Is Tor a Safe Browser to Use in 2023?

February 17, 2023 By Christine Margret 1 Comment 7 minutes

In this blog, I will explain to you what is Tor. And Is Tor a safe browser to use in 2023? I will also highlight things that you should know about Tor to safely travel the uncensored web. Tor is considered one of the safest browsers to access the dark web or unindexed part of the internet.

But how Tor works? And how safe this Dark web browser is? To learn more about Tor, its anonymity, and safety, make sure to give this blog a good read.

What Is Tor?

You may have heard the term Tor or maybe even the dark web. But what exactly is Tor? Here I give you the low-down. Tor is a free software program short for The Onion Router.

It mainly dealt with many layers of heavy-duty encryption just like an onion. It was originally a worldwide network of servers developed within the US Navy in the early 90s to protect US intelligence communications online.

However, they know that with time, in the future revengers would be able to take advantage of it as it was totally aligned with military-grade internet security and privacy.

Putting it simply, the TOR network disguises your identity by bouncing your data, and internet requests across many TOR servers all around the world.

It changes the pathway every single time so it never is the same, making it nearly impossible to track your IP address, and in other words your online identity.

While using Tor, your location is concealed, so when you visit a website no one knows what you’re up to online.

Tor goes way beyond anonymity, it opens up the doors to a whole new world of information that the everyday web doesn’t.

You may have heard of Dark Web, there are mixed opinions on the dark web. Whether or not it’s a good or bad thing, the truth is it’s both depending on how you look at it.

You would be able to access any website from any country without encountering any blocks. Many undesirable people and organizations abuse TOR by conducting less-than-honorable business transactions and searches on the network.

If someone tries to find out what you’re up to online or the way you are browsing they would simply see traffic coming from a random node on the TOR network rather than your computer device itself.

However, don’t be fooled. Although it is extremely secure just like anything. The FBI is getting better at hacking software, even if they can’t hack the network itself, with enough dedication they would potentially get into your browser.

In other words, hacking the network is extremely difficult, it will take a lot of manpower, though it’s possible.

So, you just don’t need to give many reasons to them to try and find you. Getting access to websites is very easy, just download the TOR browser it is totally free.

Everything you do within the TOR browser will go through the TOR network, it is simple. To say the least, your internet would be a little sluggish because your data will go through lots of relays and encryption just before you click on anything.  If something is important to you, then perhaps TOR is your answer.

Is Tor safe?

TOR itself is a safe browser to be anonymous on the internet. However, as I said above you don’t need to be a fool because TOR would not protect you from other internet endergenments. It is not 100% secure.

Your traffic within the TOR network will be decrypted at a point before it reaches the open web. This is exactly where your online identity gets exposed, and the person who is supervising the “exit node” can see your traffic and even snatch the data. This is generally considered one of the TOR’s biggest vulnerabilities.

Hackers and cybercriminals can easily create their own TOR nodes to monitor users. So the answer to the question is using Tor safe? Is that Tor has some vulnerabilities, and you should not use it regularly. But if you have something important then it is safe to use once in a while.

Is Tor legal in the US?

Yes, Tor is absolutely legal to use. You will not land in legal trouble by using TOR in the US. However, strict actions would be taken against you, if you will do any illegal activities, including buying drugs, or weapons using the TOR browser.

How to use Tor safely?

Install the Tor browser on your device, keep in mind that the Tor browser is an advanced version of Firefox and other software that helps to connect you with the Tor network.

To ensure maximum security, make sure to visit highly encrypted HTTPS websites while using Tor.

Moreover, you can also use a VPN with Tor. Tor is more secure with a VPN because VPN makes sure to mask your IP and online activities before it enters the first node. This way, your ISP will not detect your access to the Tor browser and the entry node itself cannot see your actual IP address. Read our detailed discussion on TOR vs VPN for a more detailed look at is tor safer than VPN.

How to Download the Tor Browser?

You can easily download the Tor browser from its official website. It runs on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux.

The installation steps for Tor Browser are the same just like any other software. After installation, the TOR browser will automatically open, and you can run it simply as you run other web browsers.

Advantages of Tor Browser

The main advantage of the Tor browser is its strong online privacy protection. Tor hides your IP address and conceals your browsing activities by routing your web traffic with a series of anonymous nodes. Tor makes it extremely hard to track activities, and that’s the reason it is mainly used by journalists, whistleblowers, and other persons with sensitive jobs.

Another advantage of Tor is that it is an open-source and free-to-use web browser that enables you to easily access .onion sites, also known as the invisible part of the internet/ the dark web.

Downsides of Tor Browser

Although Tor is a decent privacy tool for a normal user, it also has some shortcomings. For example, compared to other web browsers Tor is a little sluggish in performance.  The Tor browser uses onion routing that encrypts your traffic and sends it to a series of network nodes. This gives great encryption and privacy, but it makes the overall browsing experience slower.

Also, Tor has been associated with dark web illegalities, therefore users who use TOR for privacy mostly end up with the opposite because governments and ISPs put special attention on TOR users and their traffic.

Moreover, various network administrators and websites block traffic coming from the Tor exit node, but you can mask your Tor traffic with a VPN. FastestVPN is a secure VPN and can be used safely with your TOR browser.

Lastly, Tor has some vulnerabilities. For example, at the entry and exit nodes, there is no encryption. These two points are extremely vulnerable, and your IP address and data anywhere between entry or exit nodes can be easily leaked or exposed.

Conclusion

Is Tor Safe? Yes, Tor is a safe browser to use in 2023, but it is not 100% secure. You should use a VPN with Tor to protect your digital identity because TOR’s entry and exit nodes are not encrypted and can leak your original IP address to anyone who is operating these nodes. FastestVPN is a good VPN to use with Tor, and it maximizes your online security from the left, right, and center.

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