Anyone Using Tor?
I have been aware of
Tor for a little while but never tried it. I just wondered if anybody has used it. (I will copy and paste its description of itself at the bottom of this message.)
Personally I have used a paid VPN service for some years and stick to using access in countries with robust privacy/security laws unless I am merely using it to foil geolocation then I will use any outlet in the country I want.
The problem with using VPN is that it does slow your internet down depending on the servers being accessed so I only use it some of the time and because of the limited countries one uses there is a pattern left behind - not that the NSA would be interested in my activities.
Tor is also open source and free and, as I understand it, the routing varies all the time.
Presumably Tor has a similar effect. Anybody use it? What has been your experience?
The Tor network is a group of volunteer-operated servers that allows people to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. Tor's users employ this network by connecting through a series of virtual tunnels rather than making a direct connection, thus allowing both organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy. Along the same line, Tor is an effective censorship circumvention tool, allowing its users to reach otherwise blocked destinations or content. Tor can also be used as a building block for software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features.
Individuals use Tor to keep websites from tracking them and their family members, or to connect to news sites, instant messaging services, or the like when these are blocked by their local Internet providers. Tor's onion services let users publish web sites and other services without needing to reveal the location of the site. Individuals also use Tor for socially sensitive communication: chat rooms and web forums for rape and abuse survivors, or people with illnesses.
Journalists use Tor to communicate more safely with whistleblowers and dissidents. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) use Tor to allow their workers to connect to their home website while they're in a foreign country, without notifying everybody nearby that they're working with that organization.
Groups such as Indymedia recommend Tor for safeguarding their members' online privacy and security. Activist groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) recommend Tor as a mechanism for maintaining civil liberties online. Corporations use Tor as a safe way to conduct competitive analysis, and to protect sensitive procurement patterns from eavesdroppers. They also use it to replace traditional VPNs, which reveal the exact amount and timing of communication. Which locations have employees working late? Which locations have employees consulting job-hunting websites? Which research divisions are communicating with the company's patent lawyers?
https://www.torproject.org/about/overview.html.en