This is the kind of torus you can make. What is TOR? History and principle of operation of the tor network
Roskomnadzor is angry and blocks access to sites in batches. Even porn was banned, although previously the entire Internet was based on this. You used to connect through your dial-up modem, and there was only Varez, porn and a couple of good authors to read. And pay per minute for all this. Eh, nostalgia. Well, screw him with this porn and Varez, there’s no need for it anymore. By at least to me. But requests from clients and friends who cannot go to some “necessary” site and download an “important document” are beginning to arrive more and more often. They have read about Tor and other anonymizers and want access to the forbidden site.
It’s not difficult to set up, but for some reason everyone starts to get scared by the buzzwords when they first load it. Let's try to figure it out and write small instructions. Let's install Tor and launch it.
1. Download and install Tor. I believe in you, you can do it.
2. Run "Start" Tor Browser". There are two options for the development of events:
Connect. This option is more suitable if your Internet connection is not monitored or additionally monitored. For example, you just need to access a blocked site. In most cases, this connection is sufficient.
Tune. If you have reason to believe (or know for sure) that someone is monitoring your Internet connection or, for example, Tor is banned in your country, which may well happen soon, then select this item. I selected "customize" to see what it offered.
3. If censors have already reached your Internet and are monitoring whether you are using methods and programs like Tor to bypass their filters or protect your anonymity on the Internet, then you need to indicate the address of an intermediary site (relay or, as it is more often called called a bridge). By clicking the Help button, you can get an easy-to-understand explanation of what a bridge is and where to find bridge addresses for Tor settings on your computer. If you do not have such problems yet, then select “No” and “Next”.
4. Sometimes your Internet is configured in such a way that there is some kind of “intermediary” between you and the Internet resources you want to access. This is called a proxy (proxy server). Check your browser settings to see if you are using a proxy.
5. Done. Previously, Tor was much more difficult to configure. You can check whether the browser is working correctly by following the link: https://check.torproject.org/?lang=ru. This will be correct:
But no:
Or check on flibusta.net. This is how a regular browser in Russia shows it:
And so it is in Tor.
Check the pornhubs yourself. =)
7. If Tor Browser is running, you can access the settings by clicking on the onion icon - it's called Torbutton. Here you can change your identity, that is, change your IP address, as well as change your network settings if you messed up something in the previous paragraphs.
8. Now that’s all for sure. I hope this was helpful.
Due to the tightening of access to some sites, more and more people have started using VPN and Tor to access them, as well as anonymous surfing in the Internet. We already talked about VPN in one of the earlier pages, now let’s talk about Tor.
I’ll make a reservation right away - the article will not contain instructions on how to download and configure Tor Browser - only technical description and principles of operation of the network itself.
History of Tor
The onion network concept was introduced in 1995 with the support of the US Naval Research Laboratory. In 1997, DAPRA, a department of the US Department of Defense responsible for developing technologies for their subsequent use for the benefit of the US military, joined the development (by the way, the same department invented ARPANET, a network that later grew into the well-known Internet). In 2003 they published source codes networks are freely available, and the network began to actively develop (like ARPANET twenty years earlier) - by 2016 there were more than 7,000 nodes and about 2 million users on the network.
Network principles
For the user, the network works quite simply: his data first reaches the security node, then passes through an intermediate node to the output node, and from the output node to the destination:
It is impossible to track a security node through two other nodes, and besides, everything looks as if the user data appeared immediately from the output node. Taking into account the fact that a variety of traffic (including illegal) can pass through this node, the owner of this node will be responsible for it, so if you meet him in real life- shake his hand, because he has enough problems with the law.
Principles of design of various units
Let's look at the nodes in more detail.
- The entry (or guard or sentry) node is where your data enters the Tor network. Moreover, it is not the closest node that is selected, but the most reliable one, so do not be surprised if the ping turns out to be at the level of a couple of hundred milliseconds - this is all for your safety.
- An intermediate node was created specifically so that it is impossible to track the input node using the output node: the maximum that can be tracked is just the intermediate node. The node itself usually represents virtual server, so that server operators see only encrypted traffic and nothing more.
- The output node is the point from where your data is sent to required address. Again - the most is chosen reliable server(we’ll talk about what exactly this means below), so the ping can be very, very high.
How encryption works and why the network is onion-like
Tor stands for The Onion Router, and here the question arises - what does onion have to do with it? It's all about the encryption method: it is created on the principle of an onion, that is, in order to get to its center (your data), you need to sequentially remove all layers (encryption).
In reality, it looks like this: the client encrypts the data so that only the output node has the decryption key. On it they are again encrypted, but in such a way that only an intermediate node can decrypt them. On it, the data is again encrypted so that only the sentinel node can decrypt it: 
As a result, the traffic after the exit node is completely encrypted, and the intermediate node is not responsible for anything - it only transmits encrypted data. But traffic can go to the exit node via HTTP and FTP, and extracting confidential information from it is not particularly difficult.
How to block Tor
Of course, not all governments are “happy” that their citizens calmly access prohibited sites, so let’s figure out how, in theory, you can block Tor.
The first option is to block Tor exit nodes. That is, users simply will not be able to leave the network, and it will become useless for those who want to use it for anonymization. Alas, for obvious reasons the list of all exit nodes is known, and in theory, if they are all blocked, the popularity of Tor will sharply decrease. In theory, because even if you block all outgoing nodes in one country, no one bothers you to use the nodes of a neighboring country, which may not block such traffic. Considering that there are several thousand nodes, blocking even hundreds will not particularly affect the stability of the network.
The second option is to block all users logging into Tor. This is already much worse, because it makes the network completely useless, because it’s understandable that you won’t be able to use the exit nodes of other countries (because what kind of exit node is there if you can’t get into the network). Again - a list of all sentry nodes is in open access, and Tor would have already been blocked if not for one trick - bridges.
What are bridges
Bridges are nodes that are not publicly available. But then the question arises - since this is not a public node, how will the user know about it? It's simple - when trying to connect to a network, the user is given the addresses of only a few bridges - this makes sense, because the user does not need many input nodes at once.
Wherein full list of all bridges is strictly secret, so the most that governments can do is block several bridges at a time. However, since the complete list is not known, and new bridges are constantly appearing, it all looks like fighting with windmills. The most serious attempt to find bridges was made by researchers using the ZMap port scanner - it allowed them to find, according to some data, up to 86% of all ports. But 86 is not 100, and besides, as I already wrote, new bridges appear constantly.
The principle of consensus in the Tor network
Of course, this entire network of 7,000 nodes needs to be supported somehow. For this purpose, 10 powerful servers have been created, supported by a certain circle of trusted volunteers. Every hour they check the functionality of all nodes, which nodes pass through more traffic, which nodes are cheating (more on this below), and so on. Moreover, all data is published in open form via HTTP (of course, except for the list of all bridges) and is available to everyone.
The question arises - since all decisions on the network are made together, why are there 10 servers - after all, then a draw is possible (5 on 5)? It's simple - 9 servers are responsible for the list of nodes, and one is responsible for the list of bridges. So it is always possible to come to a consensus.
What are sniffer nodes 
Of course, many who run output nodes have had the idea - since traffic passes through their nodes exactly as if it were coming from the user’s device, then why not profit from logins and passwords (and other confidential data)? Considering that most of the traffic passes through open protocols(HTTP, FTP and SMTP) - data is transferred directly in clear text, take it - I don’t want it. Moreover, alas, this passive wiretapping (sniffing) cannot be tracked by the user in any way, therefore the only way struggle - send your data via Tor only in encrypted form.
Of course, the creators (and users) of Tor don’t like this at all, so a consensus flag called BadExit was invented. Its purpose is to catch and place special tags on outputs that listen to traffic. There are many ways to detect wiretapping, the most common one is to create a page where you can enter logins and passwords and transfer them to the Tor network via HTTP. If later from this node there is an attempt to enter this site with these logins and passwords, then this node is engaged in sniffing. Of course, no one is stopping you from using it, but, as I wrote above, encrypt your data, and then the owners of such nodes will be powerless.
Of course, not all exit nodes are like this (according to some sources, there are about 5%), and most node owners take their role very seriously and take all the risks upon themselves, helping the Tor network exist everywhere except Antarctica (I think the penguins don’t mind , like polar explorers - they still have more important things to do), for which we thank them very much.
The article is provided solely for the purpose of familiarizing yourself with the technology of the Tor browser.
In recent years, one has heard more and more often about restrictions on the Internet. Governments different countries prohibit their citizens from accessing resources containing content that, in the opinion of deputies, is incorrect. Operators are forced to transmit information about users, and there is no talk of any anonymity on the Internet. At the same time, it is not always the case that sites blocked by decision of certain authorities actually contain materials that can harm users.
“The forbidden fruit is sweet,” and various restrictions on the Internet have given rise not only to ways to circumvent them, but also to a whole secret network, which can only be accessed by using special means, hiding information about the user. The anonymous network is called Tor, and it is available absolutely free to everyone.
What is Tor
The abbreviation Tor stands for The Onion Router. This name may seem ridiculous to people who are not familiar with the concept of onion routing. It refers to the technology of anonymous exchange of information using standard computer network. The operating principle of the system is based on permanent encryption of data during transmission from server to client. Data passes through many network nodes, thereby erasing traces that could lead to the sender and recipient of the information.
Thanks to Tor, users do not have to worry about their anonymity on the Internet. They get the opportunity to view any information they are interested in, secretly leave messages on websites, and send encrypted messages to each other. private messages and do much more secretly from everyone. Using Tor, you can easily bypass all ISP restrictions imposed on sites.
As you can understand, sites in hidden network Tor is not moderated or checked by anyone. You cannot send a content complaint to them, and if you do, such actions will lead to nothing. Accordingly, in Tor you can find, among other things, information prohibited in all countries. Shocking, illegal, devoid of humanity and meaning, materials and services are contained on the Tor network. This is why it got the name “dark internet”. Sites created exclusively for access via Tor are located in the .onion domain zone. They are not indexed by regular search engines, and can only be accessed through the anonymous Tor network.
You can view information on the Tor network through any computer, but this requires a browser of the same name, which is distributed free of charge.
How to use the Tor browser
Starting to use Tor is quite simple; to do this, you need to download Tor Browser from a regular browser and install it. Tor is installed as follows:
Once the Tor Browser is installed on your computer, it must be properly configured to work in anonymous network. Launch Tor via the Start Tor Browser.exe shortcut from the folder where it was installed. Next, you need to set the primary parameters. This can be done automatically by clicking “Connect” in the window that opens, but this method does not always work.
If you are unable to automatically connect to the Tor network, you can select “Configure” and set the necessary parameters yourself. Process manual settings The Torah is also quite simple, you will need to answer 2 questions:
When the answers have been selected, the Tor browser will try again to produce automatic setup according to the data received. This may take a couple of minutes, after which Tor will start.
Please note: The Tor browser is based on Firefox.
To finally make sure that the computer is now on an anonymous network, you need to click on the “Check Tor Internet settings” button.
If a page opens that says that the browser uses Tor, then everything is configured correctly and the program can be used for anonymous access to resources.
Important: In the Tor browser, you can view the chain through which user anonymity is achieved. On any page, click on the green onion icon to the left of address bar. A pop-up menu will open, where you can see through which chain the request passes from the computer to the final server.
To achieve maximum privacy, Tor provides 4 levels of security. By default, the browser sets it to minimal, but you can change it if you wish. this parameter. To do this, click on the green onion to the left of the browser line and select “Privacy and Security Settings.”
A new window will open where you can use the slider to adjust the security level from low to high. Next to each of the options it is written how they differ and what functions they turn off. The more high level security, the worse various plugins and services will work in the browser, and the content on sites will be displayed.
For basic use Tor browser is enough low level security.
What are the disadvantages of the Tor browser?
Complete anonymity on the Internet is quite a significant advantage for many to completely switch to the Tor browser. Despite this, the number of people who use it on permanent basis, few.
And anonymity and free web surfing, bypassing censorship, can currently become a key factor when choosing an up-to-date web navigator for personal needs. In some situations, or may help, but we must understand that this is far from a panacea. If web traffic in your country is heavily monitored and censored, then incognito mode may be more of a placebo effect than a real aid in hiding your location or blocking filtering of censored resources. About five years ago, the independent Internet defense community presented its new project- browser called Tor. After the release, most experts in the field of cyber protection and web surfing security unanimously recognized Tor the best solution to bypass web filters, hide the user's location on the network during active surfing and block tracking of the user's activities from outside third party resources, botnets and spy trackers. How did Tor deserve such popularity and what does it owe to such flattering feedback from the online community? Today we will discuss in more detail how to work with the Tor browser and what this project is all about.
Introduction to the Tor browser and its main features
Essentially, Tor was created and is still being developed thanks to the support and efforts of the Mozilla developer community, and the initiative itself is an improved modern Firefox with an emphasis on privacy, online anonymity and censorship circumvention.
The main functions of the Tor browser are as follows:
— ensuring user anonymity by hiding his IP address;
- the ability to bypass online censorship, display blocked pages and sites;
— complete absence integrated mechanisms for tracking user actions;
— refusal to derive material benefits due to internal processing of user data;
How to work with the Tor browser - basic principles and mechanisms
In essence, the Tor network consists of tens of thousands of servers scattered throughout to the globe and run by volunteers. When creating each connection, three Tor transmitting nodes are selected from the network, and your connection to the network is organized through them. Each of the network fragments is encrypted so that the transmitting relays do not know the full route network information from the sending node to the receiving node.
When using the Tor browser, a web connection is generated from a discrete IP address, often located in another country. In this way, Thor manages to hide your IP from the web resources you access. Likewise, websites are hidden from third parties capable of intercepting network traffic.
Because Tor manages to hide the connection between you and the web, it gives you the freedom to surf the web without fear of online surveillance. The utility is also useful for bypassing online filters. You will be able to visit resources that are inaccessible due to blocking and publish your data on such websites.
Installation and configuration
If in your country access to the home page Tor project blocked, you can use the services Email. Just send an email and receive a link to download the application in response. You must send a message to the following address: [email protected]. In the message itself, you must explicitly indicate which version of the browser you want to receive (linux, osx or windows). To your Mailbox you will receive a response letter containing a link to the archive with the browser in Github, Google Docs or Dropbox.
So, how to install and configure the Tor browser?
Let's go to home page Tor project. Click the “Download Tor Browser” button on the left side of the screen and finally set the focus on the sign for selecting the browser version located on the same page.
We are interested in the final, debugged versions of compiled builds (stable) for Windows. Select the version in Russian and click on the corresponding menu item. We save the downloaded distribution on your hard drive or flash drive.
So, when the file is downloaded, we launch it for execution double click on the file icon in the folder or single directly from the browser.
First of all, we are asked to select the language in which we want to see the product interface and all its main menus, as well as the installer itself. Select "Russian".
Next, select the folder where we want to install the application. This can be either the desktop folder or the “Program Files” directory, but remember that this project is portable, that is, you can easily copy the finished folder with the browser files installed in it and freely transfer it to another computer without repeating the installation procedure. This makes using the Tor Browser even more convenient.
When storage location executable files and the Tor libraries will be selected, the installation process will begin. Wait literally one minute before the procedure is completed.
Upon completion, two checkboxes will appear on the screen, allowing you to immediately launch Tor when the window is closed, as well as place shortcuts to launch on the desktop and in the Start menu. Let’s expose them both so that we can immediately begin the process of how to work with the Tor browser.
When Tor is launched for the first time, the application will ask you how exactly you want to connect to the network:
Directly. This option is worth choosing if access to the network from your location is not restricted, and Tor is not blocked, is not prohibited by law, and its use is not monitored where you are trying to access the network.
In this case, click the “Connect” button.
After a few minutes required to connect to the network, a working form of the Tor browser will appear on the screen, and you can start working with it right away.
WITH limited access. Give preference to this choice if Internet access is limited or Tor is banned or blocked in your country.
In this case, select the “Customize” option and move on to deeper customization.
To the question “Is your network connection blocked by your provider?” We answer positively, after which we begin debugging Tor bridges.
What are bridges and how does the Tor browser work with their participation?
If you are forced to use Tor in a location where the network is blocked, it is worth resorting to the services of a bridge repeater. Bridges are not included in the list of public lists of Tor relays, therefore, blocking them will require much more time and effort. A number of bridges also support pluggable transports that try to hide your incoming and outgoing traffic. This provides support in combating online filters that attempt to detect and implement bridge blocking. By default, the transport is called obfs4. In addition to the above, it additional task– reducing the chance of success for people trying to find out if you are connecting to the Tor network.
The next window asks: Does this computer require a local proxy server to access the network? How to use Tor in this case? Typically, a proxy server is not needed. If you need it, you can take a closer look at the settings of your regular web browser and copy the proxy settings from this source.
Well, a few seconds after the protocol is initialized and the gateway is created, the Tor working window will appear in front of you, which we can use for work.
So, I hope I was able to clearly and concisely answer the question: “How to work with the Tor browser.” As you can see, the methodology is absolutely clear and precise, and does not contain any pitfalls. Using the Tor navigator, your online journey will not be subject to censorship and surveillance, and it will be almost impossible for bots and spyware to detect your location.
IN recent years 3-4 news regularly appears in the feed with the headline: “The government wants to block Tor.” But this idea is somewhat utopian.
The darknet can be used all over the world except North Korea, where to access a computer with the Internet you need special permission from Kim Jong-un. Even China failed to ban it. Golden Shield automatically blocks all new Tor entry node addresses, but people who need to bypass this barrier using VPNs and proxy servers.
News about the “ban on the underground Internet” only fuels interest in it among the population. More and more Russians are joining the darknet, which is fraught with many dangers and temptations. About the consequences misuse Tor should be known in advance.
This article will cover the main types of stores and forums on Tor that should be avoided and the possible liability for using/creating them.
Fragments of the article were removed at the request of Roskomnadzor. The material has been edited.
2. Sites with job advertisements
A huge number of advertisements for the sale of *** contain a note: “We are looking for ***. Activity, adequacy, and professionalism are required. The salary is high." For one ***, an employee receives on average 500-3000 rubles. They write on the forums that a smart worker can earn up to 80-120 thousand rubles a month with a free schedule. And this is in the provinces. In the capitals the ceiling is much higher.
But this work is far from being as simple as it seems at first glance. Making a good “***” and hiding it is a whole science and experienced people write entire textbooks. There are many non-obvious problems that are difficult for a beginner to guess about.
For example, how to protect yourself from “seagulls”? This is the name given to *** who search for and successfully find other people's *** in typical places (flower beds, holes in the asphalt, entrance canopies). Or how to disguise a Ziploc bag inside an acorn or nut so that rain and wind do not damage the product?
Criminals from Tor require not only ***, but also parcel acceptors, stencilers (making announcements on the asphalt), growers (growing plants at home), and people to withdraw illegally obtained money from bank cards. They rarely look for strong guys to intimidate enemies. And every profession has non-obvious subtleties that you need to learn in order to avoid getting into trouble with the law.
In the criminal sphere, there is a terrible turnover of personnel and new employees are constantly needed. A truly adequate and neat person can work for a couple of years, but a simple ***/carrier/dropper walks free for only a few months. Most people are caught by the police sooner or later. People rarely manage to raise money, stop and leave on time.
Possible problems: According to Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, if a person is involved in the distribution or production of ***, then he can be imprisoned for a period of 8 years. We’ll talk about penalties for parcel receivers and money cashers below.
3. Stores of goods for committing crimes
Tor is used to trade weapons, fake documents, fake SIM cards, phones, ATM skimmers and a bunch of other interesting items. As with ***, Bitcoin is used for anonymous payment. Surprisingly, there are no particular problems with the delivery of goods.
Sometimes it is done using regular mail. To receive and send parcels, they hire “droppers” who go to receive/send parcels and show off their faces and passport details. Also, goods are sent with the help of taxi drivers or private transport companies. Here is a quote from the RuOnion forum:
I once sent an optical sight via transport company, naturally not branded. They asked what was inside, he answered - a sniper scope, They: let’s write it down - an optical device :-)))) They don’t really care what to carry...
But sellers still take many precautions: they disassemble weapons into parts, which they distribute into several boxes, disguise them as other items, make parcels with double bottoms, etc. They have no less tricks than ***.
Possible problems: According to Article 222 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, illegal acquisition or transfer of weapons may be punishable by a prison sentence of up to four years. About fake documents it is written in Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, it says about a period of up to two years.
4. Pedophile forums
There are also a lot of people on the Tor network who are sexually attracted to children. There is a lot of “interesting” for them here. Firstly, huge archives of porn videos featuring minors. Secondly, these are forums where people share personal experience seducing children and hiding this process from others.
Some pedophiles consider sex with children absolutely unacceptable and sit on “conservative” sections of forums, where they simply post slightly erotic photos of little girls and boys with their genitals covered.
But there are people for whom just watching videos is not enough and they strive to make their fantasies come true. The main shock for me when preparing this article was familiarization with a book for pedophiles in Russian.
200 pages about where to find a potentially available child and how to recognize him, how to gain his trust, how not to leave traces and how to make sure that the child never tells anyone about what the pervert or pervert did to him.
And judging by the forums, many pedophiles actually manage to turn things around so that parents never find out what happened to their child. After all, most often children are seduced not by maniacs on the streets, but by neighbors, relatives or family friends who have been in the house for many years.
Never leave your child alone with anyone and never without video surveillance. There are many more pedophiles among us than one might think.
Possible punishment: It is prohibited to store porn videos involving minors on your computer. You can read more about this in the article:
5. Websites of extremist organizations
Terrorists, skinheads and radical oppositionists also create websites on the onion network, publish articles there and discuss plans for pogroms or the seizure of power on forums. Also, sect sites are gradually moving to Tor.
Since 2002, Russian authorities have maintained a list of Federal extremist materials. It includes almost 4,000 books, articles, paintings and music. Rospotrebnadzor forces such materials to be removed from sites on the clearnet, but they are distributed freely in Tor libraries.
Possible punishment: According to Article 282.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, participation in an extremist organization can lead to imprisonment for up to six years. Also, you cannot copy materials from such sites to Tor and post them on social networks and blogs. There is also a separate article on this topic:
6. “Hacker” trading platforms and forums
In international dark markets, next to *** and weapons, there is often a Digital Goods section. In it you can buy Trojans, tools for Wi-Fi hacking, tools for hacking programs, tools for DDOS attacks and many other types of “tools for illegal access to digital information.”
Along with the programs, you can also buy instructions for their use and educational books. They also sell digital goods that were stolen using the tools described above: upgraded characters in games, paid accounts for various services, hacked programs, access to infected computers.
There are also many on the darknet hacker forums. There people share their experiences with each other, look for perpetrators and accomplices for various cyber crimes.
Possible punishment: If it is proven that a person used any of the programs described above, then, according to Article 272 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, he can be imprisoned for up to two years.
7. “Black” cryptocurrency exchanges
The sites and organizations described above make financial payments in bitcoins (less often in other cryptocurrencies). And of course, they don’t pay any taxes on it. Cryptocurrencies are used to cash out money obtained illegally.
Tor has exchanges for withdrawing bitcoins to regular electronic wallets or bank cards. It is also full of advertisements of people who withdraw money from cryptocurrency wallets to offshore accounts or transfer money to the account of a “shell company.” From the latter, money can be withdrawn using ordinary “cashers”.
There you can also order bank cards issued to dummies or “virtuals”. And hire drops who will go to the ATM, show their face in front of the cameras, withdraw cash from the cards and deliver it to you.
Possible punishment: According to Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, participation in group fraudulent schemes can entail up to 10 years in prison.
The State Duma is also talking about adopting a bill that would provide for punishment of up to four years in prison simply for using bitcoins or other cryptocurrency.
conclusions
The above does not describe all types of content that can be found on the Tor network. Not mentioned are sites with erotica for animal lovers, stores of stolen goods, sites for ordering killers and much more.
But what has been described is quite enough to understand why governments around the world are trying to control the Internet. Personal freedom and privacy are good. But how to fight criminals on the Internet without blocking sites and controlling traffic?
P.S. Is Tor anonymous?
There are a lot of tutorials on how to ensure online anonymity on the darknet. Some of the authors consider it a sufficient scheme virtual machine from Tails -> vpn -> vpn -> Tor. And someone recommends buying a computer from a flea market in a neighboring area and using a modem through the “left” SIM card. But one thing is for sure - if you just launch Tor browser, then your level of anonymity is quite low.