Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Is Tor any good?

Options
  • 06-11-2014 8:54am
    #1
    William F
    Closed Accounts Posts: 473 ✭✭


    I downloaded Tor on a memory stick after watching a program on Prime Time about it.
    I was told that passwords and the like are not safe once Tor is installed in your browser? Is this true?

    Apart from that, is it any good?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    GarIT
    Registered Users Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭GarIT


    Any good at what?

    Getting you to illegal sites you couldn't normally visit? Yeah it does that.

    Or is it that you want to be on the gov's high alert list and have everything you do monitored? Yeah, it can do that too.


  • Options
    #3
    excollier
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,576 ✭✭✭excollier


    GarIT wrote: »
    Any good at what?
    Or is it that you want to be on the gov's high alert list and have everything you do monitored? Yeah, it can do that too.

    For that reason then, it's very good. Keep 'em guessing.
    I don't think they would be too alarmed at my activity, but distracting the overpaid, paranoid louts is a form of mild amusement.


  • Options
    #4
    Khannie
    Registered Users Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    GarIT wrote: »
    Any good at what?

    Getting you to illegal sites you couldn't normally visit? Yeah it does that.

    Or is it that you want to be on the gov's high alert list and have everything you do monitored? Yeah, it can do that too.

    Such dramatics. This is what stops people from legitimately protecting their privacy.


  • Options
    #5
    GarIT
    Registered Users Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭GarIT


    Khannie wrote: »
    Such dramatics. This is what stops people from legitimately protecting their privacy.

    Not really. The tor network is monitored by several governments. They might not be able to see who you are but they can see what you are doing and will find you eventually if they have a reason to. There are much simpler ways to protect privacy just as effectively.


  • Options
    #6
    Khannie
    Registered Users Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    William F wrote: »
    I was told that passwords and the like are not safe once Tor is installed in your browser? Is this true?

    Not sure what this means. Usually you run tor from the browser bundle. It works by routing your traffic through a bunch of nodes, each of which is only aware of the previous and next nodes. It does this using layered encryption (hence the onion symbol).

    Eventually it hits an "exit node" which goes off and gets the web site for you. It's safest to assume that whoever's running this exit node is malicious and protect yourself accordingly, but if you're using HTTPS for example, your passwords are still safe here. If you send a password in the clear (i.e. normal HTTP), you should assume that whoever is running the exit node has your password.

    William F wrote: »
    Apart from that, is it any good?

    I'm surprised at how much it's come on in the last while, speed-wise. It's a lot nippier these days than it used to be.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Khannie
    Registered Users Posts: 37,485 ✭✭✭✭Khannie


    GarIT wrote: »
    Not really. The tor network is monitored by several governments. They might not be able to see who you are but they can see what you are doing and will find you eventually if they have a reason to. There are much simpler ways to protect privacy just as effectively.

    Yes it's monitored. That's the assumption you make. Your normal internet connection is monitored too, unfortunately.

    I honestly can't think of simpler ways to protect your privacy though. If you use a VPN, you should assume that a government agency is running it despite any cries to the contrary by the VPN provider. In that instance all of your traffic is going through them too but all of your privacy is stripped. At least with Tor you can't tell the source (or at least, not with ease).


  • Options
    #8
    GarIT
    Registered Users Posts: 8,671 ✭✭✭GarIT


    Khannie wrote: »
    Yes it's monitored. That's the assumption you make. Your normal internet connection is monitored too, unfortunately.

    I honestly can't think of simpler ways to protect your privacy though. If you use a VPN, you should assume that a government agency is running it despite any cries to the contrary by the VPN provider. In that instance all of your traffic is going through them too but all of your privacy is stripped. At least with Tor you can't tell the source (or at least, not with ease).

    Protecting your privacy from government or law enforcement would be difficult. But from other websites is easy. It depends on what you want to do.


Advertisement