One of the most popular anonymity and privacy software out there right now is Tor. It is an open source software that allows you to surf the internet anonymously.
Tor protects users’ privacy by “shielding” them from the usual tactics that track and record web usage. Considering the dangers of identity theft (plus the sense of being “stalked” by these virtual Big Brothers) Tor is definitely one software that serves a practical and urgent purpose.
How does Tor protect your identity?
Anonymous web browsing is becoming a much sought after feature because of the growing number of web sites that collect information and data of the users who visit their sites. Among the information that is phished are the IP address of the visitor, the location, the list of web sites that have been visited, the site the user came from previous to going to the phishing web site and even the site that will be visited afterwards.
How does Tor work?
Tor’s function is to improve the level of security by transmitting the communication and information through a network of users located all across the globe. The number of users it has to pass through makes it almost impossible for a malicious web site to track your connection and will not be able to find out where your location and what you’re doing.
Who uses Tor?
Tor has become a favorite tool for blogger and people who do ‘sensitive’ activities online like human rights activists, military personnel as well as people who live in countries where web sites are blocked or internet traffic is monitored. It is also a tool used by people who travel or live in other countries who want to access the content of web sites who block its access beyond the country of origin. Tor is available for various platforms. It has versions for Windows, Mac and Linux.
How to use Tor
Using Tor is very easy. All you need to do is to download Tor at torproject.org. Tor now offers a Tor bundle that contains not only Tor but a version of Firefox as well. You can choose to download a bundle that can be installed on your computer or a standalone bundle that can be run from a USB drive.
The stand-alone Tor bundle is a good option for those who want to use Tor in computers other than their own. All you need to do is just insert their flash drive, go to the Tor browser folder, then click on the Tor Browser to launch Tor. The incorporated Firefox browser will automatically open once Tor has connected to its server.
At present there is also a bundle that also contains an instant messenger to make contacting friends anonymously very easily. It also opens up automatically when Tor is opened and it connects to the server.
Photo from localtechwire.com
I should check this out, thank you for the review!
May I use this picture for a school lesson please?
Tor is great but still very slow in speed wise. I also use vpn service called boxpn (https://www.boxpn.com/default.aspx) for my internet privacy. They encrypt my internet traffic for security and changes my Ip address to keep me anonymous. I have been using them almost a year now and it’s working properly. Good to know that my privacy is secure.