What is Tor – Tor Browser, Dark Web Explained [Updated 2023]

Tor is basically a network which hides the web traffic in order to provide the maximum level of private web browsing. Tor hides the privacy in such a manner that an onion is hidden in its layer after layer therefore, the tor is also known as the onion router.

The most important work which tor plays is it hides your IP address and browsing activities by redirecting them through various series (like onion layers) of different – different routers which are known as nodes.

This technique of anonymizing web traffic was originally generated by the US Navy to help protect American communications and in today’s world tor has become an open–source, privacy platform which is available to all the people around.

There is a wide reason behind the tor browsing being famous enough is that it not only provides privacy to the website but also to the visitors, basically the ones whose visiting the website on an regular basis.

Their identities cannot be leaked at any how makes the browser more suitable and convenient for people to use with full of trust.

The unlikely history of Tor

The main principle of tor was generated in the middle of 1990s by the United States Naval Research Laboratory to protect American intelligence communications online.

There have been noticed weaknesses in the process but with the help of lot of intelligence all such things are improved on regular basis and has become worldwide in order to provide safety to the website as well as the visitors.

Public tool instead of secret weapon

There is a huge reason for the involvement of the government in tor project was to hide their information as nothing else can do this in the world.

The government is still using the network to make something unclear and something which is more difficult to understand the source of attacks which usually happens on the government work in order to obtain their information for the next further step.

But the information or the details which have been put under this network won’t let the information to be leaked as it is stored after many layers which will take a lot of time to detect such layers of the browser.

Therefore, this tool is not only specifically given to the higher post people as a secret weapon but also available to all the laymen to protect their on privacy as a public tool.

How does Tor, the web browser works?

Tor browser which hides the data and uses onion routing web traffic through Tor’s onion network.

When the data is secured inside multiple layers of encryption, till then web traffic is transmitted through a multiple series of network nodes called onion routers.

One by one each router peels away a layer( like an onion ) of encryption until the data reaches the final destination, till then its fully decrypted.

The work done by tor is called anonymously done, which means that no identification of the person through whom the work or the encryption has been done, where tor transmits encrypted data across the three layers called peer-to-peer (p2p) of international proxies which builds up the tor circuit.

Let’s see what all are three layers of network nodes which has to be peeled for decryption.

1. entry/guard node

First of all tor browser randomly gets connected to any of the publicly known entry node where this specific node introduces your data into tor circuit first layer.

2. Middle nodes

When the data has already been known through the entry node then reaches to the middle node where the data is fully encrypted. thereafter it is sent to the series of node where the data is encrypted layer after layer at a time.

To ensure anonymity the middle node can only get to know the identity of the preceding and the subsequent middle nodes.

3. exit nodes

When the whole data has already been encrypted by the middle node then the last option left is the exit node where the last layer of encryption is peeled off, the decrypted data leaves the tor network through an exit node and reaches its final server destination.

This is the whole process that how Tor browser works, how the data encryption and decryption is done through the different series of nodes.

How to use Tor for privacy?

The onion router (tor) is a software which provides anonymous communications and browsing, to secure the browsing network and which comes with its own browser as Tor network is used on Tor browser.

There are some steps and reasons how Tor can provide you maximum level of security and benefits when the following things are being done in an efficient manner.

• The foremost step which has to be followed by the person is not to mention their personal information on the browser as many people fall down by mixing their personal information with the tor related activities which can lead to the misuse of it if not done in a proper way.
• Keep your system updated through which you have been using the browser, automatic updates are the way to go.
• Don’t use tor for Google searches as it can lead to leakage of your personal information as we all know that google already has our all personal information.
• Do disable Java, java script, and Flash from your system.
• Don’t torrent or use p2p networking.
• Do regularly delete cookies and other data as it can also obtain your personal information, as the foremost step was not to mention the personal information so anything which can obtain it has to be deleted on a regular basis for the system.
• Don’t use HTTP websites–data which is transferred from HTTP sites is unencrypted.

If a person gets to know how to use tor well enough then it is to be considered as one of the most powerful tool.

Tor is only as safe as you make it according to your own knowledge or the information provided above can lead you to use the browser at its best and before using Tor browser your primary concern should be not to use your personal information at anyhow, no matter what you have been using the browser for but being anonymous for the good response.

How to use Tor?

There are very few short steps to begin with the Tor browser.

Are as follows

1. Download the tor browser

As we know that anything to begin with is to first of all download it therefore, very first step is to download the browser which is basically available for Windows, Mac, linux and Android.

There are different–different steps to be downloaded in different windows.

 2. start the browser

There are few pieces of information which a browser require to begin with, do remember not to mention your personal information.

When asked want to connect, press continues or otherwise click on configure and answer the questions.

3. browse the web anonymously

As we have read it many times that the browser has to be used anonymously, no personal information has to be shared.

Now you can use the Tor browser anonymously to make full use of Tor’s security features. These are the ways to begin with your tor browser and attain maximum satisfaction from it.

FAQs

Conclusion

Tor browser is to be considered as on of the best browser in order to provide the security and safety not only to the host  but also to the visitors , therefore it has won the hearts of the people for its supremacy in privacy .