Changes

== Design ==

== Design ==

The Tor Project comprises a group of volunteer-operated internet servers which take messages from internet users and forward them to the intended internet website.  Typically, an internet website will know the IP address and characteristics of each visitor.  With Tor, the internet website thinks that the Tor server is the internet user, when in fact, the Tor server forwards the information back to the actual user without disclosing the identifying data to the website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.torproject.org/about/overview.html.en|title=Tor Project Overview|accessdate=February 8, 2016}}</ref>  The Tor Project also provides software including the Tor Browser bundle, a Tor-configured web browser with anonymizing precautions, the Orbot protocol for for Android devices), and [[Tails (operating system)|Tails]], an operating system that is preconfigured to operate Tor safely.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.torproject.org/index.html.en|title=Tor Project|accessdate=February 8, 2016}}</ref>  

The Tor Project comprises a group of volunteer-operated internet servers which take messages from internet users and forward them to the intended internet website.  Typically, an internet website will know the IP address and characteristics of each visitor.  With Tor, the internet website thinks that the Tor server is the internet user, when in fact, the Tor server forwards the information back to the actual user without disclosing the identifying data to the website.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.torproject.org/about/overview.html.en|title=Tor Project Overview|accessdate=February 8, 2016}}</ref>  The Tor Project also provides software: the Tor Browser bundle, a Tor-configured web browser with anonymizing precautions, the Orbot protocol for for Android devices), and [[Tails (operating system)|Tails]], an operating system that is preconfigured to operate Tor safely, and less well-known software.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.torproject.org/index.html.en|title=Tor Project|accessdate=February 8, 2016}}</ref> The operating system Whonix is developed independently of the Tor Project, but is alike to its also-Linux-based counterpart Tails in providing a Tor-enabled system with minimal user configuration.

Each user's path to a website is formed by three nodes: the guard, the middle and the exit. A unique combination of those three nodes is a ''circuit''. Tor's anonymizing strength lies in its unique encryption scheme. Only the guard node knows the user's IP address, and only the exit node knows the content of the user's communications. It is vital to strengthen Tor's anonymization with additional methods. To stay anonymous, users must enable [[HTTPS]] communications so that the nodes cannot spy on the content of their communications, and must also avoid de-anonymizing behavioral giveaways.

Each user's path to a website is formed by three nodes: the guard, the middle and the exit. A unique combination of those three nodes is a ''circuit''. Tor's anonymizing strength lies in its unique encryption scheme. Only the guard node knows the user's IP address, and only the exit node knows the content of the user's communications. It is vital to strengthen Tor's anonymization with additional methods. To stay anonymous, users must enable [[HTTPS]] communications so that the nodes cannot spy on the content of their communications, and must also avoid de-anonymizing behavioral giveaways.

Various other aspects of the design of TOR make it even harder to penetrate.  For instance, there are now frequently multiple middle nodes, spread across the globe, adding legal issues as well.  The "exit node" can be anywhere in the world, as can the middle node, requiring any investigation to obtain warrants internationally.  TOR also has "hidden services" which themselves connect to the internet via a TOR protocol.  While a "hidden service" can still be hacked, each service must be hacked individually, ensuring that only sites with illegal content and a large audience are taken down.  

Various other aspects of the design of TOR make it even harder to penetrate.  For instance, there are now frequently multiple middle nodes, spread across the globe, adding legal issues as well.  The "exit node" can be anywhere in the world, as can the middle node, requiring any investigation to obtain warrants internationally.  TOR also has "hidden services" which themselves connect to the internet via a TOR protocol.  While a "hidden service" can still be hacked, each service must be hacked individually, ensuring that only sites with illegal content and a large audience are taken down.

== Vulnerabilities ==

== Vulnerabilities ==