Web Proxy Server for Anonymous Browsing – Tor Firefox Browser
The last decade saw the growth of internet and web hacking to an extent no one could have imagined. Although hacking is employed to test various servers for penetrations and to develop software patches to ensure their safety, one cannot deny the usage of hacking as cracking. The black hackers or the crackers not only utilize their skills to penetrate your system but also steal various important information like bank accounts and credit card details through mail hacking.
If you thought that you can never be under surveillance because you live in some remote area and use internet only for e-banking and facebook-ing, then think again. Some of the information like your id’s and passwords may get tracked by some lunatic cracker. Not sure what to do, here’s the solution!!!
TOR or The Onion Routing project is a one of it’s kind anonymous routing software that works with the TOR network and provides secure web browsing. The process uses Onion Routing (not because they are made of onion peels or look like onions) but the process of encryption-decryption is a layered one just like an onion. Each person using TOR gets a virtual proxy server established on its system which acts as a link between long relays of transmitting messages.
What Exactly Does ONION ROUTING Do ?
Onion routing is a concept in which head of the onion or the sender describes the path through which the message will be transmitted. The path is actually between various proxy servers of the TOR users. Each router is then given a key to decrypt the data once it reaches it and the destination of the next router.
The process continues till the message finally reaches the receiver. This way anonymity is maintained not only between the sender and receiver but also between teo consecutive routers. Secure isn’t it.
Can I Use It Too ?
Yes, of course. That is what TOR is meant for. Here’s how you can browse the internet anonymously within the next few minutes…
- Download Mozilla Firefox – I prefer firefox because there’s a ready to use addon button that can be installed on it. It also makes it pretty easy to use. The latest alpha version can be found here – Download Firefox
- Download Vidalia – the free control panel to use TOR along with other apps. Here’s the link – Download Link
- Once both the software’s are successfully installed browse to ‘C:\Documents and Settings\vipul\My Documents\Downloads\Tor Browser’ and click on “start tor browser.exe” This will start your TOR browser.
- Next open your Mozilla Firefox and you will see the message that “you are using TOR.”
That’s all. Simple isn’t it.
Is It 100% Secure ?
There’s nothing in this world that is perfectly build. That’s why we have new versions of software’s coming every week!!! Like that TOR is not perfectly secure. If we look closely the exit node (the last onion router) decrypts the information completely and gets it as a plain text. So if it would be some bad guy trying to get his hands on your information, he can do so using sniffers. so if you are relaying your account details and this happens then you may lose your money. Not safe though!!! But the fact that it creates anonymity for you makes it difficult for crackers to locate the source of information and the destination at the same time. Security also depends upon the number of routers employed for relaying and also the number of malicious routers. Hope they do something for this…..
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Filed Under: Internet
Howz the speed ? Guess.. must be slow enough since multi level proxies are involved.
Can be use as need basis but still problem if top level proxy is compromised.
Pretty comprehensive info.