Tor Q&A

What platform is Tor available in? Tor is available in Windows, MAC, and Linux

• We recommend downloading the Tor Bundle Browser

Tails OS

• Tails is a live operating system that you can start on almost any computer through a USB stick.
• Use it to surf the web anonymously, write documents with out leaving any data behind,
• Drawback is that you cannot have all your files on hand and doesn’t have programs you would normally use

VPN

• VPN is only a single hop security, meaning that it can still give location and name information. If someone really wanted to know who you are and where you are, they could find out.
• Tor does not save any of this information so you are a lot safer

Tor helps you create hidden services

• Hidden services are websites that are anonymous, websites that can only be found through Tor and the Onion Network
• AKA the dark network
• Tor helps you create hidden services

Is Thor the first?

• Tor was academic paper, and then it just broke out into the real world

What does it take to set up?

• Install what you would typically would install and then you go on to installing Tor
• If you have a extra laptop, you can install Tor
• They are working on creating hidden services

If an outside entity controls all of the nodes, are there any safe guards so that entities are not controlling nodes?

• Tor has their own nodes
• We are looking at nodes constantly, so people start to question when nodes are created, and people know who runes these nodes
• Tor is looking at these things
• If the NSA is targeting you

What is a node?

• Is a computer that you create to. If you set up a node for a month, you get a freeeee Tor t-shirt

Exit node?

• Running an exit node is the hard part, bc it doesn't open you to attention, it just runes the other relays.
• Running an exit node is not for the inexperienced
• Do not run exit nodes from your house (Comcast will complaint)
• Hard to find ISPs that are willing to give you the ability to have an exit node

Did tor begin with the defense department?

• Yes and no
• Paper was written by, two researchers through the Navel Research Lab, it was a concept at first.

Why tor?

• Depends on what your use case
• Protect your self if an agency is after you
• Get a lot more people to use it, this way it is harder to see what you are doing because the are so many users

Android VPN BitMask

• Easy to use VPN through android, there is also a desktop
• App is free, services providers are free as well (RISEUP)
• VPN with any services provider

Are there known incidents that one node as been hacked

• There is a handful of nodes that were taken down, aka drug market nodes, if they do come back online, they are blacklisted and do not come back in the system

If there is any security advantage of having multiple hidden services in one server

• Not better or worse, the situation that is worst if you are running in an area where it can be confiscated. There is no real downside.

Entry guards, what are the problems that entry guards are solving

• The first node that you are entering is the entry nodes, and if it has been around for a while it becomes an entry guard. A bad node is given by high bandwidth, lots concurrent connections, areas that are questionable, all nodes that are coming from Syria, can we find out where these nodes are located, who is running this nodes.

Why three hops?

• If you go over three hops you are not benefiting at all. It can actually become a threat. Hidden services take more hops. This is why facebook hidden services take a lot more time. Do not choose the number of hops.

Using email:

• Recommend to use your regular email provider and run it through Tor
• Elijah recommends using RiseUp email

I2P

• They are not easy to use
• Garlic routing is a viable alternative

Tor response to more website blocking exit nodes Solution:

• If you find that a website that is blocked through tor, send that website an email
• There are projects that try to keep up with these websites
• Do not use financial websites (banking) through tor bc banks will block your account