The Onion Router (Tor) network or the dark web allows users to access Internet sites that would normally be censored. Doing this though does come with its perils. NordVPN gives advice on how to use the Tor network safely.
The Tor (The Onion Router) network is also called a “dark web” since it provides access to completely uncensored online experience. Tor keeps growing in popularity with an estimated 2,5-million users daily, with over 1-million per month using it to access Facebook alone.
Although many government leaders have expressed their concerns over Tor’s existence, some acknowledge that it would be “technically impossible” to shut down. It is the ultimate expression of Internet freedom, and besides a small percentage of people using it for illegal activity, Tor Network is widely used by whistleblowers, activists, human rights fighters and journalists, and is easily accessible by simply downloading Onion browser.
Tor allows accessing uncensored Internet in countries where it¹s censored for example, in Iran, where Facebook is blocked.
While the dark web is easy to use, its users should take special precautions to keep their identity and activity safe, since it¹s a completely unregulated online browsing experience. When people access Onion websites, they should be careful not to fall victim to some attractive offers they can find there, as they can never be sure who is on the other side of the line.
The same rules apply to Tor Network safety as any other Internet marketplace /network: for example, not volunteering personal information, and avoiding deals that look too good to be true. Users should always have VPN turned on when surfing the dark net in order to protect their information, and should delete/ disable cookies after each session.
NordVPN, a VPN service provider, offers a special Tor over VPN feature, which makes users¹ browsing activity completely safe.
When using TOR over VPN solution, user’s data first goes to NordVPN server where it gets encrypted. Then the data travels to TOR Network where the data packets are randomly transmitted to multiple servers inside the TOR network and the data is encrypted again and sent out through different TOR exit nodes. After all this process, the request reaches the Internet.
Basically, it’s such a safe privacy tool because user’s online activity becomes routed into an encrypted tunnel, and their IP address is not an exit node anymore – it¹s NordVPN¹s server that becomes the exit node. Tor over VPN feature by NordVPN is very user friendly and easy to configure – the user doesn¹t have to do much in order to access Onion websites – one click of a button will get them there.
When precaution becomes priority, then users can take advantage of all that Tor has to offer, for example, Wiki Leaks, CircleServices, TorPM, hidden search engines, and more. Tor can also protect user¹s anonymity from marketers, hackers or identity thieves. The network helps out activists report from abroad on bad labor practices or share sensitive information, and helps journalists write from countries where content is blocked.
