Tor download the latest version. What is tor browser

Today, the variety of alternative software will no longer surprise any user. In addition to undeniable leaders, promising and simply interesting projects appear. Thus, in connection with the increased attention to maintaining the anonymity and security of confidential information on the Internet, the Tor browser has become quite widespread.

Browser rating

In the line of popular browsers, Google Chrome has been confidently occupying a leading position for several years in a row. According to various sources, the product from the information giant Google is installed on computers from 46 to 55% of Runet users. The browser meets the basic needs of the average user: Chrome is fast and stable in operation, not overloaded with frills and equipped with SandBox technology, which guarantees protection against viruses and hacks.

The leaders also include Yandex.Browser, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer - a standard solution offered by Microsoft Windows Corporation, Opera. Orbitum is gaining popularity, which is actually no different from Chrome, but has a number of advantages:

• improved page loading speed and confidential information protection system;
• added the ability to communicate in social networks through a special quick chat window;
• accounts of popular social networks are displayed in a separate list.

Alternatives and promising projects

Recently, the greatest response from users has been caused by programs that allow you to maintain privacy on the Internet and open blocked sites. These solutions include Globus and Tor Browser. By the way, the last Internet Explorer is currently the dominant browser that uses onion routing technology - a technique for anonymously exchanging information over a computer network.

Browser download page

The Tor browser, reviews of which are built mainly around the ability to act incognito on the World Wide Web, can be downloaded from the official website of the developers in Russian - a mirror of the English-language resource TorProject. The page, made in purple tones, promises the user "confidentiality of communication and security on the Web." The latter is ensured through the use of an extensive network of servers, which is formed by volunteers from all over the world.

On the page, you can also see a request for financial support for onion routing. The funds are expected to be spent on further development of the project in Russia and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as ensuring proper protection from the control of the relevant services.

Onion Routing

Onion routing, the technology behind Tor Browser, is a method of anonymously exchanging information on the Internet. Messages are repeatedly encrypted and sent through several routers, each of which replaces one layer of encryption with its own. Thus, the intermediate points of transmission of information have no knowledge of the content or destination of the message, nor of the point of origin, nor of the point of reception.

The main idea of ​​onion routing is to ensure the maximum level of anonymity for users - the sender and recipient of information, as well as to protect the content of the message from outsiders. Of course, onion routing technology does not guarantee secrecy, but it makes it much more difficult for eavesdroppers to find out the data.

Application creation history

Mostly positively reviewed, the Tor browser is free software designed to implement the second generation of onion routing. The system was developed in the laboratories of the US Navy under the federal order of the authorities. After some time, a large human rights organization announced its support for the project. Additional funding is provided by the United States Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation and the Department of State.

The source code of the software is published in the public domain so that everyone can make sure that there are no errors, bookmarks or other elements that secretly collect information about users. To date, the number of participants in the network of routers is estimated at two million, servers are scattered around the world. Unless there are no network nodes in Antarctica.

Application installation

The archive is downloaded from the official website of "Tor" in Runet quite quickly. In the window that opens after the end of the download, you have to select the language, installation folder and wait for the files to be copied. "Tor" (browser in Russian) is installed quickly: in general, the installation process takes no more than two minutes. At the same time, Adguard - a program for blocking ads (pop-ups, banners and videos) - on the strong recommendation of the developers, installed along with the browser to ensure the correct operation of the latter, suggested briefly familiarizing yourself with the possibilities and also installing a mobile application.

Browser interface

Externally, the program window is very similar to Google Chrome. The Tor browser, reviews of which note similarities with the Internet Explorer of the computer giant Google, suggests “leaving the browser window at its original size” already on the start page, since opening it to full size will allow web resources to determine the size of the user's screen. After consent, by the way, the browser simply does not open to full screen.

The Tor Browser menu is exactly the same as Chrome's features. Not even changed the appearance of the icons. The program's own search engine is Look. By the way, by the request “Wikipedia”, the main page of the resource was not found.

However, "Tor" (browser) for Windows is designed to view resources that are hidden in the "regular" Internet. So “drug forum” or “synthesis of coke analogues” is not the most unusual thing one would expect.

Information transfer chains

The Tor browser, reviews of which, despite some inconsistency of search results with the query, are still positive, for each site presents a chain that reflects a list of information transfer points. So, for the main page of "Wikipedia" the following path appears:

1. This browser.
2. Czech.
3. Netherlands.
4. Netherlands (another IP address is displayed in brackets).
5. Internet.

When you go to another page, the chain has changed dramatically. For the mail.ru portal, the intermediate points for the transfer of information were:

1. This browser.
2. Czech.
3. France.
4. Germany.
5. Internet.

Browser usage

To obtain hidden information or ensure the confidentiality of personal life, "Tor" (browser) is used. How to use the software as a regular user? Of course, surfing the web over public resources is easier in more familiar versions of Internet Explorer, but in some cases it makes sense to communicate on social networks and transfer confidential information using onion routing.

So, Edward Snowden transmitted information to journalists through Tor (browser). “How to use the software?” - Italian activists who created a website with information about the activities of the local mafia did not ask such a question either. Many public organizations and civic leaders recommend Tor, both to ensure their own security and, in general, to preserve freedom on the Internet.

Browser versions

In addition to the desktop version, there is "Tor" (browser) for "Android" in two variations. True, the application is called differently - Orbot or Orfox. The latter program is based on Firefox, not Chrome. Tor (browser) for Android (both versions) can be freely downloaded from Google Play.

There are also alternative builds of Tor from other developers. For example, Dooble-TorBrowser significantly expands the possibilities of work, and PirateBrowser, according to programmers, is only suitable for viewing websites that are subject to censorship, but does not provide anonymity on the Internet. Tor is a browser whose versions are diverse due to the open source code of the program. It is the official version from The Tor Project, Inc.

Criticism and actions against the Tor browser

The widespread adoption of the software has sparked some public outcry. Most often, the possibility of using the browser for criminal purposes is mentioned, computer terrorism, replication of unlicensed software, illegal drug trafficking, running Trojan horses, and similar illegal actions are also common accusations. Tor browser precedents number in the dozens, but the software continues to be widely used.

Recently, interest in the anonymous network is constantly growing. And there are many reasons for this..

"Democratic reforms" in the world are in full swing. The governments of almost all countries now sincerely believe that they have the right to decide where their citizens go, what to see and what to read. Bundles of laws, "with the best of intentions" stamped by thoughts, councils and parliaments, increasingly sharply define the boundaries of reservations, within which now only the existence of users on the global network is possible.

“You don’t go there, go here. And then the snow will fall on your head - you will be completely dead ”©“ Gentlemen of Fortune ”.

Another tense moment is the incessant revelations of Edward Snowden, from which it is clear that the total surveillance of everyone and everyone by the special services has already acquired a truly worldwide scope. Of course, the vast majority of people have nothing to hide, but it is extremely unpleasant to realize that you are under the constant cap of special forces, your every step is monitored and recorded, and someone regularly tries to pick their naughty little hands in your "dirty linen". And absolutely do not care for what purpose he does it, whether he has good intentions or not.

Why is it needed, this Tor?

More and more people are trying to keep their private lives safe from the long nose of the secret services. More and more people are trying to get rid of the “paternal care” of state officials and want to exercise their constitutional right to independently decide where to go, what to choose, where to look and what to do.

And here the anonymous Tor network comes to the rescue. Because it can provide a single individual with a significant reduction in obsessive attention, simultaneously removing almost all restrictions on movement on the World Wide Web. Tor will hide your identity on the Web, hide everything you did on the Internet and where you went.

In addition, the Tor network has another small practical bonus. It quite often allows you to get around such an annoying thing as an IP ban on various sites. A trifle, but nice.

What is Tor and how it works

So, what is the Tor anonymous network. Tor is an abbreviation for The Onion Router (for those who do not know bourgeois, but are curious - see the translation in). If someone is interested in boring technical details, let him stomp on the Tor page on Wikipedia and understand. I would like a bit simpler - to the same page on Lurkomorye. I will try to quickly explain "on the fingers."

Although this network operates on the basis of the regular Internet, all data in it does not go directly from you to the server and back, as in the "big" network, but everything is run through a long chain of special servers and is encrypted many times at each stage. As a result, the final recipient, that is, you, becomes completely anonymous for sites - instead of your real address, an absolutely left IP is displayed that has nothing to do with you. All your movements become impossible to trace, as well as what you did. And intercepting your traffic also becomes completely useless.

It's in theory. In practice, sometimes not everything is so rosy. But we will talk about all the possible problems a little later. You're already tired of the long and boring intro, aren't you? Can't wait to install and try this miracle as soon as possible? Well then, let's go!

Let's start using Tor?

Tor is a rather complicated device in terms of installation and configuration. And in times not so ancient, connecting an ordinary “teapot” to it became a task by no means trivial. However, today everything is much simpler. Smart and kind people took all the necessary modules, put them together in a coherent bunch, set everything up as it should, and stuffed it into a single package. This package is called . And after downloading, all the fuss with it comes down to the usual unpacking and subsequent trampling of the “I want Tor!” button. And Tor appears.

Of course, computer geeks and those who have nothing to do or want to amuse their CSF, as before, can download all the necessary modules separately and gnaw through a multi-page technical “Kama Sutra”, trying to tie it all together, and at least somehow configure and run the resulting structure. We wish them good luck, and we ourselves will do something more rewarding.

I advise on this tab to pay attention to the link " Checking Tor Internet Settings". Clicking on it will help you finally make sure that you are really now in an anonymous network. By the way, there is also a link to a quick guide.

So, you are now invisible. However, until your head is finally spinning from anonymity and imaginary impunity, I hasten to slightly spoil your mood. Just like that, purely out of personal harm.

I just have to tell you about some of the "pitfalls" of the Tor network, so that in search of adventures in your "lower hemispheres" you do not hit them on these stones.

A bit of security in Tor

So, what Tor cannot protect against. Tor cannot protect a person from their own stupidity. If a person has only sawdust instead of brains in the cervical growth, or he purposefully looks for problems for himself, then he will definitely find these problems. And no Tor will help here. Learn to use your brain and exercise basic caution. Tor will also not be able to protect you from chatty programs on your computer. Any plug-in or add-on in the browser can “multiply by zero” all your anonymity at one moment. Yes, the browser...

That is why the package we are considering uses a specially doped version of Ognelis. By the way, does anyone else need to be reminded that Windows itself is one huge Trojan and a spyware? ( Linuxoids can breathe freely here - they never care about such children's problems of “vents”). Tor will also not be able to protect you from viruses and hackers. Well, it's not meant for that! Get yourself a normal antivirus and firewall, set them up correctly and learn how to use them - and sleep peacefully.

The main problems of the Tor anonymous network

Okay, I’m finishing my digression and moving directly to the problems of the Tor network itself. The first thing that catches your eye is the speed. Page loading speed. Although the words "speed" and "rushes" are clearly inappropriate here. Pages load much slower than usual. This is the price of anonymity. The page you requested, before getting into your browser, hangs for a long time between servers around the world. However, it should be recognized that the situation now is much better than a couple of years ago, and it is quite possible to live with such a speed. If you get used to it a little. Despite everything, the network develops and grows stronger.

special services

Another - and perhaps the main - problem of the Tor network is intelligence agencies. They just can't accept the fact that crowds of users roam freely and uncontrollably on the network without their "all-seeing eye". And they are constantly making every possible attempt to change the situation. Attempts are very different, up to frankly criminal. Before virus, hacker attacks and hacks, targeted infection of software and servers with Trojans. Although infrequently, sometimes their efforts end successfully for them, And entire segments fall out of the “onion” network, and a “pativen” leaves for one of the most unfortunate (or the most stupid, or the most arrogant). But you're not going to do anything criminal in Tor, are you? This is all to ensure that you do not relax too frankly and constantly remember that Tor is not a panacea, and any anonymity is relative. And if you already decided to gamble with the state, then the question of your capture is only a matter of time.

officials

In addition to intelligence agencies representing the interests of states, state officials often represent a problem for the anonymous Tor network. The desire to “keep and not let go” in people who have seized power is indestructible. Occasionally, in relation to some things, this desire is quite justified and just, but most often it is not. And the bit of freedom given by Tor acts like a red rag on them. In some countries, the Tor network is already banned. Legislatively. There was such an attempt in Russia. So far, only in the draft version. Whether this project will become law and when, I do not know. At the moment, the Tor network in Russia operates without restrictions. Forbid - there will be something else instead of it. I will not lay out here verbatim folk wisdom on this subject, but I will say a little softer and more streamlined: "For every action there is its own opposition."

hackers

Another misfortune for Tor is hackers. Some of them are ideological. and some are simply stoned to *** (sorry for the non-parliamentary expression). Periodically, most often during the spring or autumn exacerbation, they arrange "crusades", trying to "cleanse the world of filth." At the same time, the opinion of the world itself does not bother them at all. They think that they have the right to decide for everyone. Not so long ago, there was a "campaign" against, let's say, non-traditional porn, on the Tor network. The case in this case is quite charitable. However, along with the porn, a bunch of completely white sites were also sawn out. Just like that, in passing. And who said that next time they will be limited to only this? So know that if your favorite "onion" site suddenly stopped opening, then it is quite possible that this is the actions of one of these with inflamed brains.

Infected files

The problem with the infected files of the Tor Browser itself is closely adjacent to the hackers. And here the ears of various special services often peek through, trying to plant their Trojan instead of an anonymous network. For example, in App Store still offer to download the infected Tor Browser. Moreover, the administration of the App Store was informed about this repeatedly in the fall. However, the Trojan is still there. Strange situation and strange slowness. True, all the strangeness instantly disappears when you remember that the tender and reverent friendship between Apple Corporation and the US NSA is growing stronger day by day. So download the files of Tor itself exclusively from the official site, or - our engine, in fact, will also give you a file directly from the official site.

Minor disadvantages of Tor

With an overview of more or less serious problems of the Tor network, it's over. Let's move on to minor annoyances. I have already spoken about periodically disappearing sites. Now about Russian sites in this anonymous network. They are few. But they already exist, and there are more and more of them. And even in many non-speaking forums there are sections for Russians. So where to roam and who to talk to you will find. However, the main language in the Tor network is still English, and all the tastiest things in this network are in bourgeois. Although at your service there are always all kinds of dictionaries and.

Further. It should be remembered that the Tor network is fundamentally not moderated or controlled by anyone. Sometimes some control occurs on individual sites when their owners set rules for their visitors. But not more. Therefore, you may well stumble upon things that shock you. Be ready for it. Also in this network there are various scumbags, frank schizoids, maniacs and other freaks. There are plenty of them in the "big" Internet, but in an anonymous network they feel more comfortable and are not particularly shy. Their percentage is much less than government officials are trying to tell us about this, but they exist. And if you have minor children, I recommend keeping them away from Tor.

And in general, I strongly demand to protect the Internet from children! It will only benefit the Internet. It will make him much safer.

Well, in general, he told all the horror stories. I will only remind you about viruses that Tor will not protect you from - protect yourself. Well, about anonymity again - it never happens one hundred percent, use your gray matter more often.

And for dessert, a small list of "onion" sites, so to speak, for overclocking.

Goodies and bonuses - a small list of "onion" sites

By the way, if you haven’t understood yet, then in Tor Browser you can open both ordinary sites of the “big” Internet, bypassing some inconveniences, and special sites of the anonymous “onion” network. These sites are located in a special pseudo-domain zone .onion(look carefully at the address). From the usual Internet, they do not open. At all. Only from Tor Browser running and connected to the network.

• Tor Wiki(http://torwikignoueupfm.onion/) - Directory of Tor links.
• The Hidden Wiki(http://kpvz7ki2v5agwt35.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page) is the first site every new user of the Tor network should look at. Contains links to almost all the resources of the "onion" network. Often unavailable due to the huge influx of visitors.
• The Uncensored Hidden Wiki(http://zqktlwi4fecvo6ri.onion/wiki/index.php/Main_Page) - mirror of The Hidden Wiki. Moderation is minimal.
• TORDIR(http://dppmfxaacucguzpc.onion/) - a large directory of "onion" sites.
• Tor Search(http://kbhpodhnfxl3clb4.onion/), Torgle(http://zw3crggtadila2sg.onion/torgle), TORCH(http://xmh57jrzrnw6insl.onion/) and The Abyss(http://nstmo7lvh4l32epo.onion/) - search engines on the Tor network, at least one of them works.
• Flibusta(http://flibustahezeous3.onion/) - a mirror of the famous library in the onion network (RU language).
• OnionNet(http://onionnetrtpkrc4f.onion/) - IRC network. The main language of communication is English. Different channels for discussion, up to an illegal immigrant. Additional servers: ftwircdwyhghzw4i.onion, renko743grixe7ob.onion, nissehqau52b5kuo.onion.
• vTOR"e(http://da36c4h6gxbckn32.onion/) - social network. interest clubs, blogs, forum.
• RAMP(http://ramp2bombkadwvgz.onion/) is currently the largest trading platform in the Russian segment of the Tor network. Recently, there have been a lot of complaints about the actions of the administration and the increasing cases of scammers. (So ​​don't click your beak and keep your eyes and ears open) With the biggest selection on the web. And the highest prices.
• RUForum(http://ruforumqewhlrqvi.onion/) - a Russian-language forum with communication and sale of everything that is impossible. Recently closed to outsiders. Registration is paid - $10.
• Amberoad(http://amberoadychffmyw.onion/) is one of the largest shadow trading platforms.
• Assassination Market(http://assmkedzgorodn7o.onion/) - betting on guessing the date of death of any bad people. Anyone can add a person to the list or raise the bid for existing positions. At the moment Barack Obama and Ben Bernanke are in the lead.
• Hack IT(http://tuwrg72tjmay47uv.onion/) - a live service for hiring hackers.
• Wikileaks(http://zbnnr7qzaxlk5tms.onion/) - I hope I don't need to explain what it is? Mirror in the "onion" network (ENG).
• Onion Portal(http://ximqy45aat273ha5.onion/) - guide to the "onion" network (RU).
• http://k4bmdpobhqdguh2y.onion/ - blog about new hidden network services (ENG).
• Lukochan(http://562tqunvqdece76h.onion/Lukochan/) - large board (ENG, RU).
• silk road(http://silkroadvb5piz3r.onion) is another large anonymous marketplace (ENG).
• Keys open doors(http://wdnqg3ehh3hvalpe.onion/) - a site about hacking game consoles and various gadgets (ENG).
• http://n2wrix623bp7vvdc.onion/hackingservices.html - a resource about hacking social networks, etc. (ENG).

All sorts of political-revolutionary-partisan resources are not cited here intentionally. Whoever needs it will find it.

Want to keep your privacy private? We will tell you how to launch Tor Browser. Councils for loading, tuning, application. Connection selection. Maintaining complete anonymity on the Internet. You can download Tor Browser for free from the official developer link on our resource at the end of the review.

Tor is free and open source software for implementing the second generation of so-called onion routing. This is a proxy server system that allows you to establish an anonymous network connection that is protected from listening.

The essence of Tor Browser lies in the impossibility of tracking the location of the computer used by any third-party objects, since the network connection of the client device is repeatedly encrypted through the chain of "onion routers" (The Onion Router). Download Tor browser in Russian for free, we offer on our website at the link at the bottom of the page.

System requirements

Operating system: Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Vista, Windows XP
(CPU support for SSE2 instruction sets)

How to start

Tor Browser is free software (software). Thanks to the Internet, you can find it in the public domain. Installation, configuration, use are not difficult. But still, many users are interested in how to launch Tor Browser.

The name Tor is an abbreviation for "The Onion Router". Translation from English means "Onion Routing". Due to which the browser has a second name - Onion. Data transfer through this software is carried out using 3 encrypted nodes. Each time the nodes change, over and over again. This is similar to how several layers of peel are removed from an ordinary onion. One replaces the other. This approach hides the identity, the physical address of the user who initially sends data over the Internet.

Luke's direct work is carried out through a special network - the Tor Project. It is hidden from the average user who accesses websites through standard browsers. The peculiarity is that this product does not even have a specific owner. Functionality, performance, stability of the network are built on the voluntary basis of people from all over the world.

We launch the installation file. Select the installation language.

Select a folder for installation.

Browser installation begins.

After the installation is complete, you can immediately launch the browser.

Starting window - select configure.

We expose the network settings of the browser.

Connecting.

How to turn it on

The basis for the creation of Luke was the Firefox browser. You can use Tor on any computer equipment.

To install and run the software, you will need to do the following:

• Go to the official website of the product.
• Select language.
• Download the software (in the form of an archive).

The old version of the program provided for the possibility of self-selection of a server of a particular country. If this is important for someone, then such a version can still be found in the public domain.

After downloading the archive, you need to unpack it. To do this, go to the folder with the program, open a file called Start Tor Browser.exe

The Tor control panel will launch. Here you can select the appropriate network connection, as well as test it in operation. If the connection is correct, Tor Browser itself will start.

Check if the IP address has changed, and proceed to anonymous use of the necessary network resources.

Browser extensions

Settings

How to clear the cache

Who uses

Tor Browser found its application among different groups of people:

• journalists (secure communication with whistleblowers);
• bloggers (does not restrict freedom of expression);
• social workers (helps in communicating with people who have become victims of violence, etc.);
• special services (collection of data from any available sources);
• large business companies (safety of personal data and valuable information);
• hackers;
• ordinary users.

Advantages of Tor browser

• availability;
• ease of use;
• the presence of the Russian language;
• work without mandatory installation, starts from external media (for example, from a flash drive, memory card, disk);
• bypasses blocking of information resources;
• access to hidden sites of the Tor Project network;
• anonymity;
• data transmission with encryption;
• disabling possible unsafe functions (saving a password to enter the page, browsing history, browser cache; keys to enter the site, coockies, java script, flash).

disadvantages

• low speed of loading web resources;
• restriction of some functions of the sites;
• the NoScript plugin and other privacy tools can be difficult for beginners;
• poor playback of video, audio files.

The program has many more benefits. Its limitations are very insignificant, besides, they are quite few. Working with Luke promises to be interesting.

Download Tor browser for free from the official website in Russian, we offer the link below for Windows 7/8/10.

Conclusion

Download free Tor Browser in Russian from the official website at the link below. When using this product, we must not forget that confidentiality does not protect against the threat of leakage of important information, so the usual security measures always remain in force.

Tor Browser- a browser that ensures the anonymity of your surfing on the Internet. Tor Browser Russian version combines a specially customized Firefox browser and Tor software. The anonymity of visiting sites is ensured by encrypting traffic and routing through a worldwide network of servers. Thus, tracking of your Internet connection is completely excluded, any information about the configuration of your equipment is leaked, and also no host will be able to calculate your physical location.

Initially, the Tor proxy server system was developed for the US Navy, but after it was declassified by the US Department of Defense, independent developers became interested in it and created the Tor Browser already known to us in Russian. As a result, we have 6000 nodes located on all continents, which transmit highly encrypted information through anonymous Tor proxy servers. By installing the Tor Browser on your computer, you can access any prohibited sites, chat in web chats, make purchases, download files, and no one, at the same time, will figure you out by IP address.

You can not install Tor Browser for Windows 7, 8, 10 to work. It is enough to download the installation file and dump it on a USB flash drive and you can run it from any other device. Tor Browser is no different from a regular browser, its interface is similar to that of Firefox. Besides, there is Tor Browser for Android devices that even an inexperienced user can figure out.

Main features of Tor Browser for Windows 7, 8, 10:

• Anonymous site visits
• Inability to track a person by IP
• The ability to work in a browser without installing it on your computer
• The presence of the Russian version, which facilitates the development of the program
• Ability to block flash content that compromises security
• The browser automatically clears the browsing history, cache, cookies.

latest version Tor Browser in Russian language provides anonymity of the visit, but does not insure you against the loss of personal data, so you need to take security issues responsibly..

If you're tired of the feeling of prying eyes following you to sell something, then it's time for you to find out what the Tor browser is.

Personal information left by the user in social networks, online stores, on the websites of government organizations and simply in search engines, is of great interest, first of all, to the same search companies. They process user preferences in order to improve their algorithms and improve the quality of search results.

In addition, hungry attackers roam the depths of the Internet who want to gain access to the data of your bank cards and electronic wallets.

Marketers also contribute to tracking your movements on the network: it is very important for them to find out what you can sell based on the queries that you continue to drive into search engines. One has only to enter your mailbox, and there are already very important offers to go there and buy something, having previously studied at such and such courses, not free, of course.

One can only guess, but, most likely, the special services are also interested in your information, at least from the position of total control over the population, of course, for the sake of national security. After summarizing all of the above, a natural desire arises to avoid such dense attention surrounding a simple Internet user. And this is precisely the opportunity that the Tor browser can provide you with.

The Onion Router

So what is tor? TOR browser is free and open source software, whose name is an acronym for The Onion Router, and in Russian: onion router, or onion router. The name of the browser reflects the basic principles on which its encryption system is built, written in the programming languages ​​Python, C and C ++. In general, the system is a network of proxy servers that establish an anonymous connection in the form of a virtual tunnel, in which it is impossible to calculate the user's location, since the data transfer is encrypted.

Through the use of an extensive system of servers, or information nodes, this browser allows the user to remain anonymous, invisible to all potential scammers, robbers, spies and other users with reduced social responsibility. With it, you can create your own sites without revealing their location, and you can also contact those sites that are blocked by official censorship.

Mike Perry, one of the developers of Tor, believes that the browser can provide a high level of protection even against spyware such as PRISM.

History of appearance

Tor Browser was primarily created in the US Navy's research lab when US intelligence agencies were working on the Free Heaven project. For some unknown reason, the project was closed, and all the source codes fell into the public network, where they were caught by talented programmers and organized by the Torproject.org community. Here the browser has already been finalized by voluntary developers, although it continues to be improved, developed and updated to this day.

Just a year ago, Tor already had more than 7,000 system nodes installed on all continents of the Earth, excluding Antarctica, and the number of network users exceeded 2 million. According to Tor Metrics statistics, in 2014 Russia joined the top three countries using the Tor browser most actively. Since the browser is an open source system that various programmers have been working on for more than 15 years, you can not worry that it may turn out to be a catch, and instead of protecting information, it will begin to steal it.

It is the open source code of the browser that gives us a guarantee of the safety of its use.

Video review of the browser, a bit of history and the main purpose

How the system works

The existing TOR technology allows any user to access any site without leaving any traces behind. That is, on the site where you looked, they will not be able to track the IP address of your computer, which means they will not be able to figure you out. It won't even be available to your ISP. And the browser itself will not store information on your movements on the Internet.

The principle of operation of the onion system can be represented as follows:

1. Communication nodes are being formed, installed in different countries by apologists for this technology. For data transfer, 3 arbitrary nodes are used, while no one knows which ones. The data transmitted by users is encrypted multiple times, with each level of encryption being the next layer of the onion router packet. Keep in mind that only the path or routing is encrypted, not the content of the information packets themselves. Therefore, if you want secret information to reach the addressee in complete safety, additional encryption will be required.

2. At each subsequent node through which the information packet is transmitted, one layer of the cipher containing information about the next intermediate point is decrypted. After reading this information, the used bulb layer is removed.

That is, the browser sends a packet to the first host that contains the encrypted address of the second host. Node 1 knows the key for the cipher and, having received the address of node 2, sends a packet there, which is similar to the fact that the first layer of the husk was removed from the onion. Node #2, having received the packet, holds the key to decrypt the address of node #3—another layer of husk has been removed from the onion. And this is repeated several times. Thus, from the outside it will be impossible to understand which site you ended up opening in your Tor browser window.

Video instruction for installation and configuration

System Disadvantages

Search engines, your ISP, or someone else who is already used to following your surfing the web may guess that you are using Tor. They won't know what you watch or do online, but the very fact that you want to hide something will become known to them. Therefore, you will have to study existing ways to increase anonymity if you choose this path.

The Tor system uses simple computers, not high-speed ones. Another drawback follows from this: the speed of information transfer in this anonymous network may not be enough to view, for example, video or other entertainment content.

Currently, the Tor browser is working and actively developing, using more than 15 languages, including Russian. The latest version of Tor was released on January 23, 2017. In some countries, the Tor Project website is blocked or censored, making it impossible to download the Tor Browser directly. In this case, you can use the mirror: Tor Browser Bundle on Github, if the mirrors are not available, you can try to download it through the Gettor service.

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