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--- tor [2019/08/04 07:13] – created neil
+++ tor [2019/08/16 14:33] – neil
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 =====Tor=====
-What is Tor? Explanation.
-Mainly used for browsing (via TorBrowser), but that is just one use of Tor.
+Tor is a network which is designed to provide anonymity online, and protect you from online tracking.
-You can use Tor for secure file sharing (via OnionShare).
+There are a number of different ways to access Tor but, from a desktop computer, the most common way is through [[https://www.torproject.org|TorBrowser]].
-If you want to make your firm's website or other online services available within Tor (known as an "onion" service), see here.
+You can use Tor for secure file sharing (via [[https://onionshare.org|OnionShare]]).
-====Is Tor only for bad things?====
+Tor is very easy to use and, if you use TorBrowser, you are unlikely to notice anything different, other than perhaps it taking a bit longer to load webpages.
-No.
-A stigma attached to it, but fundamentally no more so than encryption
-And some people say it is used as an identifier by law enforcement agencies, subjecting you to further scrutiny
-====Use for browsing====
+====Key points: ====
-Some computer systems will let you direct all your traffic over Tor
+====Tor can help you avoid restrictions or surveillance on a local network ====
+If you want to circumvent a restriction on a local network, or browse without your local network operator seeing your traffic, Tor is a convenient, easy to use, way of doing it.
+====Be very careful if anonymity is vital ====
+Although Tor is a tool which can help you with anonymity online, it cannot guarantee it. Nothing can.
+In particular, on some devices — such as iOS — some protocols will still reveal information about you. These include WebRTC (used for in-browser audio and video calls), some media files, and visiting sites which have "EV" certificates (which show the company's name in a green bar in the browser address bar).
+====Tor is not only used for bad things====
+There is a  stigma attached to using Tor — the moniker of the "dark net" — but, like encryption (used by criminals, as well us being essential for secure online activity) and cars (helpful for commuting; also used by some criminals as getaway cars, or driven by some in breach of the speed limit), Tor is neither good nor bad, nor is it used solely for bad things.
 ====Downsides of using Tor====
-But CloudFlare, and lots of captchas.
-Some sites block Tor traffic, so you may find that you cannot access the site you want to visit if you are attempting to access it over Tor.
+=== Using Tor might get you into trouble, or subject to further surveillance ===
+The fact that you are using Tor is readily detectable — it is not hidden at all — and, if the country you are in regards use of Tor as a sign of doing something wrong, or perhaps even having something to hide, using Tor may, in itself, be a risk.
+===Some websites block access from Tor ===
+You may find it harder, or even impossible, to access your chosen website via Tor. This depends on how the site operator has configured it.
+===You may see a lot more "captchas" ===
+Some sites try to detect "bad" traffic, and work out whether there is an actual user trying to gain access. To do this, they use "captchas" — those irritating "click all the squares which contain pictures of traffic lights" pop-ups which you need to complete.
+Using Tor is a good way of having to do lots more captchas.
+=== It can be slow ===
+Tor works by wrapping your traffic up in encryption, and routing it through multiple different computers, with each computer stripping off one layer of encryption.
+The computer in the chain with the slowest Internet connection acts as a bottleneck, and expect browsing to be slower than if you were not using Tor.
+For most traffic, performance is likely to be acceptable, but using it for accessing videos is both frustrating and rather unfair.