Tor and Tails: Two Essential Dark Web ToolsThere are different levels of effort you can put in to keeping your identity and your internet activities private. Most of the time it’s enough for most people to observe good basic internet security. That usually means making sure that you use the encryption properly and avoiding the Internet’s seedier parts. There are locations on the internet that are relatively dangerous to visit, however. Places on both sides of the law which can get your attention from the wrong kind of people. In particular, the Dark Web is a section of the Internet that you should never brave without having the right kind of tools to hide your activity. Just being clear about accessing the Dark Web is by no means illegal! However many of the places you can visit on the Dark Web are either on the wrong side of the law or in a grey area. On top of that, simply accessing the Dark Web can get authorities to notice you. Even when you’ve done nothing wrong. That’s why there are two privacy tools for anyone who wants to access the Dark Web that are pretty much essential. The first that we are going to discuss is called Tor, and that’s what it’s all about.
In the past, we have written quite a lot about the Tor Project on Technadu simply because it is such a fundamental part of Internet anonymity and privacy. Accessing the Dark Web is however almost entirely impossible. Most of the Dark Web sites host Tor hidden services. Let’s think about what Tor really is before we get ahead of ourselves. The Tor puzzle includes two main parts-the Tor Browser and the Tor Network.
The Tor browser is a piece of software that you download as any other. It is Mozilla’s Firefox browser at its core. However it has been modified to seal off all the privacy and security weaknesses present in most browsers. Tor is a lightweight web browser. That means it’s self-contained, and it doesn’t have to be installed to work. You don’t even need to copy it to the computer you will be using. Just run it from a flash drive that you can take out once more at the end of your session. Every Tor installation is the same and should stay that way. Thanks to “browser fingerprinting” having a custom browser makes it easier to link to you and your activities with a specific browser. The way the Tor browser is set up, only the right network settings will route internet traffic through the Tor network (which we will get to next). Using the Tor browser isn’t the only way to access the Tor network, but it’s the only way you know it’s the right way to set it up. The browser is also set up to do things like deleting information about your sessions automatically the moment you close it. When it comes to privacy nothing is perfect but Tor is as tight as it gets. It includes by default technologies like NoScript, and -Everywhere. These are kinds of measures that more people should take on their initiative but it’s all taken care of with the Tor Browser.
Tails is Tor’s True Home
What would happen if someone looked at your computer and found out that you were using the Tor network? They may now know what you did but they could find traces on your computer that you used Tor. Which might suffice to make them dig deeper. There is another problem, too. By accessing your computer or determining unique aspects of the computer you are using to access the Dark Web via Tor, somebody could identify you from within the Dark Web. These are but two reasons why it’s not the best idea to access the Dark Web using your normal everyday computer. One possible solution is to use a “live operating system” This is an operating system that boots from a DVD or flash drive and allows the computer to do things without touching its hard drive. You shouldn’t leave a trace on the computer when you switch off that session.
Tails is the acronym “2/2.283.png”
Just as Tor “Tails” is for something short. It specifically stands for the live system of the Amnesiac Incognito. That tells us quite a lot about what Tails are right now. Obviously it’s a live OS which means you’re booting it from a flash drive that circumvents your permanent OS. It’s incognito because it doesn’t let anything slip out about your own identity, either. The operating system operates only through the Tor network. Tails do not use the hard drive of the host computer, either. Tails All in RAM cache. There is no evidence of Tails being present when the machine turns off. It comes with state-of – the-art file encryption technology too. So any data you save will never make use of or delete by tails in the hands of those who don’t have your password.
Linux Tails is Debian Linux based, meaning it is free and open source software. This is not good news, because there is nothing you have to pay for. It’s good news, because it’s easy to inspect open source software for security. If a private company has made tails then there is always a chance of building in a back door. There’s a whole community of out there people going through software code like this to both check for vulnerabilities and malicious code.
Essential but insufficient
Although Tor and Tails are key tools for anyone who wants to visit and use the Dark Web, they are not sufficient on their own. These tools combine to provide any user with strong technical security but there’s more to protect yourself on the Dark Web than that. What if you just want to practice free speech and learn about things that the surface web might consider to be a tabu? Then Tor Tails and your common sense will go a long way to safeguarding your security. That being said, there is a great warning page on Tails and Tor that outlines the limitations and vulnerabilities of these instruments. Before you set sail for the Dark Web make sure you are familiar with them.