Tor, short for The Onion Router, is a robust privacy network designed to enable anonymous web browsing through multiple layers of encryption. It was initially developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in the mid-1990s with the aim of protecting government communications. Over time, Tor has evolved into an open-source platform maintained by a dedicated community of volunteers.

The network functions by routing user traffic through a series of nodes, each encrypting the data like layers of an onion. This intricate process makes tracking online activities extremely challenging. Today, Tor is used for a variety of legitimate purposes, including safeguarding the privacy of journalists and whistle-blowers, helping individuals maintain their online privacy, and circumventing censorship.

Protocol

The Tor protocol is described by specifications. You can find the specs on spec.torproject.org.

Tor Browser

This is the recommended way for end-users to use Tor. It’s a hardened build of Mozilla Firefox that has a built-in Tor node.

Tags: Privacy Cryptography