

Is Tor difficult to use?Īll you need to do is download it and use it like you would any other browser like Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Microsoft Edge. The website server sends its response back through the same path, which makes it difficult to track. It’s a zig-zag communication that passes through a random set of three Tor nodes, creating a connection the path of which is impossible to decipher. If you visit a website using the Tor browser, your communication with the website server is hidden as there is no direct communication. Sometimes, this limited information is enough for experienced cybercriminals to create trouble. Yes, if the communication between you and the website server is HTTPS encrypted, it is nonsense to the person trying to read the message, but it is important to remember that the person (who might very well be cybercriminals) with a nefarious agenda will have discovered that you are trying to communicate with a specific website. This is possible through IP packet header inspection. If there is someone monitoring your internet connection or the website server, they will have no difficulty identifying your IP address or that of the server. In this case, a direct TCP connection is established with the website server. Let’s say you are visiting a website using a normal web browser.

Let’s understand this in a little more detail. Tor works by encrypting traffic and pushing it through diverse Tor relays within the network. Traffic is routed through multiple servers and secured with encryption. Achieving higher levels of privacy was the driving force for developing Tor and onion routing. It was originally developed by experts working in the U.S Naval Research Lab to create secure internet connections that safeguard internet communications, wherein people monitoring that internet connection could not track the communications taking place over the internet. Some of the most innovative technologies that have found everyday use were actually developed with defense in mind, such as GPS, microwave oven, the internet, virtual reality, drones, and more.

However, like everything else associated with anonymous web browsing, Tor also comes with a lot of ‘ifs’ and ‘buts.’ It is always a good idea to get some clarity on what this internet privacy tool is all about before you trust its ability to conceal your online activities. But things have changed, and quite a few people use Tor to browse the web and keep their web activities a secret. There was a time when Tor was a name that was only known and understood by the tech savvy amongst us. If you want to browse the web incognito or anonymously, Tor should be your browser of choice.
