by oppressive regimes, turn to Tor Browser to shield themselves.
Military Personnel: Specific branches of the U.S. military, such as the Navy, recognize the value of Tor for safeguarding online communications and sensitive information.
Dark Web Users: While not condoned, a subset of users ventures into the dark web for various purposes, including exchanging information or offering services.
Despite its many legitimate uses, it’s important to note that Tor Browser can also be misused for illegal activities. While it is legal in most parts of the world, some countries, like China, ban it outright, while others, such as Russia or Iran, impose restrictions.
However, for law-abiding individuals, Tor Browser remains a valuable tool.
How Secure is Tor Browser?
Security and Tor Browser: Unveiling the Layers of Protection
When it comes to security and privacy, Tor Browser is a robust choice, offering unparalleled anonymity for your online activities. Here’s an overview of its features:
Privacy and Anonymity: Tor Browser excels in providing top-tier anonymity. While it’s not flawless, it adds a substantial layer of security to your everyday browsing, shielding you from surveillance and tracking by ISPs, advertisers, and data-hungry entities.
Safety for Regular Browsing: Tor Browser is an excellent choice for ordinary web browsing, ensuring your data remains private and your online interactions stay secure.
Limitations and Considerations: It’s crucial to recognize that Tor Browser isn’t a foolproof shield. Its security measures are not 100% infallible, particularly when used to access illicit marketplaces or message boards on the dark web.
Minimizing Risk: To enhance your security while using Tor Browser, we’ll provide you with valuable recommendations shortly. However, here’s a fundamental tip: consider using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) in tandem with Tor Browser.
How Much Does Tor Browser Cost?
Tor Browser comes with a distinct advantage – it doesn’t cost you a dime. Managed by The Tor Project as an open-source endeavor, Tor Browser is freely available for all users.
How do I Access Tor in NZ?
Simple! Begin by visiting the Tor Project’s website and tapping the “Download Tor Browser” button located in the upper right corner.
Click the “Download for Windows” button, or preferred operating system. In this example Cryptocurrency NZ will go over the Windows Method. 
After downloading, initiate the installation process by double-clicking the downloaded .exe file.
Select your preferred language and click “OK.”
Adhere to the installation prompts provided.
Upon completion of the installation, click “Finish.” You’re all set!
How to Use Tor Browser
Utilizing Tor Browser is a relatively uncomplicated process. In fact, it’s simpler to initiate Tor Browser than to articulate the steps required!
To commence, activate Tor Browser by selecting the “Start Tor Browser.“
Upon doing so, Tor Browser’s configuration window will appear, click “Connect.”
The Tor Browser homepage will emerge in a new window, making it good to go!
Where to Start?
If you’re feeling unsure about how to embark on your journey into the depths of the dark web, don’t worry; it’s a common sentiment. The dark web operates by different rules, where sites deliberately evade indexing, and conventional URLs are non-existent.
To navigate this uncharted territory, you’ll want to begin by uncovering initial access points within the Tor network, often referred to as “onionland.”
Using Tor Browser - Safety Tips
Although Tor Browser provides an additional layer of security for your online activities, it is not completely foolproof. Therefore, here are some fundamental suggestions to assist you in maintaining safety, security, privacy, and legal compliance while using Tor Browser.
Keep Your Personal Information to Yourself
To safeguard your anonymity, refrain from using your genuine email address, social media profiles, or any platform that demands your personal information.
Although the Tor Browser enables anonymous browsing, disclosing your personal details on websites can potentially negate its effectiveness.
For those venturing into the dark web and seeking to evade traceability of their Tor activities, establishing a virtual persona entirely distinct from you is essential.
Consider Using Linux instead of Windows
Numerous specialists recommend steering clear of Windows when it comes to Tor browsing because it boasts the highest count of vulnerabilities and software flaws. These vulnerabilities can be exploited to introduce malicious code into your system.
Enhanced security can be achieved by running Tor Browser on a Linux operating system.
Stay Up To Date
Ensuring your Tor Browser client, Tor-secured applications, and other systems are kept up to date will protect you from the most recently discovered vulnerabilities.
Tor Browser Privacy and Security Details
How Can Tor Browser Be Traced?
As previously mentioned, Tor Browser employs “onion routing” to safeguard your internet traffic and conceal your identity and location. Nevertheless, it does have certain vulnerabilities, and it cannot provide complete security.
One of its weaknesses stems from the fact that each server, essentially serving as an additional relay in the Tor network, is managed by volunteers. Consequently, users cannot have absolute confidence in the security of every relay through which their data passes.
This is generally acceptable since encryption ensures that each relay server only knows the locations of the preceding and succeeding nodes. However, the exit node eliminates the final layer of encryption, gaining access to the user’s original destination.
As a result, in theory, it is indeed possible for a server operating as an exit node within the Tor network to potentially trace your location and identity.
Furthermore, Tor Browser is susceptible to various potential hacker attacks, similar to other web browsers. To mitigate these risks, it is crucial to adhere to the security tips.
What Security levels Are Built into Tor?
You have various options available to disable specific web functions that could jeopardize your security and anonymity, providing you with greater control over your online privacy.
By adjusting the settings in Tor Browser’s Security Levels, you can achieve this level of control. However, it’s important to note that increasing Tor Browser’s security levels may lead to certain web pages encountering functionality issues.
Security Settings
To access the security settings, click on the shield icon located alongside the URL bar, and subsequently, select the option for Advanced Security Settings.
Security Levels
Standard:
All Tor Browser and website functionalities are active.
Safer:
This setting deactivates website features often deemed risky, resulting in reduced functionality for certain websites.
- JavaScript is disabled on non-HTTPS sites.
- Some fonts and math symbols are deactivated.
- Audio and video (HTML5 media) and WebGL require user interaction to activate.
Safest:
At this level, only essential website features for static sites and basic services are allowed, impacting images, media, and scripts.
- JavaScript is deactivated by default on all websites.
- Some fonts, icons, math symbols, and images are disabled.
- Audio and video (HTML5 media) require user interaction to play.
What are the Tor's Limitations?
Similar to any technology, the Tor network has its set of limitations. Firstly, due to the data’s path through numerous relays, browsing on the Tor network tends to be slower compared to most other web browsers. Additionally, certain browser plugins like QuickTime and Flash are blocked, and by default, YouTube videos won’t play. However, users can opt for a trial on YouTube’s HTML5 site to enable video playback temporarily.
Another constraint of Tor relates to online privacy. While it provides network-level anonymity, it doesn’t extend its protection to applications on devices that store or share user identities with ISPs. For instance, when a user connects to Gmail, their device retains their identity for convenience. Tor doesn’t shield users from such data storage.
In essence, although Tor was designed to preserve user internet activities’ privacy from webpages and ISPs, the most privacy-conscious individuals may find it beneficial to employ additional privacy tools like VPNs (virtual private networks) to fortify protection.
The Dark Side Of Tor
The anonymity provided by Tor makes it an attractive tool, drawing interest from individuals with both legitimate and malicious intentions. Tor can effectively conceal user identities and host websites through its “hidden services,” accessible solely to Tor users.
This aspect of Tor, often associated with the “dark web,” frequently surfaces in stories related to criminal activities. An exemplar is Silk Road, an underground marketplace for illegal substances, which the FBI discovered and dismantled. Silk Road operated in the hidden recesses of Tor, contributing to the network’s reputation as “the dark web.”
While Tor may primarily attract tech-savvy users, rising concerns about ISP monitoring or government surveillance have expanded its appeal to mainstream internet users.
In a digital landscape where pervasive surveillance, invasive browser practices, and overall user security issues prevail, Tor steps in as a solution. By routing a user’s web traffic through a series of proxy servers, Tor renders the user’s IP address nearly unrecognizable.
