The article is provided solely for the purpose of familiarization with the technology of the Tor browser (Tor).

In recent years, you can hear more and more about restrictions on the Internet. Governments different countries prohibit access to their citizens to resources containing incorrect content, according to deputies. Operators are forced to transfer information about users, and there is no question of any anonymity on the Internet. At the same time, sites blocked by the decision of certain authorities do not always contain materials that can harm users.

"Forbidden fruit is sweet," and the various restrictions on the Internet have given rise not only to ways to circumvent them, but to a whole secret network, which can only be accessed using special means, hiding information about the user. The anonymous network was called Tor, and it is available absolutely free to everyone.

What is Tor

The abbreviation Tor stands for The Onion Router, that is, "Onion Router". Such a name may seem ridiculous to people who are not familiar with the concept of "onion routing". It refers to the technology of anonymous exchange of information using a standard computer network. The principle of operation of the system is based on constant data encryption during its transfer from the server to the client. Data passes through many network nodes, thereby erasing traces that could lead to the sender and recipient of information.

Thanks to Tor, users do not have to worry about their anonymity on the Internet. They get the opportunity to view any information they are interested in, secretly leave messages on websites, send encrypted messages to each other. private messages and do many other things hidden from everyone. With Tor, you can easily bypass all ISP restrictions placed on websites.

As you can see, the sites hidden network Tor is not moderated or reviewed by anyone. You can’t send a content complaint against them, and if you do, then such actions will lead to nothing. Accordingly, in Tor you can find, among other things, information prohibited in all countries. Shocking, illegal, devoid of humanism and meaning, materials and services are contained in the Tor network. It is because of this that she received the name " dark web". Sites created solely to be accessed via Tor are located in the .onion domain zone. They are not indexed by regular search engines, and they can only be accessed through an anonymous Tor network.

Through any computer, you can view information on the Tor network, but this requires a browser of the same name, which is distributed free of charge.

How to use the Tor browser

Getting started with Tor is pretty easy, all you need to do is download Tor Browser from regular browser and install it. Tor is installed as follows:

Once the Tor Browser is installed on your computer, it must be properly configured to work in anonymous network. Launch Tor via the Start Tor Browser.exe shortcut from the folder where it was installed. Next, you need to set the initial parameters. This can be done automatically by clicking "Connect" in the window that opens, but this method does not always work.

If you failed to automatically connect to the Tor network, you can select the “Configure” item and install it yourself required parameters. Process manual setting Torah is also quite simple, you will need to answer 2 questions:

When the answers are selected, the Tor browser will again try to produce automatic tuning according to the received data. This may take a couple of minutes, after which Tor will start.

Please note: The Tor browser is based on Firefox.

To finally make sure that the computer is now in an anonymous network, you need to click on the "Check Tor Internet Settings" button.

If a page opens that says that the browser uses Tor, then everything is set up correctly, and the program can be used for anonymous access to resources.

Important: In the Tor browser, you can watch the chain by which the user's anonymity is achieved. On any page, click on the green onion icon to the left of address bar. A pop-up menu will open where you can see which chain the request goes through from the computer to the destination server.

To achieve maximum privacy, Tor provides 4 levels of security. By default, the browser sets the minimum, but you can change it if you wish. given parameter. To do this, click on the green onion to the left of the browser bar and select "Privacy and Security Settings".

A new window will open where you can use the slider to adjust the security level from low to high. Near each of the options it is written how they differ, and what functions they turn off. The more high level security, the worse various plug-ins and services will work in the browser, and the content on the sites will be displayed.

For basic usage Thor browser is enough low level security.

What are the cons of the Tor browser

Complete anonymity on the web is a pretty significant advantage for many to completely switch to the Tor browser. Despite this, the number of people who use it on a regular basis is small.

How to use the Tor browser - Installation, configuration and removal

Rate

Hello! Today I will tell you about how to use the Tor browser, about its installation, configuration, and removal.

Tor browser ( T he O nion R outer) - in Russian browser Tor, less often Bow - a specially designed browser with an open source code, to implement the so-called onion routing. This browser is based on a system of proxy servers that allow you to establish an anonymous network connection.

UPD 19.05: In connection with the new law, the Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, Yandex and several other sites were closed in Ukraine. The Tor browser will also help you bypass the provider's blocking and you will be able to use VK and other sites. Read my instructions and start using the Tor browser, if something is not clear to you, then feel free to write in the comments, I will help you.

The Tor browser is most popular among:

• hackers
• Cryptocurrency users, including
• paranoid
• People who wish to always remain anonymous
• People who have blocked access to any site (hello Roskomnadzor)

Tor helps to easily bypass site blocking from Roskomnadzor, for example, it was recently in Russia.

How to install Tor browser

1. Follow this link, the site will automatically determine your operating system and will prompt you to download the appropriate version, if the version does not suit you, then click View All Downoalds.
   If the version is detected correctly, then select the language that suits you, click the Download button and save setup file.
   
   
2. Next, run the setup file you just downloaded and select the installation language.
   
3. Then select the installation folder and click Install.
   
   Next, the installation process will begin, which usually takes less than a minute.
   
   
   
4. After installation is complete, click Finish
   
   
5. You are already one step away from using the browser, all that remains is to connect to the network, for this you just need to click Connect.
   More advanced users who understand proxy servers and who need more flexible settings can configure the connection themselves by clicking Configure.
   
   Next, the program will automatically connect to the network, it took me only a couple of seconds.
   
   
6. That's all! You are already in a browser that you can start using. To get started, you can try to go to some blocked site, for example, to the recently blocked LocalBitcoins.com (If you are in Russia).
7. I also advise you to check the Tor network settings by clicking on the link of the same name.
   
   Then click Yes.
   
   
   If you receive a similar message, then the browser has been successfully configured!
   
   

How to change IP address in Tor

In order to change your IP address in this browser, you just need to make a couple of clicks.

To demonstrate this to you, I went to the site 2ip.ru, now it shows that I am in the UK.

To change the address, you need to click on the bow and select New identity (or press the keyboard shortcut CTRL + SHIFT + U), and then click Yes.
Here, by the way, you can see the chain through which I am connected: France - USA - Great Britain.


As you can see, the connection chain has changed and now I have a different IP address, which is located in Slovakia. Sometimes when you change the identity, the IP address may remain the same, but the connection chain will change.
To completely change the address, try changing the identity several times.

Tor browser settings

In principle, the browser is already configured to work with it, but I will show a few settings that may also be of interest to you:

To go to the browser settings, open the menu by clicking on the button on the right upper corner and select Settings.

How to change the homepage in Tor:

Change home page, for example on Google. To do this, go to the General tab and write the address of the desired site.

How to change the folder for downloads in Tor:

In the same tab, you can change standard folder for downloads so that you are not constantly asked where to save the file. I chose to save to desktop.

Change search engine to Tor:

In the Search tab, you can change the search engine, for example, Google.

Turn off tracking and remembering history:

Often sites collect information about us, such as location data (to display the weather).
You can prevent them from tracking you. To do this, open the Privacy tab and select "Ask sites not to track me."
You can also completely turn off the memorization of history.

How to increase protection in the Tor browser:

And last tip from me, turn on the blocking of suspicious sites.
In the protection tab, check block websites.

How to uninstall Tor browser

You will not find a file to uninstall the browser on your computer, as it is installed in portable mode. All program files are stored in the folder where you installed the program.

In order to remove the Tor browser, you will need to close it, end Tor process in the task manager (if it is still running), as well as completely delete the folder with the program, that's all!

Conclusion

If you active user bitcoin and love anonymity then this browser you should like it!

If you can’t access any site due to a provider block, then the Tor browser will also help you a lot!

Another difference of this browser is that with it you can visit the so-called deep web, which is not indexed by conventional search engines and whose sites cannot be accessed just like that.

Usually, these sites contain information that is prohibited, and you can also find various stores of weapons and illegal psychotropic substances on the Deep Web, and it is these stores that bring a bad reputation to this segment of the Internet.

However, sites that only work on the Tor network are interesting, useful, and completely legal.
You can find a list of some of them by googling "Sites.onion"

AT recent years 3-4 the news feed regularly appears with the headline: "The government wants to block Tor." But, this idea is somewhat utopian.

The darknet can be used in all fears of the world except North Korea, where access to a computer with the Internet requires special permission from Kim Jong-un. Even China failed to ban it. The Golden Shield automatically blocks all new Tor entry node addresses, but the people who need it get around this barrier c VPN and proxy servers.

News about the “ban on the underground Internet” only fuels interest in it among the population. More and more Russians are joining the darknet, which is fraught with many dangers and temptations. About the consequences of wrong using Tor should know in advance.

This article will talk about the main types of shops and forums in Tor that should be avoided and the possible responsibility for their use / creation.

Fragments of the article have been removed at the request of Roskomnadzor. The material has been edited.

2. Sites with job advertisements

A huge number of ads for the sale of *** contains a postscript: “We are looking for ***. It requires activity, adequacy, professionalism. The pay is high." For one ***, an employee receives an average of 500-3000 rubles. They write on the forums that an intelligent employee gets up to 80-120 thousand rubles a month with a free schedule. And this is in the province. In the capitals, the ceiling is much higher.

But this work is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Make a good "***" and hide it - whole science and experienced people write entire textbooks. There are many non-obvious problems that are difficult for a beginner to guess.

For example, how to protect yourself from "seagulls"? So called ***, who are looking for and successfully find strangers *** in typical places (flower beds, holes in the asphalt, peaks of entrances). Or how to disguise a ziplock bag inside an acorn or a nut so that rain and wind do not damage the product?

Criminals from Tor require not only ***, but also parcel receivers, stencilers (to make announcements on asphalt), growers (grow plants at home), people to withdraw illegally received money from bank cards. Less often they look for strong guys to intimidate enemies. And each profession has non-obvious subtleties that need to be learned in order not to have problems with the law.

In the criminal sphere, there is a terrible turnover of personnel and new employees are constantly required. A really adequate and accurate person can work for a couple of years, and a simple ***/carrier/drop walks free for only a few months. Most people get caught by the police sooner or later. Raising the dough, stopping and leaving in time is rare for people.

Possible problems: According to article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, if a person is involved in the distribution or production of ***, then he can be imprisoned for a period of 8 years. We will talk about the penalties for parcel receivers and cashers below.

3. Shops of goods for the commission of crimes

FROM using Tor there is a trade in weapons, fake documents, left sim cards, phones, skimmers for ATMs and a bunch of other interesting items. As with ***, bitcoins are used for anonymous payment. Surprisingly, there are no special problems with the delivery of goods.

Sometimes it is done with regular mail. To receive and send parcels, they hire "drops" who go to receive / send parcels, show their faces and passport details. Goods are also sent with the help of taxi drivers or private transport companies. Here is a quote from the RuOnion forum:

Somehow I sent an optical sight through a transport company, naturally not a branded one. They asked what was inside, answered - a sniper scope, They: we’ll write it down - an optical device :-)))) They generally don’t care what to carry ...

But the sellers still take a lot of precautions: they disassemble the weapons into parts, which they distribute in several boxes, disguise them as other items, make packages with double bottom etc. They have no less tricks than ***.

Possible problems: According to article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the illegal acquisition or transfer of weapons can be punished by a decision of liberty for up to four years. O fake documents written in article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it says about a period of up to two years.

4. Pedophile forums

There are also a lot of people on the Tor network who are sexually attracted to children. Here for them there is a lot of "interesting". First, huge archives of underage porn videos. Secondly, these are forums where people share personal experience seducing children and hiding this process from others.

Some pedophiles consider sex with children absolutely unacceptable and sit on the "conservative" sections of the forums, where they post just slightly erotic photos of little girls and boys with their genitals covered.

But there are people for whom just watching a video is not enough and they strive to make their fantasies come true. The main shock in preparing this article for me was familiarization with a book for pedophiles in Russian.

200 pages on where to find a potentially available child and how to recognize him, how to ingratiate himself with him, how not to leave traces and how to make sure that the child will never tell anyone about what the pervert or pervert did to him.

And judging by the forums, a lot of pedophiles really manage to turn things around so that parents never know what happened to their child. After all, most often children are seduced not by maniacs on the streets, but by neighbors, relatives or family friends who have entered the house for many years.

Do not leave your child alone with anyone and never without video surveillance. There are many more pedophiles among us than you might think.

Possible punishment: It is forbidden to store porn videos with minors on your computer. You can read more about this in the article:

5. Websites of extremist organizations

Terrorists, skinheads and radical oppositionists also create sites in the onion network, publish articles there and discuss plans for pogroms or seizing power on forums. Also, sect sites are gradually moving to Tor.

Since 2002 Russian authorities maintain a list of federal extremist materials. It includes almost 4,000 books, articles, paintings and musical works. Rospotrebnadzor forces the removal of such materials from sites on the clearnet, but they are distributed freely in Tor libraries.

Possible punishment: According to article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, participation in an extremist organization can be imprisoned for up to six years. Also, you can not copy materials from such sites in Tor and post them on social networks and blogs. There is also a separate article on this topic:

6. "Hacker" marketplaces and forums

International dark markets often have a Digital Goods section next to *** and weapons. In it you can buy trojans, tools for wifi hacking, hacking tools, DDOS attack tools and many other varieties of "tools for illegal access to digital information."

Along with the programs, you can also buy instructions for their use and training books. They also sell digital goods that were stolen using the tools described above: upgraded characters in games, paid accounts various services, hacked programs, access to infected computers.

There are also many hacker forums on the dark web. There, people share their experience among themselves, looking for performers and accomplices for various cybercrimes.

Possible punishment: If it is proved that a person used any of the programs described above, then according to Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, he can be imprisoned for up to two years.

7. "Black" cryptocurrency exchanges

The sites and organizations described above make financial settlements in bitcoins (less often in another cryptocurrency). And of course they don't pay any taxes. With the help of cryptocurrencies, money obtained illegally is cashed out.

Tor has exchanges for withdrawing bitcoins to regular ones electronic wallets or bank cards. Also, there are a lot of ads of people who withdraw money from cryptocurrency wallets to offshore accounts or transfer money to the account of a one-day company. From the latter, money can be withdrawn using ordinary "cashers".

There you can also order bank cards issued to nominees or "virtuals". And hire drops who will go to the ATM, shine their face in front of the cameras, withdraw cash from the cards and deliver it to you.

Possible punishment: According to article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, participation in group fraudulent schemes can entail up to 10 years in prison.

Also, the State Duma is talking about the adoption of a bill that provides for punishment of up to four years in prison simply for using bitcoins or other cryptocurrencies.

conclusions

Not all types of content that can be found on the Tor network are described above. Not mentioned are sites with erotica for animal lovers, stolen goods stores, sites for ordering killers and much more.

But what has been described is enough to understand why governments around the world seek to control the Internet. Personal liberty and security privacy- this is good. But how to deal with criminals on the Internet without blocking sites and traffic control?

P.S. Is Tor Anonymous

There are a lot of tutorials on the dark web about online anonymity. Some of the authors consider a sufficient scheme virtual machine with Tails -> vpn -> vpn -> Tor. And someone recommends buying a computer from a flea market in the neighboring region and using the modem through the "left" SIM card. But one thing is for sure - if you just run Tor browser, then your level of anonymity is quite low.

Browser Tor(Further Tor Browser) ensures the anonymity of your activities on the Internet. It hides your identity and protects your web connections from many types of online surveillance. Tor can also be used to bypass Internet blocking.

• How to stay anonymous and bypass internet censorship

What you will learn from this chapter

• How to hide your digital identity from the websites you visit
• How to hide the websites you visit from ISPs and spyware
• How to Bypass Internet Censorship and Filters
• How to protect yourself from insecure and potentially malicious websites with an add-on NoScript

1. Introduction to Tor Browser

2.1 Download Tor Browser

Image 2. Tor Browser bridge settings

Step 2 Select Yes.

Image 3. Setting up bridges

Step 4 Select option Connect to predefined bridges.

Step 5 Click button [Further] to customize proxy.

Tor Browser will ask if you need to access the Internet local proxy. In this example, we're assuming you don't need it. If a need, look at the settings of your usual browser and copy the proxy settings from there. (AT Firefox browser you can find it in the menu Settings > Advanced > Network > Customize. In other browsers, you can find the same settings in the Internet access settings. You can refer to support system browser for help.

Image 4. Proxy settings

Step 6 Select option [Not].

Step 7 Click button [Connect] for launch Tor Browser.

Image 5. Connecting to the Tor network

After a couple of moments, Tor Browser will open.

3.2.2. Connecting to the Tor network with other bridges

You can also connect to the Tor network by entering bridges on one's own. This is rarely used (mostly preferred predefined bridges), and therefore there is less chance that this method will be blocked. If you are unable to access the Tor Project website, you can ask for bridge site addresses by sending an email to [email protected] , provided you are using an account Riseup, gmail or Yahoo. Insert words get bridges in the body of the letter.

If you have there is to access the Tor Project, you can find the addresses of such bridges, Go to the page https://bridges.torproject.org/options and follow the steps.

Step 1. Click button Just give me the addresses of the bridges!.

Image 1. Getting addresses of Tor bridges

Step 2 Dial characters from the picture ( captcha) and press Enter.

Image 2. Captcha

You will see three bridge addresses.

Image 3. Addresses of bridges

Step 3 Now that you have the bridge addresses, you can dial them in Tor bridge settings as shown below.

Note. If this is your first time launching Tor Browser, you may see a screen Tor bridge settings, just following the steps from . If Tor Browser is already configured, refer to .

Image 4. Tor bridge settings

3.3. Changing the settings for accessing the Tor network

You can change Tor's settings when the program is already configured. Let's say you're traveling to a country where Tor is blocked. How to change settings? Follow the steps:

Step 1: Click button to see the Tor Browser menu.

Image 1. Tor Browser settings menu

Step 2 Select Tor network settings to determine how Tor Browser connects to the internet.

Image 2. Tor network settings

In the settings, you can enable or disable bridges, and select other options.

When you're done click button and restart Tor Browser.

4. Anonymous access to the Internet through Tor Browser

It is important to remember that Tor Browser provides anonymity only for those actions that occur in the Tor Browser window. All other online activity is not protected by Tor itself.

Note. In accordance with privacy policy , Tor Browser set to not save browser history on HDD. Every time you exit Tor Browser, the history is deleted.

4.1. How to check if Tor Browser is running

Tor Browser hides your IP address from the sites you visit. If the program is configured correctly, it should look like you are accessing a website on the Internet from an IP address that is different from your normal IP address, and your physical location cannot be calculated from the IP address.

The easiest way to make sure that the program works is to check it on the developer's website https://check.torproject.org/ .

If you don't use Tor, you will see:

Image 1. Checking shows that Tor is not working as it should

If you are using Tor, the image will look like this:

Image 2. Verification shows that Tor is working as it should

Want to know the IP address under which you connect to the Internet through the network Tor? There are many opportunities on the Internet to do this, including websites that support encryption. https(which makes life difficult non-providers who will want to "fake" the result):

If you go to this site not Through Tor Browser, you can see your real IP address associated with your real location. If you access through Tor Browser, a different IP address will be displayed.

4.2. Creation of a new identity

You can create a "new identity" in Tor Browser. In this case, Tor Browser will randomly choose new set restrants. From the outside, it will look like you are logging in from a new IP address when you visit a particular website. To create a new identity:

Step 1. Click button to bring up the Tor Browser settings menu.

Image 1. Creation new personality in Tor Browser

Step 2 Select paragraph New identity.

Tor Browser will clear your browsing history and cookies, then restart and you will continue with a different IP address.

4.3. NoScript add-on

4.4. Tor Browser update

You will be notified when Tor Browser updates are released.

Step 1. Click button to bring up the Tor Browser menu.

Image 1. Tor settings Browser

Step 2 Select Check for availability Tor updates Browser.

Image 2. Checking for updates to Tor Browser

The program will tell you if a new version Tor Browser and if an update is required.

Image 3. Software updates

FAQ

Question. Why should I Tor Browser?

Answer. Tor Browser – useful program if you need to bypass censorship and access certain sites. Tor Browser comes in handy if you don't want your ISP to know what sites you visit. The program also hides your location on the Internet from sites.

Question. I run Tor Browser; now all programs that access the network work through the Tor network?

Answer. No, by default, only what you work with is sent through the Tor network. Tor Browser. Other programs work as usual - directly through your Internet access provider. You can find out if the Tor network is working by going to verification Tor page by the address https://check.torproject.org. The developers of Tor also expect people to be careful, use common sense and act prudently when accessing new and unfamiliar websites.

Question. Is what I do in encrypted Tor Browser?

Answer. Tor encrypts all communications inside Tor networks. Keep in mind that Tor cannot encrypt data that leaves the Tor network. To protect data between weekend Tor node and the site you are linking to, it's still best to use HTTPS.

Apparently, the Tor network remains unhacked. By at least, according to an internal NSA report from 2012, although this organization had opportunities in certain cases reveal the ownership of certain nodes, in general they are not able to reveal any node on request. Yes, and these disclosures occurred on occasions such as an error in the Firefox browser, which was included in tor bundle and others like it. If you use Tor correctly, then the probability of disclosure is extremely small.

2. Tor is not only used by criminals

Contrary to popular belief, Tor is used not only by criminals, pedophiles and other bad terrorists. This, to put it mildly, is far from the case. activists different kind, journalists, just people who love privacy make up a portrait Tor users. Personally, I am very impressed with the position of the Tor developers, who answer the question “what, do you have something to hide?” phrase: "No, it's not a secret - it's just none of your business."
And criminals have a large arsenal of tools, from identity change to stolen devices or network access, from botnets to Trojan viruses. Using and promoting Tor you help criminals no more than using the Internet.

3. Tor has no hidden loopholes or backdoors

Rumor has it that Tor was created by the military, and they deliberately made hidden loopholes in it. Although Tor was originally funded with US Navy money, its code has since been in open access, and many cryptographers studied its source code. Everyone can study them. And now enthusiasts, advocates of privacy and anonymity on the Internet, are working on the project.
There is also information that the US intelligence agencies hold about 60% of all nodes - but this is most likely distorted information that about 60% of the funding comes from the US in the form of grants.

4. There were no cases of condemnation of anyone for supporting the relay node

True, in Europe, in this beacon of human rights and legal paradise, or rather, in Austria, just the other day, the person who held the exit node was accused of complicity, because. Illegal traffic passed through this node. So the danger of keeping an exit node is obvious. Well, relay nodes should be out of danger, since they don’t know from the network operation scheme where the request came from, where it is directed, or what kind of traffic they transmit. And to prove the passage of traffic through the relay is almost impossible.

5. Tor is easy to use.

Many people think that Tor is something difficult for hackers and computer geniuses. In fact, the developers have already simplified its use as much as possible - just download Tor Browser, and when you start it, you will automatically use the Tor network. No settings, commands in command line and others.

6. Tor is not as slow as you think

A couple of years ago, the network was slow. Now access to sites occurs at a quite acceptable speed. Yes, you cannot download torrents through Tor - both slowly and harmful to the network. But you can conduct any other habitual activity without irritation.

7. Tor is not a panacea

Using Tor, you still need to follow a few rules and understand a little about how it works, what it can and cannot do, so as not to negate all its efforts. If you're using Tor Browser and you're logged into Facebook at the same time, it doesn't make much sense. Understand how it works and use it wisely.

Personally, I am a supporter of maintaining privacy and anonymity on the Internet. I propagandize and urge everyone to support the Tor project as necessary and useful, especially in light of the sad events with the new laws “against the Internet”. Support the Tor network. Set yourself a relay - if you can allocate at least 50 kb / s for Tor in your channel, this will already be enough.

Why I stand for privacy and the possibility of anonymity. After all, I'm a law-abiding citizen and I have nothing to hide, right?
Well, I personally can answer this with the following arguments:

• I may have nothing to hide, but what I do is none of your business
• Times change, people change, and laws change. I wrote something in the comments, and a couple of years after the adoption of another chic law, it suddenly became possible to classify it as extremist statements
• I do not believe that all the people who are trying to follow my actions are crystal honest and devoted servants of Themis. That no one will try to use the information received for their dirty selfish purposes.

It will be interesting to know your opinion on privacy and anonymity,% username%