As a rule, some Internet users, for various reasons, try to ensure their privacy, therefore they regularly consider the main ways to anonymize traffic from the Internet, which are available for use by a regular user. In principle, everyday use of a VPN can help solve this problem, but not everyone will find this method convenient. Therefore, this article will focus on TOR - an anonymous distributed network.
So, what is the "Tor" network?
Nowadays, with the emergence of state control and a tougher position in relation to ordinary users on the Russian Internet, we are talking about the future fate of TOR and similar anonymizers. For a long time they have been trying to ban the Tor network, reviews of which are extremely positive. Information about the "TOR ban" at the suggestion of the Russian security officials is already appearing in the media. For example, the Izvestia newspaper contains a direct indication that today there is a proposal from the security forces to ban programs that hide users in the network.
The Public Council under the FSB of the Russian Federation considers it necessary to legalize the activities of legal entities and individuals on the Internet. Therefore, he formed proposals on the need to ban anonymizers - programs that mask data and IP-address.
If, by a court decision, users' access to a certain site is denied, users will still be able to enter the site using the anonymizer (for example, using a search on the Tor network). For example, users from China and Belarus easily visit sites that are blocked by local authorities.
The proposal of the security forces involves the prohibition of software or browsers that have built-in anonymizers (the Tor Internet network, for example). In addition, web servers are also classified as masking tools. These are stand-alone sites through which users can navigate to a different IP address. There is also an indication that such amendments will be made to federal law.
To date, the position of the state on this matter has not yet been fully determined.
Why is this network needed?
Why do you need the Tor network for an ordinary and ordinary user?
Logically, every citizen who does not break the law should think: “Why should I hide myself on the Internet using an anonymizer? I don’t plan any illegal actions - hacking sites, distributing malware, cracking passwords, etc.? ” In a general sense, this question can be answered like this: some sites containing content for free download are blocked very quickly and thus become inaccessible to most users. In addition, some employers restrict access to social networks and entertainment sites, and Tor network resources make it easy to bypass these restrictions.
At the same time, one can also cite the original opinion of one developer of free software TOR, which he voiced in an interview.
Expert opinion
Why is anonymity required for ordinary Internet users who, by definition, have nothing to hide?
The point is that "there is nothing to hide" is not a reason for complete control of all user actions on the Internet by government agencies. In these structures, the most ordinary citizens work, guided in their work by the laws illiterately written by other incompetent citizens. If such people do not like something, they will have to spend money, time and health to prove their innocence with an unpredictable result. Why do you need such a risk, if there is a simple technical tool that is supported by other, smarter people.
Among other things, along with anonymity, the user receives protection from censorship on the network at the state level. Should an ordinary citizen think about which site can be banned today on the initiative of deputy Ivanov? This is not the matter of this deputy, all the more so if he will never be informed which sites the citizen has visited today at will.
Thor network: how to use
TOR is a network of virtual tunnels that will allow the user to best protect their privacy and
How TOR works: the program does not connect the user's computer to the network directly, but through a chain of several, randomly selected computers (repeaters), which also belong to the TOR network.
All data sent to the Internet using TOR becomes anonymous (the source is hidden) and remains encrypted along the entire length between the user's computer and the last relay. After the data is sent from the last relay and sent to the final destination site, this data is already in open, normal form.
When transferring important data, such as a Username or password for entering the site, you need to make sure that the HTTPS protocol is working.
It is worth noting that we owe the emergence of this anonymous network to the American special services. Once upon a time, the implementation of a spy project took place, which later became scandalous. It was named "Open Skies" and for some inexplicable reason it was closed in a short period of time. After that, all the data of the closed network, in particular the source codes, were in the public domain. Based on the information received, the initiative group whose members were experts in the field of the Internet and completely free of charge began to create their own network, not controlled from the outside. This private network was named The Onion Router, which means "Onion Router" in Russian. That is why the symbol of the "Thor" network has an image of an onion on the logo. This name explains how the anonymizer works - a chain of nodes and connections leading to complete privacy can be associated with the layers of an onion. The network works in such a way that the endpoints of the connection cannot be established.
Download and install TOR
Various programs from the TOR package are available for download from the official website of the project. Speaking about the Tor network, how to use it, it should be noted that there is a TOR browser software package. It does not require installation and contains a browser. Most often it is Mozilla Firefox. The browser is configured in advance for a safe exit using TOR to the Internet. You just need to download the package, unpack the archive and run the TOR program.
Using the TOR Brouser Bundle
After downloading the program assembly TOR Brouser Bundle, you need to save the package to the "Desktop" or USB. Usually, this option is convenient for compact solutions when you need to download TOR from a USB flash drive.
Speaking about how to get into the Tor network, it should be noted that the user must have a directory that contains several files. One of them is the file start TOR Browser or "Launch TOR Browser." It depends on which operating system you are using.
After launching the TOR Brouser Bundle program, the user will first see Vidalia launch and connect to the TOR network. After that, the browser will launch, which will confirm the use of TOR at the moment. The TOR network is ready to use.
An important point: it is necessary that the browser that was in the package with TOR is used, and not the user's own browser.
The TOR browser (Mozilla and the Torbutton plugin) has already been configured to completely disable JavaScript, settings for https and other parameters for a secure Internet connection.
For an ordinary user, this software package is the best option for working with TOR.
There is also a stationary option for installing TOR. This is a connection to the Tor network using the Vidalia Polipo TOR assembly.
Here is an example installation for Windows 7
You need to download the program from the TOR project website and install it on your computer.
Safe work on the Internet is carried out only with the Mozilla browser with the Torbutton plugin. If this plugin turns out to be incompatible with the version of the Mozilla browser, then you need to use the universal FOxyProxy Basic.
Today TOR developers can offer -bundle packages (Vidalia Bridge Bundle or Vidalia Relay Bundle) for download. They are already immediately with the "bridges" or "relay" settings.
The need for such additional settings may arise from users whose providers block the TOR network. These are BRIDGE settings that can help if Tor does not connect to the network by default.
Correct TOR setting
If the user himself wants to become a member of the TOR project, then it is worth familiarizing himself with the RELAY (relay) settings.
If the provider or system administrator blocks access to the TOR website, then the program itself can be requested by e-mail. In this case, the request is made from the gMail mailbox, you do not need to use e-mail located on Russian free domains.
To receive the English TOR browser package for Windows, you need to send a letter to the address [email protected]... In the message itself, you only need to write the word windows. The subject field can be empty.
A similar method can be used to request the TOR browser for MAC OS. To do this, you need to write “macos-i386”. If you have Linux, then you need to write “linux-i386" in the case of a 32-bit system or “linux-x86 64" for a 64-bit system. If you need a translated version of the TOR program, you need to write “help”. an instruction and a list of available languages will come.
If TOR is already installed, but does not work, then this could happen for the following reasons.
During normal operation of the connection, if it does not connect to the "Tor" network, you can try the following: open the "VIdala Control Panel", click on "Messages Log" and select the "Advanced Settings" tab. Problems with connecting TOR can be for the following reasons:
1. Disabled system clock. You need to make sure that the date and time are correctly set on the computer and restart TOR. It may be necessary to synchronize the time of the system clock with the server.
2. The user is behind a firewall. To use TOR and 443, you need to open the "VIdala Control Panel", click "Settings and Networks" and check the box next to the inscription "My firewall allows me to connect only to certain ports." This will help to set up the Tor network and make it work fully.
3. Blocking TOR by the anti-virus database. You need to make sure that your antivirus program is not preventing TOR from connecting to the network.
4. If the computer still does not connect to the Tor network, then it is very possible that the anonymizer is being blocked by the ISP. This is often bypassed with TOR bridges, which are hidden relays and are difficult to block.
If an exact reason for the impossibility of connecting TOR is required, then an email should be sent to the developers [email protected] and attach information from the logs log.
What is a bridge and how to find it
To use a bridge, it must first be discovered. This is possible at bridges.torproject.org. You can also send a letter to [email protected] After sending the letter, you should make sure that the letter itself says "Get bridges". Without this, a reply letter will not come. It is also important that the submission must be from gmail.com or yahoo.com.
After configuring multiple bridges, the Tor network will become more stable if some bridges become unavailable. There is no certainty that the bridge used today will also work tomorrow. For this reason, a constant update of the bridge list is required.
How the bridge is used
If it is possible to use multiple bridges, then you should open the "VIdala Control Panel", click "Settings", and then "Networks" and check the box next to the inscription "My provider is blocking the connection to the TOR network". Next, enter the list of bridges in the field. Then press "OK" and restart TOR.
Using open proxy
If using the bridge did not lead to anything, you need to try configuring TOR when using HTTPS or SOCKS proxy to gain access to the TOR network. This means that even if TOR is blocked on the user's local network, then there is the possibility of safely using an open proxy server to connect.
For further work, there must be TOR / Vidalia configurations and a list of https, socks4, or socks5 proxies.
You need to open the "VIdala Control Panel" and click "Settings".
Then click on the "Networks" tab, select "I use a proxy to access the Internet."
In the "Address" field, enter the Open Proxy address. This is the IP address or name of the proxy, then enter the proxy port.
Typically no username and password are required. If you still need it, then they should be entered in the appropriate fields. Select "Type for proxy" as http / https or socks4, or socks 5. Click "OK". Vidalia and TOR now have a proxy setting to access the rest of the network.
Today it is possible to find many other different products for other operating systems (Mac OS, Linux, Windows) on the TOR website. Thus, the search engine in the Tor network can be used regardless of what device you use to visit the Internet. Differences can only be in individual settings related to the features of the configured OS.
There is an already implemented solution for using TOR for mobile phones, for example, for Android. This option has already been tested and, as it turned out, is quite efficient, which is good news. Especially considering that most of the users have moved from computers to convenient lightweight tablets.
TOR system for use in smartphones
As mentioned above, it is possible to configure TOR on a device with an Android platform. To do this, a package called Orbot is installed. A description of how to download it is on the TOR website.
There are also still experimental packages for Nokia and Apple iOS. At the same time, after a series of tests and improvements, the output of an excellent tool that allows you to achieve uniqueness in the network is guaranteed.
In addition, the TOR developers have launched several more anonymizers such as Tails. It is a Linux-based OS that provides anonymous and secure network surfing. There are a number of other products on the Thor website that will be of interest to the user.
TOR also makes it possible to use hidden services for users. You can, without opening your IP address, provide
It is clear that such a service is not in great demand among users, although this information is located on the TOR website simultaneously with instructions on how to search in the "Tor" network.
This was the basic information regarding this most famous and well-functioning anonymizer. Today there is a hope that users will be able to launch the TOR network on their computer and then use the secure and anonymous Internet at their own discretion.
Anyone who logs into the Tor network is interested in the question of how to find resources in the Darknet. "How the hell can I find the right site here?"
There are three important features that make deep web searches different from how a search engine works:
2. It takes a while to view the entire content of the site because Tor is slow.
3. Onion sites change URLs quite often.
In addition, one should take into account the fact that such services in a hidden network may well be created by special services. Of course, they create them not to make your life easier, but as "honipots" traps. In order to de-anonymize and identify Tor users, thereby compiling a database of criminals buying illegal goods or looking for prohibited content. After the guys in the suits have gathered enough material on this or that user, they can be arrested.
I would also like to note the moment of hosting the resources themselves.
Tor search engines.
It is actually very difficult to review Tor search engines. Everything that you will read now is subjective!
Tor search engine Grams
(http://s42qgnh4kesd5odo.onion/)
Let's start with the Grams search engine.
Judging by the name and logo on the home page, the search engine is designed to serve drug addicts.
In general, the search engine is of low quality. The search results are pretty spammed with all sorts of rubbish.
At the time of publication of the article, it was not working, so I think that the resource itself is bent, but I will mark it anyway.
Tor search engine not evil
(http://hss3uro2hsxfogfq.onion/)
Another search engine on the Tor network. In terms of its functionality and quality, it is absolutely not inferior to competitors. You will never see any advertisements on this resource. Thanks to sophisticated and constantly improving ranking algorithms, finding the information you need is quite easy.
Using not Evil, you can significantly save your time and maintain complete anonymity. Very simple and intuitive interface. This project used to be called TorSearch and it had a large audience. Search results are normal, but they are still far from ideal.
Tor search engine Torch
(http://xmh57jrzrnw6insl.onion)
Not a bad search resource for the Tor network. The search engine stores a fairly large volume of indexed pages. According to the service, about a million pages have already been indexed. Sometimes it slows down, but in general it works fine.
The search engine earns on advertising onion sites, the quality of which is sometimes in doubt. I even had to blur the banner on the screen so as not to frighten the people. The search results are far from perfect. For example, instead of large portals, completely incomprehensible garbage may appear in the first positions in the top. This is not always a disadvantage (as you know, if you have too much time, bullshit can also be quite interesting).
Tor search engine Fess
(http://searchl57jlgob74.onion)
Another search in the Torah. Not the most popular, but very good. Looks nice. No ads. I was pleased with the relevance of the search results.
The main page in English says the following "If you want to add your site or complain about a site containing illegal content, write to me." Wow manual filtering even! It makes me happy. After all, not everyone uses Thor to search for illegal poop, to buy drugs and weapons.
Note that the resource was not working at the time of publication.
Tor search engine Candle
(http://gjobqjj7wyczbqie.onion/)
Another search engine for tor sites. Everything is like everyone else. Nothing particularly shines. The logo design was stolen from the great Google. Well, why not. On the darknet, they won't give you a hat for that.
Tor search engine Ahima
(http://msydqstlz2kzerdg.onion)
An initiative of the non-profit organization Hermes Center for Transparency and Digital Human Rights, which supports Tor and develops the anonymous communication services Globaleaks and Tor2web. This site allows searches in many Tor directories and is accessible from both the deep Internet and the regular Internet. There is advertising, not a lot, but it is there.
At the time of publication, the resource was not working!
As I said, searching on onion sites does not always live up to expectations. This is not Google and Yandex, where sites are ranked according to different criteria, such as, for example, behavioral factors, backlinks, etc. Things are much worse here.
We have told you how to use VPN in your daily work.
Today I want to tell you in detail about the Tor distributed anonymous network.
Recently, with the arrival of government regulators and tightening their position against ordinary Internet users (see our articles on government regulation of the Internet: i), there is a discussion about the fate of the Tor network and other anonymizing services.
News has already appeared in the press about the "Tor ban" at the suggestion of the Russian security officials:
The Public Council under the FSB of Russia considers it necessary to improve the legal regulation of the activities of legal entities and individuals that distribute information on the Internet. In this regard, the council formed proposals to legislators on the need to prohibit the use of anonymizers - programs that mask information data and the IP address of users.
The fact is that if, by a court decision, Internet users' access to a certain site is blocked, the latter will be able to visit the pages of the blocked site with the help of anonymizers. For example, with the help of these programs, users in China and Belarus very happily go to those sites to which local authorities block access.
The initiative of the security forces implies the prohibition of software or browsers with a built-in anonymizer (such as the Tor browser). In addition, masquerading tools include web servers - stand-alone sites, with the help of which users can go with a changed IP address to a blocked site without installing special programs.
Similar amendments will be made to the federal law "On information, information technology and information protection".
However, the position of state regulators in this regard has not yet been finally determined:
The Public Council under the FSB of Russia has denied reports about the development of recommendations to restrict freedom on the Internet. This was reported on June 5 by TASS-Telecom.
The Council explained that at the meeting on the issue of Internet security, a variety of views were expressed, but no specific decisions were made regarding restrictions on the Internet.
The Council, as the statement says, "has never made such proposals, made such statements or made any recommendations to the legislature."
What is the purpose of the distributed Tor network for an ordinary Internet user? It would seem that any law-abiding citizen should ask the question: “Why should I actually hide (anonymize) my identity on the Internet? I'm not going to do anything criminal, hack websites, for example, or distribute malware, or steal other people's passwords? " In principle, we have already answered this question in our articles, as well as in our articles.
But I would also like to cite a very interesting opinion of one of the developers of the free Tor software, which he highlighted in his interview ( The developer of the online anonymity service told why you need to hide your data on the Internet "):
Why do ordinary Internet users need anonymity at all, those who are supposed to have nothing to hide?
The problem is that "nothing to hide" is not at all the same as the complete control over all user activity on the Internet by government agencies, in which the most ordinary fools work, guided by laws that are crookedly written by other fools. If such fools do not like something, they will have to waste health, time and money in order to prove their innocence, and with an unwarranted result. Why risk it when you can use a simple technical tool that is supported by other - this time smart - people?
In addition, along with anonymity, we also get resistance to network censorship at the state level. Why would an ordinary citizen think which site will be banned by Deputy Pupkin today? This is not Pupkin's business, especially if Pupkin never learns about where the citizen went today on his network affairs. The citizen, on the other hand, does not climb into Pupkin's personal life.
So, we think that our reader has already received comprehensive answers to the question "why should he use Tor".
Well, now, it's time to move on to purely practical questions, how the Tor network works and how to install and configure it on your computer.
1. How Tor works
Tor is a virtual tunnel network that allows you to better protect your privacy and your online safety. It works like this: Tor connects your computer to the Internet not directly, but through a chain of three random computers (so-called relays) that belong to the Tor network.
Everything that you send to the Internet via Tor becomes, firstly anonymous (hiding the source) , and secondly, remains encrypted all the way between your computer and the last repeater ... But after the data leaves the last relay and goes to the internet address of its destination - it goes no longer encrypted, but in plain, plain form.
If you transfer particularly important data - for example, enter your username and password to enter a website - make sure that the HTTPS protocol is working (i.e., the address bar says, for example, https: //torproject.org/, not http: //torproject.org/).
2. How to download and install Tor
Various distributions of the Tor package can be downloaded from the project's website.
For details on the settings of this version, read our article:
If you yourself want to take part in the Tor project, then you should read about setting up a Relay "relay" https://www.torproject.org/docs/tor-doc-relay.html.en
If your provider (or system administrator) for some reason blocked access to the Tor network project site, then the Tor distribution can be requested by e-mail (the request must be made from the gmail mailbox):
to get the Tor Browser English Package for Windows, send an email to your email address [email protected] with the word windows in the body of the message. The "Subject" field can be left blank.
Similarly, you can request the Tor Browser Package for Mac OS ( writing macos-i386), and for Linux (by writing linux-i386 for 32-bit systems or linux-x86_64 for 64-bit systems)
If you need a translated version of Tor, write in an email help... You will receive a response letter with instructions and a list of available languages.
4. If you have already installed Tor and it does not work for you, then this may be due to the following reasons:
If your normal internet connection works, but Tor can't connect to the network, try the following: open Vidalia control panel, Press Message log and select the tab Advanced settings... It is possible that Tor is not connecting to the network because:
a) Your system clock is off: Make sure the date and time on your computer is set correctly and restart Tor. You may need to synchronize the system clock with the server.
b) You are behind a firewall: to tell Tor to only use ports 80 and 443, open Vidalia control panel, click Settings and Networks "My firewall only allows me to connect to certain ports."
c) Your antivirus program is blocking Tor: Make sure your antivirus program is not preventing Tor from connecting to the network.
d) If Tor still doesn't work, it is likely that your ISP is blocking Tor. Very often this can be bypassed with Tor bridges - hidden relays which are not easy to block.
If you need to find out why Tor can't connect, send the developers an email [email protected] with the corresponding information from the logs log.
How to find a bridge
To use the bridge, you must first find it; this can be done at bridges.torproject.org, or you can send an email to [email protected]... If you have sent an email, please make sure you write get bridges in the body of the letter. Without this, you will not receive an answer. Please note that you need to send this email either from gmail.com or yahoo.com.
Setting up multiple bridges will make your Tor connection more stable in case some of the bridges become unavailable. There is no guarantee that the bridge in use today will work tomorrow, so you must constantly update the list of bridges.
How to use the bridge
If you can use multiple bridges, open Vidalia control panel, click Settings, then Networks, and put a checkmark where it says "My ISP is blocking the connection to the Tor network"... Enter the list of bridges in the box below, click OK and restart Tor.
How to use open proxy
If bridging doesn't work, try configuring Tor to use an HTTPS or SOCKS proxy to gain access to the Tor network. This means that even if Tor is blocked on your local network, you can safely use open proxy servers to connect to the Tor network and to the censorship-free Internet.
For the following actions, you must have functional Tor / Vidalia configurations, and a list of HTTPS, SOCKS4 or SOCKS5 proxies.
Open up Vidalia control panel and press Settings.
Click on Networks... Please select "I am using a proxy to access the Internet".
In field The address, enter the address open proxy... This can be a proxy name or an IP address.
Enter proxy port.
Generally, you do not need to enter username and password... If you still need such information, enter it in the appropriate fields.
Please select Proxy type such as HTTP / HTTPS, SOCKS4, or SOCKS5.
Click on OK... Vidalia and Tor are now configured to use proxies to access the rest of the Tor network.
Today, on the Tor project website, you can find many more diverse products for a wide variety of operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS).
5. We have already implemented a solution for anonymization using Tor and for mobile platforms, for example for Android:
Tor for smartphones
You can configure Tor on your Android device by installing a package called Orbot... Help on downloading and installing it is available on the Tor Project Site.
There are experimental packages for Nokia Maemo / N900 and Apple iOS.
6. The Tor development team has launched another a number of anonymizing projects and services, for example, Tails is a Live CD / USB distribution preconfigured to use Tor safely, i.e. an anonymizing Linux-based operating system that provides completely safe and anonymous surfing the net.
You can find out about other products and projects of the Tor network on the page.
Tor also allows clients and servers to provide hidden services. That is, you can provide a web server, SSH server, etc. without showing your IP address to your users.
Of course, most ordinary Internet users do not need this function, but if you are still interested, then you can read about it here:
Good afternoon, dear players!
Recently, in our game, cases of loss of characters by players due to the use of TOR browser... The game's Appeals Commission presents to your attention a small educational program on the topic of online security, in particular, information about the "pitfalls" of using this browser.
What is this TOR anyway?
It is quite difficult for an uninitiated user to understand all the abstruse terms that can be deducted, for example, on Wikipedia. We will try to explain it in a simple way.
TOR is an anonymous Internet structure that includes proxies, anonymizers, multi-stage encryption mechanisms for Internet traffic - components of the so-called onion routing (which is why the browser logo depicts onions, not Thor's hammer, as someone thought). For not very advanced users, as well as for visual ease of use, the developers invented the TOR Browser, which is easy to install on a computer and can be used immediately after installation, having overcome a minimum of settings.
What does this mean after all? How can you use it?
The need to use TOR technologies arises among users seeking to ensure their anonymity on the network, that is, to hide their real IP address when posting messages on sites, sending e-mail, communicating in IM clients, and so on. Although the TOR network is not unreasonably considered a "black market" and a "settler" for shadow structures (more on that later), masking your IP address is sometimes needed for quite peaceful purposes. Let's consider in what cases TOR can help us:
Using TOR Browser allows you to access websites blocked by your government. It can be pirated p2p resources (torrent trackers, for example), and other sources prohibited by state censorship. If we leave aside the moral and ethical questions “if it is blocked, then it must be done” and “piracy is bad”, then this property of TOR is perhaps the most useful.
Using TOR Browser allows you to hide your real IP address. This property will help server owners keep information about themselves secret, and will also allow users to bypass the ban by IP on any resource (it often happens that severe moderators are forced to ban entire subnets because of one not very pleasant user, so thus blocking access to law-abiding citizens of the same subnet).
You may be surprised, but this is where the positive aspects for the average user, who did not set themselves the goal of clearly violating the current legislation of their country, end there. But negative moments begin, which together pose a great danger to the user. We will dwell on them in more detail.
1) The TOR network has long been closely chosen by representatives of "shadow" and criminal structures. Using unpunished anonymity on the Internet, criminals replicate child pornography, carry out drug deals, coordinate the activities of terrorist groups, collect and illegally use personal data from the accounts of unlucky citizens - to put it simply, rob citizens on the network, remaining inaccessible to law enforcement agencies.
2) The TOR network only provides anonymity, but it not equipped antivirus protection! Sniffing, hacking, phishing, viruses and so on flourish in it. You run the risk of being attacked by viruses simply by visiting a couple of sites using the TOR Browser.
3) Speaking about anonymity, it is also worth noting that the claims of the creators of the TOR network that the structure guarantees network anonymity are not entirely true. Yes, it is true that for the average user without the proper tools and knowledge of the system, determining the source address of another user becomes an impossible task. However, do not forget that TOR is used not only by children of senior school age, but also by worthy professionals, including those working for various special services. It has already been repeatedly proven that with certain data can be determined the original IP address of the user and eventually knocking on his front door - people using the TOR browser for criminal purposes have been found and convicted by law.
Think about it, please, next time you want to launch this browser. If an ordinary student Anatoly, who left a devastating anonymous review on the state portal, is unlikely to be actively looking for, then people involved in fraud through TOR have recently attracted more and more attention of law enforcement agencies.
It may seem that all these dangers are mythical, invented, and it is not entirely clear what the GVD has to do with it. Explaining:
according to the observations of the organizers of the game's Appeal Commission, cases of blocking players due to the use of TOR Browser have become more frequent. Most often, the reason lies in an uncharacteristic and rather radical change in the IP-address in the player's log. The blocking is carried out because there is a suspicion of hacking the character, which the player himself might not have time to track and take the necessary measures to regain control of the account. In addition, TOR users constantly find themselves on the same IP address with the already known AKI scammers and intruders.
This is where the players should think about was it really necessary to use a similar anonymizer if there was no need to use it? The fact is that as of today, not a single state whose range of players is represented in the GVD has banned the site http://www.heroeswm.ru by government censorship. Therefore, the players no direct need use TOR. As a rule, this browser is downloaded by inexperienced players, because it was “advised so”, “so fashionable and cool” and so on. Further, the player's IP changes radically, as described above, an immediate suspicion of hacking arises, the account is blocked, and the player has to spend time and nerves to get the character back.
This is a "harmless" case. However, in the practice of AKI, it is quite common to find players whose characters have been hacked through the TOR Browser. Often, this is the culprit of the breeding ground of viruses downloaded when surfing the web to the machine of the user using TOR, as well as other vulnerabilities of the TOR system, which we talked about a little earlier.
What additional danger can the player expect here?
When considering such a character lock in the AQI, it turns out that the hacked player character has multiple intersections with the characters sold on the black market, as well as with the rogue characters. Yes, exactly on the IP-addresses of the TOR structure. You see, although it is assumed that the TOR network is anonymous and hidden, it still cannot hide the fact of using itself, since some of its external nodes are still in the public domain and can be determined. Thus, the fact of using TOR cannot hide from the organizers of AQI, even if the players, for some reason, try to assert the opposite (or vice versa, try to hide behind using TOR in cases where it was not actually used).
Now that, because of this damned TOR, the player has been compromised by shared IP addresses with scammers, it is no longer so easy for him to justify his good name. We would even say that it is almost impossible to make excuses in this case. But, it would seem, I entered the GVD a couple of times through the TOR Browser.
Moreover, such intersections with scammers can occur in an absolutely random way if a "faked" IP is caught in the current user session. Even without being hacked, getting a lock for crossing a character trader is fraught with life imprisonment. All this with almost 100% probability will be provided to you by TOR Browser, sooner or later.
It is also worth noting that people who use TOR to disguise their illegal actions in the GVD, on the contrary, primarily pay attention to themselves, like a person who wears a mask in broad daylight.
Based on all of the above, the Game Appeals Board, in conjunction with the Sheriff, strongly recommends all players refuse to use the TOR browser, unless absolutely necessary. If the use of TOR is due to network restrictions, then try to protect your computer from viruses as much as possible, do not visit unfamiliar sites using the links received, and always carefully monitor where you are asked to drive your username and password.
TOR browser is perhaps the easiest and most affordable way to connect to the Internet anonymously. Now we will tell you about how to set up the TOR browser on your computer, as well as where to download it and how to install it.
Step # 1. Download the TOP browser.
TOP browser is a free browser built on top of Firefox. You can download it from the official website of the developer. To do this, go to the site, select a language and click on the "Download" button. Then the download of the installation files will start.
By default, the site will offer to download the version of the TOP browser that is suitable for your operating system. If you want to download a version for another OS, then you can do this.
Step # 2. Installing the TOP browser.
At the stage of installing TOP, the browser does not require any additional configuration. Everything happens automatically, you just need to follow the instructions that appear on the screen. So first you need to select the browser language.
And then the folder where the TOP browser will be installed.
After that, it remains only to wait until the installation is completed.
Step # 3. Launch and configure the Tor browser.
After launching the TOR browser, you will see a window called "TOR network settings".
There are two buttons available here: Connect and Configure. If you click on the "Connect" button, the TOP browser will start working with standard settings. This option is suitable for most cases.
The "Configure" button will start manual configuration of the TOP browser. This option can be useful if you connect to the Internet through a proxy server or if your ISP is blocking the TOR network. First of all, the TOR browser will first ask if your Internet provider is blocking the TOR network. If there are no problems connecting to the TOR network or you do not know for sure, then select the "NO" option.
If you select "Yes", then the TOP browser will offer to configure bridges. A bridge is a point in the TOR network whose address is not published in the TOR documentation. You can download the list of bridges on the website.
After configuring TOP bridges, the browser will offer to configure an Internet connection through a proxy server. If you connect to the Internet directly (without using a proxy server), then here you need to select the "NO" option.
If a proxy server is used to connect to the Internet, then you need to select the "YES" option and configure the connections. The TOP browser will ask you to select the type of proxy server, its IP address, as well as other settings related to the proxy.
After setting up the proxy server, you just need to click on the connect button and the TOR browser will connect to the Internet through the TOR network.
Step # 4. Checking the TOP browser settings.
If you have configured the TOP browser correctly, the following message should appear on the screen: “Congratulations! This browser is configured to use TOR. "
If the screen says: “Alas. You are not using TOR at the moment ”, this means that there is something wrong with the TOR browser settings and it was not possible to connect to the TOR network. In this case, you can click on the onion button and select "TOR Network Settings" or simply press the S key on your keyboard.
Then you can re-configure the TOR browser.
Step # 5. Change the IP address in the TOP browser.
Immediately after connecting to the Internet through the TOR network, you get a new IP address. But, if necessary, this address can be changed. To do this, you need to click on the button in the shape of an onion and select the menu item "New TOR chain for this site".
After that, the page will be refreshed and you will receive a new IP address. You can check how it works on any site to check the IP address, for example, you can use the site.
