TOR, VPN And Other Monsters Browsers for Dark Web Sites
Anyway, going back to Tor — why use this particular browser regularly? Well, it’s a long story, but still worth telling. As you know, a general browser mediates between a online user’s search request and the website that is to be accessed. Typically, your query will go through the ISP’s DNS, which in turn prepares other resources to help you get the answer you were looking for.
Now, with Tor, the search request bounces around several Tor relays before completing your search request. You are probably wondering if there are tor relays. Well, what we call the clear web is, in fact, a group of servers, either managed by companies or on a volunteer-basis.
The same principle more or less applies to what we call the Dark Web. Since this is the darkest side of the Internet with which we are dealing here, privacy and immorality are natural. Thus, information is stored on tor relays that are managed by volunteers.
So, what happens when you want to use a dark web onion? First, if you followed my advice and set up a VPN, the tunneling signal would be encrypted. This means that your ISP will not have a clue about what you are looking for. Sure, it can still see that you want to use a Tor node, but it is other than a blinder compared to a mole.
From there, it will be redirected to another node and then to each other. Why does he do this? For reasons of anonymity, of course; ‘No breadcrumb’ means that no one has a way for you to trace the signal back.
VPN ONLY? IS UNLIKELY.
Congratulations! You took the first step of your dark web journey. Nevertheless, before taking some further precautions you should open up to the wonders of Pandora’s dark internet. Back to tor and VPN. There is no broad consensus on dark web security.
However, everyone agrees that simply using Tor is not enough. The two of them (tor and VPN) work together and as it happens, there are many ways to tunnel through the dark web using this dynamic pair. Here you need to know.
METHOD I — TOR OVER VPN
Sounds very technical, doesn’t it? Well, it’s not really complicated — using the Tor over VPN method means connecting to a VPN service before using the Tor browser. Gotta say this is the most popular and safest way to access onion links, and from my side, a marriage made in heaven: Tor has an excellent ‘anonymous’, while the VPN protects your privacy.
When using this method, Tor will encrypt your request, which will pass non-stop through your ISP. From there, it will go through a VPN server that hides your IP and can use Geo location tags and other elements of your government or ISP to track the request.
Next step — Your request will be transferred to the tow entry node which in turn transfers one or more tor relays. From there, it catapults to several tor exit nodes. Later, your request will be matched with the appropriate website. Difficult, but effective; This is why it is, by far, the best way to access dark web content.
PROS OF USING TOR OVER VPN :
Session logs are not stored (metadata, IP address).
Traffic is fully encrypted.
CONES:
It does not provide protection against malicious Tor exit nodes.
METHOD II — VPN OVER TOR
Not very safe, but it is still usable. Remember how Tor Oven VPN works? Well, VPN over Tor is actually the opposite — instead of going through the VPN first, the signal passes through the Tor network, before going through the VPN. Why is this method so unpopular? Because it is not as secure as tor over VPN.
If the signal first passes through the Tor network, your local ISP will be able to watch that you are trying to connect to the Tor node. While one should not bat an eye just because you’re trying to access the dark web, keep in mind that in some countries, such as the United States, even a simple forest can get you in trouble.
TO USE VPN OVER TOR PROS:
Great if you trust your ISP provider, but not the VPN provider.
Can bypass blocked tor mood.
CONES:
The ISP may try to get you access to onion ingredients.
Susceptible to end-to-end-end timing attacks.
Now, if you want to see what’s in the dark corners of the Internet, but don’t really trust Tor, there are options. Here are a couple:
I2P — Great privacy protection and hidden onion links can be accessed.
Matrix.org — is an open-source project like Tor. Great for IoT data transfer, chat and WebRTC signaling.
Orbot — is basically a Tor for Android.
Globus Secure Browser — Paid Tor option. VPN powered. This allows users to select the preferred Geo location. If you want to take it for a spin, Globus has a five-day trial period.
Komodo Ice Dragon — Firefox Off spin. Many malware uses security measures. Open-source project.
FreeNet — Open-source project. Sports the Darknet and OpenNet anonymous browsing technology.
# 3. Install a VM or disposable OS
I strongly recommend all to surf the dark web using virtual machine software instead of your locally installed Windows software. Why? Because it is easy to place malware in a virtual environment that can be completely controlled.
It is like those films where doctors are experimenting on the deadly viral strains behind the protection of the glass enclosure. And, as it happens, there are plenty of VMs to choose from: Oracle VM VirtualBox , VMware Fusion & Workstations , QEMU , Red Hat Virtualization , Microsoft Hyper-V , Citrix XServer , and XN Project , just to name a few. .
Now, if you really want to get physical storage devices out of the equation, you can easily use what I like to call a disposable operating system — very easy to setup and if you run into any trouble, it can be solved easily too. All you need is an 8GB thumb drive, an installation package, and things up and running for a few minutes.
Let’s dig in
HOW TO INSTALL TAIL OS
Step 1. Get yourself a thumb drive; 8 GB will do, but if you plan to use it for something else, you can buy it with more space. Nothing will happen with a stick (maybe).
Step 2. Download the installation package for Hop and Tell OS on the web .
Note: Tails is a Linux-based live operating system that can be booted from a USB stick or DVD. I recommend using a stick because the DVD has a read-only function after you burn well and access the dark web, which requires little writing.
Chill, because no one will ever make a record of you around Darknet. Note that the installation package of the tail is .img format, which means that you will need software capable of burning images on your thumb drive.
My recommendation is the Universal USB installer, which is very intuitive. You can also go with Rufus. choice is yours. For this tutorial, I have used Universal.
Step 3. Insert the stick and perform a quick format. Be sure that you are using FAT32 to root out any compatibility issues. And this should not take more than a few seconds.
Step 4. Download and install the Universal USB Installer or Rufus .
Step 5. Universal USB or Rufus Fire.
Step 6. “ Step 1: dropdown Linux distribution to put on your USB Select” tail choose .
Step 7. Select “ Step 2: your ubuntu * desktop * .iso “, click the browse button and select the downloaded .im file.
Step 8. Under “ Step 3: Select your USB flash drive letter “, use the dropdown box to select your thumb drive letter. If it is not visible, look for the “Now showing all drives” option.
Step 9. Review the information and after you’re done Make click in .
Note that the process can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes depending on your machine . Sit back, relax, and wait until the installation is complete. When you’re ready, hit the close button and you’re all set.
Now what? Well, now the time has come to burn the tail and pierce it a bit.