Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.

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 hidden 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?

A branch of the U.S. Navy uses Tor for open source intelligence gathering, and one of its teams used Tor while deployed in the Middle East recently. Law enforcement uses Tor for visiting or surveilling web sites without leaving government IP addresses in their web logs, and for security during sting operations.

What's New:

All platforms

The Tor Browser Team is proud to announce the first stable release in the 7.5 series. This release is available from the Tor Browser Project page and also from our distribution directory. This release features important security updates to Firefox.

Apart from the usual Firefox security updates it contains some notable improvements compared to the 7.0 series. Here are the highlights:

We redesigned parts of the Tor Browser user interface. One of the major improvements for our users is our new Tor Launcher experience. This work is based on the findings published at 'A Usability Evaluation of Tor Launcher', a paper done by Linda Lee et al. At our work we iterated on the redesign proposed by the research, improving it even further. Here are the main changes we would like to highlight:

Welcome Screen

Our old screen had way too much information for the users, leading many of them to spend great time confused about what to do. Some users at the paper experiment spent up to 40min confused about what they needed to be doing here. Besides simplifying the screen and the message, to make it easier for the user to know if they need to configure anything or not, we also did a 'brand refresh' bringing our logo to the launcher.

Censorship circumvention configuration

This is one of the most important steps for a user who is trying to connect to Tor while their network is censoring Tor. We also worked really hard to make sure the UI text would make it easy for the user to understand what a bridge is for and how to configure to use one. Another update was a little tip we added at the drop-down menu (as you can see below) for which bridge to use in countries that have very sophisticated censorship methods.

Proxy help information

The proxy settings at our Tor Launcher configuration wizard is an important feature for users who are under a network that demands such configuration. But it can also lead to a lot of confusion if the user has no idea what a proxy is. Since it is a very important feature for users, we decided to keep it in the main configuration screen and introduced a help prompt with an explanation of when someone would need such configuration.

As part of our work with the UX team, we will also be coordinating user testing of this new UI to continue iterating and make sure we are always improving our users' experience. We are also planning a series of improvements not only for the Tor Launcher flow but for the whole browser experience (once you are connected to Tor) including a new user onboarding flow. And last but not least we are streamlining both our mobile and desktop experience: Tor Browser 7.5 adapted the security slider design we did for mobile bringing the improved user experience to the desktop as well.

Other

Complete release notes Tor Browser 7.5:

All Platforms

Windows

OS X

Linux

Android

Build System

Previous versions:

See the original post here:

Tor Browser 7.5.5 Download - TechSpot

The Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.

The Tor Browser Bundle lets you use Tor on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux without needing to install any software. It can run off a USB flash drive, comes with a pre-configured web browser called Aurora, and is self-contained.

Only web pages visited through the included Firefox browser will be sent via Tor. Other web browsers such as Internet Explorer are not affected. Make sure that it says "Tor Enabled" in the bottom right corner before using it. To reduce the risk of confusion, don't run Firefox while using the Tor Browser Bundle, and close existing Firefox windows before starting.

See the rest here:

Download Tor Browser Bundle v7.5.4 (freeware) - AfterDawn ...

Tor Browser [2] is a fork of the Mozilla Firefox web browser. It is developed by The Tor Project and optimized and designed for Tor, anonymity and security. Many users will have browsed with Firefox and be familiar with the user interface that resembles those found in other popular, modern browsers. [3]

Users are encouraged to read this entire wiki entry so Tor Browser is used effectively and safely on the Whonix platform. Advanced users may also be interested in the Tor Browser Adversary Model.

If browsers other than Tor Browser are used in Whonix, the user's IP address and Domain Name Service (DNS) requests [4] are still protected. However, users do not profit from Tor Browser's protocol level cleanup in this scenario. Features like proxy obedience, state separation, network isolation, anonymity set preservation and a host of others are simply unsupported by other browsers.

In stark contrast to regular browsers, Tor Browser is optimized for anonymity and has a plethora of privacy-enhancing patches and add-ons. [5] With Tor Browser, the user "blends in" and shares the Fingerprint of nearly three million other users, which is advantageous for privacy.

It is important to understand the difference between HTTP and HTTPS: [6]

HTTPS advantages include: [7]

In the context of Tor Browser, this means users should prefer HTTPS instead of HTTP so communication is encrypted while browsing the Internet. While traffic is encrypted throughout the Tor network, the exit relay (third of three servers) can see traffic sent into Tor if it is plain HTTP. If HTTPS is used, the exit relay will only know the destination address. [9]

As an example, the screenshot below is how the browser looks when visiting the Whonix website. [10]

Figure: A Secure Connection to http://www.whonix.org

Take notice of the small area on the left-hand side of the address bar. Indicators of an encrypted connection are http://www.whonix.org is highlighted with a padlock and "Secure Connection" in green writing, and the URL begins with https:// instead of http://.

The following figures from EFF provide an overview of HTTP / HTTPS connections with and without Tor, and what information is visible to various third parties. The descriptors are as follows: [11]

Figure: Tor and HTTPS

Figure: Tor and No HTTPS

Figure: No Tor and HTTPS

Figure: No Tor and No HTTPS

Whenever possible, users are encouraged to stay within the Tor network for communications and web browsing via available .onion addresses. These services are commonly referred to as onion services (formerly "hidden services"), even when their location is publicly known. [12]

URLs ending in the .onion extension provide a superior level of security and privacy, since the user's connection forms a completely end-to-end encrypted tunnel that uses a random rendezvous point within the Tor network (HTTPS is not required). These connections also incorporate perfect forward secrecy (PFS). PFS means the compromise of long-term keys does not compromise past session keys. As a consequence, past encrypted communications and sessions cannot be retrieved and decrypted if long-term secrets keys or passwords are compromised in the future by adversaries. [13]

Other primary benefits of onion services include: [14]

Users who want to learn more about how onion services work should read the technical description.

HTTPS Everywhere is a Firefox extension shipped in Tor Browser and produced as a collaboration between The Tor Project and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It helps to encrypt user communications with a number of major sites.

Many sites on the Internet offer some limited support for encryption over HTTPS, but make it difficult to use. For instance, sites may default to unencrypted HTTP or fill encrypted pages with links that return to the unencrypted version of site. The HTTPS Everywhere extension addresses these problems by rewriting all site requests to HTTPS.

To learn more about HTTPS Everywhere, visit:

NoScript is a free, open source extension that comes bundled with Tor Browser and other Mozilla-based web browsers. NoScript can provide significant protection for users, depending on its configuration: [19]

NoScript protects against cross-site scripting, which otherwise enables attackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages being viewed, bypassing the same-origin policy. The same-origin policy refers to web browsers usually only allowing scripts in the first web page to access data in a second web page if they have the same origin (URL scheme, hostname and port number).

Anti-clickjacking is also available to protect against hidden or disguised user interface elements masquerading as trusted web page buttons, links and so on (this is disabled by default in Tor Browser). Clickjacking can maliciously activate microphones or webcams, or trick users into interacting with hidden elements to steal important financial, personal or other data.

In the stock Tor Browser configuration, JavaScript is enabled by default for greater usability. The Tor Project FAQ provides a summary of the reasoning for this decision: [20]

The take-home message is disabling all JavaScript with white-list based, pre-emptive script-blocking may better protect against vulnerabilities (many attacks are based on scripting), [21] but it reduces usability on many sites and acts as a fingerprinting mechanism based on the select sites where it is enabled. [22] On the other hand, allowing JavaScript by default increases usability and the risk of exploitation, but the user also has a fingerprint more in common with the larger pool of users. [23] [24]

Developers are unaware of any JavaScript vulnerabilities that could compromise Whonix anonymity. That said, users should refrain from changing NoScript settings in Tor Browser, unless they are aware of the potential impacts. Users can enable/disable JavaScript, Java and/or plugin execution by left-clicking on the NoScript status bar icon, or via the the contextual menu. [25] Permissions can be selected either temporarily or on a permanent basis. "Temporarily allow" will only enable scripts for that site until the browser session is closed, or until permission is manually revoked.

For further information, refer to the NoScript website and features overview, or the Torbutton design document.

As Tor Browser is based on Firefox, any browser add-on that is compatible with Firefox can also be installed in Tor Browser. In this context, add-ons is the collective name for extensions, themes and plugins: [26]

[27]

The Tor Project explicitly warns against using non-default add-ons with Tor Browser: [28]

....

Recommendations

The problem with non-default add-ons is they are often non-free software, and can lead to linkability to the same pseudonym. Moreover, they worsen fingerprinting and open up attack vectors in the form of remote exploits.

This advice holds true even though Whonix is configured to prevent these applications (along with malware) from leaking the user's real external IP address, even if they are misconfigured (see Features). Users should first consider the various alternatives to plugins, such as HTML5 or online media converters. [29]

If this advice is to be disregarded, first read Browser Plugins before proceeding.

Tor alone is not enough to protect your anonymity and privacy while browsing the Internet. All modern web browsers support JavaScript, Adobe Flash, cookies and other features which are capable of defeating the anonymity [30] provided by the Tor network.

In Tor Browser, these features are handled from inside the browser, because it is a modified (patched) version of Firefox and it contains an extension called Torbutton:

Users are also encouraged to learn more about fingerprinting and data collection techniques. Advanced users who are interested in a detailed description of the Torbutton design and the functions described below can learn more here.

The "New Identity" menu option sends the protocol command "signal newnym" to Tor's ControlPort. This clears the browser state, closes tabs, and obtains a fresh Tor circuit for future requests. [32]

Sometimes Tor only replaces the middle relay while using the same Tor exit relay. This is by design and the Tor default. Further, "signal newnym" does not interfere with long-lived connections like an IRC connection.

New Identity is not yet perfect and there are open bugs; this is not a Whonix-specific issue. [33]For greater security, it is better to completely close Tor Browser and restart it. In Qubes-Whonix, the safest option is using a Whonix-Workstation Qubes/DisposableVM and closing it and recreating a new one after critical activities.

This is how to use the New Identity feature in Torbutton.

Click Torbutton -> Click "New Identity"

Please read New Identity and Tor circuits and the New Identity design to learn more about this option and its limitations.

The "New Tor Circuit for this Site" Torbutton feature causes a new circuit to be created for the current Tor Browser tab, including other open tabs or windows from the same website. [34]

If it is really necessary to separate contextual identities, it is always safer to close and then restart Tor Browser.

Potential use cases for this feature include: [35]

To use it:

Click Torbutton -> Click "New Tor Circuit for this Site"

Advanced users who want to learn more about this function should refer to the New Tor Circuit design entry.

Tor Browser includes a Security Slider that lets the user disable certain web features that can be used to compromise security and anonymity. Currently there are three levels: "Safest", "Safer" and "Standard". Users have to make a trade-off between security, usability and privacy. At the higher levels the slider will prevent some sites from working properly. [36]

To use this feature:

Click Torbutton -> Click "Security Settings..." -> Select desired security level

To learn more about the exact effect of each setting level, users should refer to the Security Slider design entry.

Torbutton will notify the user if a Tor Browser update is available. See Tor Browser Internal Updater for further information and screenshots of this process. Note that there are multiple methods of updating Tor Browser. To use the Torbutton menu option:

Click Torbutton -> Click "Check for Tor Browser Update..."

Users who are interested in why Torbutton's "Open Networking Settings" and "Tor Circuit View" features have been disabled in Whonix can learn more here.

Start Tor Browser.

If you are using Qubes-Whonix.

Qubes Start Menu -> Whonix-Workstation AppVM (commonly called anon-whonix) -> Tor Browser

If you are using Non-Qubes-Whonix.

Start Menu -> Tor Browser

To start Tor Browser from the command line or in debugging mode, please press Expand on the right.

Open a terminal.

If you are using Qubes-Whonix, complete the following steps.

Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") -> Whonix-Workstation AppVM (commonly named anon-whonix) -> Konsole

If you are using a graphical Whonix-Workstation, complete the following steps.

Start Menu -> Applications -> System -> Konsole

The user has two options. To start Tor Browser "normally" from the terminal. [37]

Or to generate debugging output if problems are experienced with Tor Browser (also see Debugging).

Change into the Tor Browser folder.

cd ~/.tb/tor-browser/Browser

Start Tor Browser in debugging mode.

./start-tor-browser --debug

Note: Tor Browser can also be started manually without the --debug argument.

If Tor Browser successfully launches and connects to the Tor network, check.torproject.org should show the following message.

Figure: Successful Tor Browser Connection

Whonix protects against these threats outlined below, such as files that inadvertently or maliciously attempt to reveal the real IP address of the user, or third-party, external applications that can leak information outside of Tor. However, users should always engage in best safety practices.

Do not Open Documents Downloaded via Tor while Online

The Tor Project explicitly warns users not to open documents handled by external applications, since in the normal case they may contain Internet resources that may be downloaded outside of Tor by the application that opens them. [38]

This warning is not strictly relevant to Whonix users since all traffic is forced over the Whonix-Gateway and the IP address will not be leaked. Despite this fact, for greater safety users should open files such as PDFs and word processing documents in offline VMs.

Malicious files or links to files pose a greater threat; potential compromise of the user's system. Therefore users should heed the Whonix advice to not open random links or files in the Whonix-Workstation. Instead, in Qubes-Whonix it is preferable to sanitize the PDF or open the file or link in a DisposableVM. Non-Qubes-Whonix users should only open the file in a separate, offline Whonix-Workstation.

Do not Torrent over Tor

See File Sharing.

Users often mistakenly believe that a secure, green padlock and a https:// URL makes any download from that particular website secure. This is not the case. The website might be redirecting to http.

In fact, the user may be vulnerable to an attempted SSLstrip attack if a link is pasted or typed into the address bar without the https:// component (e.g. torproject.org instead of https://torproject.org). [39]

In this instance, the user cannot actually confirm if the file is being downloaded over https://. Potentially, a SSLstrip attack might have made the download take place over plain http. The reason is the user cannot see a padlock; it just appears empty.

To avoid the risk of an SSLstrip attack or similar threats, users should always explicitly type or paste https:// in the URL / address bar. The SSL certificate button or padlock will not appear in this instance, but that is nothing to be concerned about. Unfortunately, few users follow this sage advice; instead most mistakenly believe pasting or typing http://www.torproject.org into the address bar is safe.

For even greater safety, where possible download files from onion services (.onion addresses). Greater security is provided by onion service downloads, since: the connection is encrypted end-to-end (with PFS), targeting of individuals is difficult, and adversaries cannot easily determine where the user is connecting to or from.

Also, if files are already available in repositories, then users should prefer mechanisms which simplify and automate software upgrades and installations (like apt-get functions), rather than download Internet resources. Avoid installing unsigned software and be sure to always verify key fingerprints and digital signatures of signed software from the Internet, before importing keys or completing installations.

Finally, consider using multiple Whonix-Workstations when downloading and installing additional software, to better compartmentalize user activities and minimize the threat of misbehaving applications.

For users who regularly download Internet files, Tor Browser's default download folder is inconvenient. For example, if the user downloaded the sample image below using Tor Browser, by default the download path is /home/user/.tb/tor-browser/Browser/Downloads. It is time-consuming to navigate to this folder so far down the directory tree.

More:

Tor Browser - Whonix

Orfox is built from the same source code as Tor Browser (which is built upon Firefox), but with a few minor modifications to the privacy enhancing features to make them compatible with Firefox for Android and the Android operating system.

Orfox REQUIRES Orbot app for Android to connect to the Tor network.

In as many ways as possible, we adhere to the design goals of Tor Browser (https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser/design/), by supporting as much of their actual code as possible, and extending their work into the additional Android components of Firefox for Android.

** Also, includes NoScript and HTTPSEverywhere add-ons built in!

The Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.

Learn more at:https://guardianproject.info/apps/orfox

* * How is Orfox different than Tor Browser for desktop?

* The Orfox code repository is at https://github.com/guardianproject/tor-browser and the Tor Browser repository is here:https://gitweb.torproject.org/tor-browser.git/. The Orfox repository is a fork of the Tor Browser repository with the necessary modification and Android-specific code as patches on top of the Tor Browser work. We will keep our repository in sync with updates and release of Tor Browser.

* Orfox is built from the Tor Browser repo based on ESR38 (https://dev.guardianproject.info/issues/5146https://dev.guardianproject.info/news/221) and has only two modified patches that were not relevant or necessary for Android

* Orfox does not currently include the mobile versions of the Tor Browser * Button, but this we will be added shortly, now that we have discovered how to properly support automatic installation of extensions on Android (https://dev.guardianproject.info/issues/5360)

* Orfox currently allows for users to bookmark sites, and may have additional data written to disk beyond what the core gecko browser component does. We are still auditing all disk write code, and determining how to appropriately disable or harden it. (https://dev.guardianproject.info/issues/5437)

* * How is Orfox different than Orweb?

Orweb is our current default browser for Orbot/Tor mobile users (https://guardianproject.info/apps/orweb) that has been downloaded over 2 million times. It is VERY VERY SIMPLE, as it only has one tab, no bookmark capability, and an extremely minimal user experience.

Orweb is built upon the bundled WebView (Webkit) browser component inside of the Android operating system. This has proven to be problematic because we cannot control the version of that component, and cannot upgrade it directly when bugs are found. In addition, Google has made it very difficult to effectively control the network proxy settings of all aspects of this component, making it difficult to guarantee that traffic will not leak on all devices and OS versions.

Orweb also only provides a very limited amount of capability of Tor Browser, primarily related to reducing browser fingerprinting, minimizing disk writes, and cookie and history management. It trys to mimic some of the settings of Tor Browser, but doesnt actually use any of the actual code written for Tor Browser security hardening.

Original post:

Orfox: Tor Browser for Android - Android Apps on Google Play

Tor Browser for Windows has been designed to help you preserve your privacy online. Tor Browser is a tool set that can help you anonymize web browsing and publishing, instant messaging, and other applications that use the TCP protocol. This can be helpful for private use and business use.It means that confidential information can be kept from prying eyes. ISPs, key loggers and other types of malware are not able to track your activities easily.

Tor Browser for Windows works by bouncing traffic around a distributed network of servers which it calls "onion routers". The interface allows you to toggle it on and off based upon when you need anonymity online. Tor Browser for Windows also lets you choose from various proxy tunnels based on a world map that displays exactly where each one is located.

Overall, Tor Browser for Windows is a simple, well organized and effective tool for users who are concerned about security or invasions of privacy whilst they are online. The browser interface is a standard, user friendly affair and the application is relatively lightweight.

Original post:

Download Tor Browser for Windows 7.5 - FileHippo.com

Recently, BoingBoing ran an article about how some librarians in Massachusetts were installing Tor software in all their public PCs to anonymize the browsing habits of their patrons. The librarians are doing this as a stand against passive government surveillance as well as companies that track users online and build dossiers to serve highly-targeted advertising.

It's an interesting project and a bold stand for user privacy. But the good news is that if you want to browse anonymously, you don't have to go to the library to use Tor. Connecting to the Tor network from your own PC is quick and painless thanks to the Tor project's dead simple Tor Browser. (Want even more privacy? Check out the top picks from our VPN reviews.)

Tor is a computer network run by volunteers worldwide. Each volunteer runs what is called a relay, which is just a computer that runs software allowing users to connect to the Internet via the Tor network.

Before hitting the open Internet, the Tor Browser will connect to several different relays, wiping its tracks each step of the way, making it difficult to figure out where, and who, you really are.

While Tor is gaining a reputation as a tool for buying illicit goods online, the software has numerous legitimate uses. Activists masking their location from oppressive regimes and journalists communicating with anonymous sources are two simple examples.

If, like the librarians in Massachusetts, you don't have an exotic reason for using Tor, it's still a good tool to keep your browsing private from your ISP, advertisers, or passive government data collection. But if the NSA or other three-letter agency decided to actively target your browsing habits that's a whole different ballgame.

The easiest way to use Tor is to download the Tor Browser. This is a modified version of Firefox along with a bunch of other software that connects you to the Tor network.

Once you've downloaded the installer, you have two options: You can just install the software or you can check the installation file's GPG signature first. Some people like to check the installation file to make sure they've downloaded the proper version of the browser and not something that's been tampered with.

But checking the GPG signature is not a painless process and requires an additional software download. Nevertheless, if that's something you'd like to do, the Tor Project has a how-to explaining what's required.

Whether or not you've checked the GPG signature, the next step is to install the Tor browser itself.

You can install the Tor browser on a USB stick.

For Windows, the Tor Browser comes as an EXE file, so it's basically like installing any other program. The key difference is that the browser doesn't have the same default location as most programs. Instead, it offers your desktop as the install location.

The Tor browser does this because it is portable software and doesn't integrate into a Windows system the way typical programs do. This means you can run the Tor browser from almost anywherethe Desktop, your documents folder, or even a USB drive.

When you arrive at the Choose install location window Click Browse... and then choose where you'd like to install the browser. As you can see in the image above, I installed it to a USB drive that I tote around on my key chain.

Once you've got your location selected, just press Install and Tor takes care of the rest.

Once the browser is installed, you'll have a plain old folder called Tor Browser. Open that and inside you'll see "Start Tor Browser.exe". Click that file and a new window opens asking whether you'd like to connect directly to the Tor network or if you need to configure proxy settings first.

Most people can simply connect directly to the Tor network to get started. (Click to enlarge.)

For most people, choosing the direct option is best, so choose Connect. A few seconds later a version of Firefox will launch and you are now connected to the Tor network and able to browser in relative anonymity.

To make sure you're connected to Tor go to whatismyip.com, which will automatically detect your location based on your Internet Protocol address. If your browser shows you coming from a location that is not your own, you are good to go. Just make sure you do all your anonymous browsing from the Tor Browser itself as other programs on your system are not connected to Tor.

But browsing anonymously on Tor isn't quite as easy as booting up a program. There are also some rules of the road you should observe, such as connecting to every site possible via SSL/TSL encryption (HTTPS). If you don't, then anything you do online can be observed by the person running your exit node. The browser has the Electronic Frontier Foundation's HTTPS Everywhere add-on installed by default, which should cover your SSL/TSL needs most of the time.

The Tor Project has more tips on browsing anonymously.

Also, remember that browsing in anonymity does not make you immune to viruses and other malware. If you are going to the seedier parts of the Internet, Tor cannot protect you from malicious software that could be used to reveal your location.

For the average Internet user, however, the Tor Browser should be enough to stay private online.

Read the original post:

How to use the Tor Browser to surf the web anonymously

Quick question: What do you do when you want to browse the internet securely? Do you click on your browser menu and select your browser's privacy mode and go about your merry way, assuming your data is safe and your history not saved. I've got news for you; chances are that private or incognito mode isn't exactly what it's cracked up to be.

I've tested both Chrome and Firefox and have witnessed both of them retaining browser history. What does this mean for you, the user? It means if you need serious privacy for your web browsing, or if you need to safeguard data while working on company sites, you might have to turn to a speciality browser, such as Tor Browser or Epic Browser. Tor Browser is available for all platforms, and Epic Browser is only available for Mac and Windows. Both browsers not only ensure your history will not be retained, but they also work with the help of a proxy system to keep your browsing encrypted and private.

So, if you're looking for the highest level of security in a browser, look away from the the likes of Edge, Chrome, and Firefox and turn your sites on Tor and Epic. Both of these browsers are surprisingly easy to use and will go a long way to keep your data safe. Are they perfect? Are the superior than what you're using now? Chances are, the answer to that question is a resounding yes.

Image: Jack Wallen

View post:

If you're really concerned about browser security, Incognito isn't ... - TechRepublic

Tor is free software and an open network that helps you defend against a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security known as traffic analysis.

Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.

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 hidden 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?

A branch of the U.S. Navy uses Tor for open source intelligence gathering, and one of its teams used Tor while deployed in the Middle East recently. Law enforcement uses Tor for visiting or surveilling web sites without leaving government IP addresses in their web logs, and for security during sting operations.

What's New:

This release features an important security update to Tor.

All Platforms

Previous versions:

View original post here:

Tor Browser 7.0.4 Download - TechSpot

After being refused service by two domain registrars and a hosting provider, a notorious neo-Nazi site has apparently fled to a Russian domain and a new server host, with a backup on the dark web.

The Daily Stormer came under fire following the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend. The neo-Nazi website had its account terminated with domain registrar GoDaddy on Sunday after Twitter users complained about a post lobbing insults and slurs at Heather Heyer, the anti-racism demonstrator who was killed in Charlottesville. The website also quietly had its server hosting disabled by hosting company Scaleway. And even though the website quickly moved to another domain registration company, Google, Google promptly terminated its account.

Thus, heading into Tuesday, the site founded by prominent neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin in 2013 was essentially bouncing around looking for places to land. It briefly attempted to gain hosting through a Chinese service provider at the URL DailyStormer.wang, only to quickly be taken offline.

Next, the site attempted to set up shop on the dark web, using a .onion domain. Websites on the dark web are hidden from search engines and can only be accessed by special browsers such as a Tor browser. But the sites move underground didnt last long. Currently its home on the dark web is a parked announcement that it has relocated to DailyStormer.Ru:

The .ru domain in the URL isnt exactly proof that the website is now hosted in Russia, because anyone can register a .ru domain. A Whois lookup for the .ru site reveals that the controversial hosting proxy CloudFlare, which has refused to terminate its business relationship with the neo-Nazi forum, continues to mask the identity of the sites true server host.

On the website, Anglin celebrated the sites return with a litany of anti-Semitism and criticism of GoDaddy and Google, calling the latter an anti-speech site. He also took the opportunity to deliver more insults against Heyer, whose memorial is today.

Update: The Dailystormer.ru domain now appears to be offline as well; the .onion domain accessible via Tor browser has not updated. We are following developments and will update this article as new iterations of the site appear.

Follow this link:

Neo-Nazi site Daily Stormer resurfaces with Russian domain following Google and GoDaddy bans - Vox

The infamous neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer has been removed from several separate platforms in the past week, but its operators will still likely be able to lurk in the shadows of the dark web.

Several tech companies either shut down or blocked the anti-Semitic blog after it wrote a malicious article mocking the death of Elizabeth Heyer. James Fields, a white supremacist, is charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing Heyer with a sports car August 12 during a violent rallyin Charlottesville, Va.

After receiving public pressure, GoDaddy, the popular domain registrar company, threatened to remove the hateful site late Sunday night if it did not find a new domain. The onus was then put on Google to also purge it from its platform, an action it took in less than 24 hours.

We are cancelling Daily Stormers registration with Google Domains for violating our terms of service, a representative for Google told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Google also removed Gab, a more obscure social networking site used as an alternative to Twitter, from its app store, saying it violates the hate speech policy. Andrew Auernheimer, a somewhat prominent neo-Nazi who contributes to The Daily Stormer, uses the platform to coordinate with other followers of The Daily Stormer.

In a Gab post, he even provided a link to a Tor browser, free software that enables anonymous networks by concealing a users location and general usage. Using Tor, people with similar interests can continue to communicate in the shadows of the virtual abyss colloquially known as the dark web.

Despite Googles removal, Gab is still available to download on its own website and mobile devices, just not through the app store.

Cloudflare another company that manages domain names and offers hacking protection alsoended The Daily Stormers patronage, rendering it susceptible to distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Such cyber assaults are when a perpetratordirects several internet-connected devices and the respective unique Internet Protocol (IP) addresses (the numerical label assigned to every device) to targeted online systems, which inundates them. (Imagine a tsunami, rather than the typical waves, hitting a beachfront).

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince said despite finding the website vile, the decision to remove The Daily Stormer makes him deeply uncomfortable, according to Business Insider.

The tipping point for us making this decision was that the team behind Daily Stormer made the claim that we were secretly supporters of their ideology, Prince said in an official blog post. Like a lot of people, weve felt angry at these hateful people for a long time but we have followed the law and remained content neutral as a network. We could not remain neutral after these claims of secret support by Cloudflare.

Its apparently the first time the company has dropped a customer based on political pressure.

YouTube, Twitter, and several crowdfunding platforms all followed suit at some point, either removing profiles and content related to The Daily Stormer orblocking pages trying to raise money for the legal defense of Fields. Facebook also removed several posts that link to the specific Daily Stormer article, and the chat app Discord barredany servers that promote Nazi ideology, according to The Verge. Using its software algorithms, Facebook, however, tried to maintain posts sharing the article only if condemnation of it was overt.

The managers and supporters of the bigoted blog, however, are still finding ways to communicate and operate in the dark web. (RELATED: Dark Web Mastermind Would Have Eluded Cops If Not For His Interest In Rubber Gloves)

Since a domain registrar connects domain names (essentially web addresses) to IP addresses, when a domain name like The Daily Stormer is removed, its IP address continues to function. So The Daily Stormers web address then falls outside of the respective domain name system (DNS), (the yellow pages of web addresses) meaning it merely becomes unlisted, thus away, for the most part, from the general publics view.

Fans of the site will just share the IP address among themselves to continue accessing the site until the website can find a shady registrar willing to take on the name, Richard Bennett, an experienced tech consultant and one of the original creators of the WiFi system, told TheDCNF.

In this case, that could be a registrar in the Middle East or South America, he conjectured prior to reports that The Daily Stormer was found using .ru, Russias top-level domain. A Russian web-hosting provider suspended The Daily Stormer Thursday, according to Radio Free Europe, after the countrys government launched an inquiry.

Most of the dark web uses very odd-looking domain names that are shared among users because theyre as hard to remember as IP addresses, Bennett explained. Crooks are very community-minded where their common interests intersect.

He says that along with their like-minded collaboration, its very hard to completely remove a site from the internet because the requirements and prerequisites for operating a website isnt possessing a domain name, but merely having a computer, an IP address, and a physical internet connection.

Domain names are nice, but theyre more a convenience than a technical necessity, said Bennett.

William Rinehart,director of technology and innovation policy at theAmerican Action Forum, agrees with Bennett, saying going to the dark web for communication and promulgation of content is not really difficult, but will require coordination.

Moving to the dark web isnt illegal, but it does add a lot of complications because your site needs to be accessed via [The Onion Router] TOR Browser and few people use the browser, Rinehart told TheDCNF.

He also adds a further distinction between the dark web and the deep web.

The deep web is simply the term for those places that Google and other public systems cannot index. So, the deep web includes content shared on Slack channels, Rinehart explained. The dark web, however, is generally a term for those places that need to be accessed via TOR Browser suite, which adds anonymity, and is thus a subset of the deep web.

The developers of the Tor web browser said theyre disgusted, angered and appalled by The Daily Stormer and what those racists stand for and do.

We feel this way any time the Tor network and software are used for vile purposes, Tor Project contributor Steph said in an official blog post. But we cant build free and open source tools that protect journalists, human rights activists, and ordinary people around the world if we also control who uses those tools. Tor is designed to defend human rights and privacy by preventing anyone from censoring things, even us. (RELATED: Feds Bust 18-Year-Old Hitman Who Offered Lethal Services On Dark Web)

So while The Daily Stormer has been removed from the respective platforms of a multitude of tech companies, it and other white supremacist, neo-Nazi contingencies may always be able to survive in the shadows of the dark web.

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How The Daily Stormer Went From GoDaddy To The Shadows Of The Dark Web - The Daily Caller

Infamous neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer is no longer accessible online via a conventional web browser. But a Monday essay seems to have caught the eye of President Trump.

Instead, site visitors need to download the Tor browser and use that to access the notorious neo-Nazi website at dstormer6em3i4km.onion. The Tor browser facilitates anonymous browsing.

On Sunday 13 August, the site published a crude and highly criticized article attacking Heather Heyer, the woman killed in the Charlottesville melee.

Monday Daily Stormer publisher Andrew Anglin authored an essay (pdf) condemning protestors who topped a Confederate statue in Durham, NC.

And I guarantee you, [the protesters] are going to go to Washington, and they are going to demand that the Washington Monument be torn down. They might even try to pull it down. Because George Washington owned slaves. More importantly, he was a white man who built something.

Also on Monday, former Congressman Newt Gingrich (whose wife is in the Administration) and Fox host Martha MacCallum were discussing the announcement that the Lexington, KY, mayor intends to remove two Confederate statues from a public building.

Where are you going to stop it? Gingrich said. What if you werent sensitive enough to the Holocaust we should take down all the statues of Franklin Delano Roosevelt? You could make an argument for that.

You could make an argument for Thomas Jefferson or George Washington, MacCallum interjected. Are you going to change the name of the Washington Monument?

Gingrich then noted that both were slave owners.

Absolutely, thats my point, MacCallum responds.

Its not a surprise that these points from FOX and The Daily Stormer were reprised in President Trumps press conference on Tuesday:

many of those people were there to protest the taking down of the statue of Robert E. Lee. So this week, it is Robert E. Lee. I noticed that Stonewall Jackson is coming down. I wonder, is it George Washington next week? And is it Thomas Jefferson the week after? You know, you really do have to ask yourself, where does it stop?

Was George Washington a slave owner? So will George Washington now lose his status? Are we going to take down excuse me are we going to take down statues to George Washington? How about Thomas Jefferson?

Trumps comments were widely criticized:

That wasnt the only eyebrow-raising act of the day:

Trump RT'd this pic showing a CNN journalist hit by a train days after a white nationalist ran his car into activists, killed Heather Heyer. pic.twitter.com/tWjdoE70AS

Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 15, 2017

Aug 16, 2017KATHY GILL, Technology Policy Analyst

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The Daily Stormer has lost its lease, accessible only via Tor browser - The Moderate Voice

The Tor Project says it can't build open source tools for circumventing censorship if it also controls who uses those tools.

A day after The Daily Stormer retreated to the darknet, the organization that helped make that move possible is condemning the neo-Nazi site while grudgingly acknowledging its technology allows the site to continue to spew messages of hate.

A version of the site, dubbed the "top hate site in America," appeared Wednesday on a part of the web that can only be accessed through the Tor Project's browser, which hides users' online identities. The Daily Stormer moved to a Tor onion service after GoDaddy and then Googlepulled its domain following an offensive story it published about Heather Heyer, who was killed on Saturday while counter-protesting against white supremacist protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"We are disgusted, angered, and appalled by everything these racists stand for and do," Tor member Steph wrote in a blog post Thursday. "Ironically, the Tor software has been designed and written by a diverse team including people of many religions, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and points on the (legitimate, non-Nazi) political spectrum.

"We are everything they claim to despise," Steph wrote. "And we work every day to defend the human rights they oppose."

With the move, the Tor Project joins a slew of companies and organizations seeking to distance themselves from white supremacist activity on the web. Apple and PayPal have disabled support of their services at websites that sell merchandise glorifying white nationalists and support hate groups, while Reddit and Facebook have each banned entire hate groups.

Click to see our in-depth coverage of online hatred.

On Wednesday, internet security provider Cloudflare dropped its support for the website, essentially allowing it to be taken down with a denial-of-service attack. Twitter also joined the campaign by suspending the accounts linked to the the website.

Steph pointed out the Tor browser is designed to defeat censorship, and the organization can't and shouldn't decide who benefits from that freedom.

"We can't build free and open source tools that protect journalists, human rights activists, and ordinary people around the world if we also control who uses those tools," Steph wrote. "Tor is designed to defend human rights and privacy by preventing anyone from censoring things, even us."

Solving for XX: The industry seeks to overcome outdated ideas about "women in tech."

Special Reports: All of CNET's most in-depth features in one easy spot.

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Tor Project 'disgusted' by Daily Stormer, defends software ethos - CNET

Charlottesville, Va., will be etched into American history, but not, perhaps, only as the day a new generation of Ku Klux Klan members went maskless and white America finally called a white terrorist what he is. Textbooks might not only record it as when right-wing hatred roiled up from a maelstrom of racial tension to drown a womans life over a monument to a racist general who defended slavery. The last week might not simply be remembered as when Donald Trump, with childish petulance, was quicker to insult a black businessman who disavowed the president over his weak response to Charlottesville than he was to distance himself from Nazisma breed of hatred America once went to war against.

Rather, Charlottesville might need to be footnoted as when hate groups became harder to track when hackers fought back against white supremacists newfound anonymity for shits and giggles, and freedom of speech as it applies to the internet was forever changed in America.

After white supremacist hub the Daily Stormer released an article denigrating Heather Heyer, the victim of the hit-and-run terrorist attack, its host, GoDaddy, decided that Stormer had violated its terms of service. Stormer tried to move its domain to Google, but the towering tech company immediately Dikembe Mutombo-ed that shit. Afterward, Zoho, the Stormers email service provider, dropped them like they were hot. Not long afterward, Vanguard America, another popular white supremacist site, went dark, too.

Inside 24 hours, three tech companies did more to silence racism than Trump. It was swift, sweet catharsis. But as with many comfort foods, the health effects might turn out to be bitterfor two reasons: free speech and anonymity.

These Nazis are gonna learn that theyre being shut off from decent society, and they will have a

People often decry tech companies censorship as a violation of the First Amendment. (See: white man who just found out he isnt entitled to express vehement bile anywhere he chooses.) It isnt. The First protects you from threats and government deprivation of your freedom of speech.

Recently, the Supreme Court struck down a law that once prevented convicted sex offenders from using social mediabecause such forums are often frequented by minorsrecognizing social media as a modern public square. Consequently, blocking people from using it would be a violation of free speech.

Several Twitter users have sued Trump for blocking them on Twitter, because, after all, why should they be deprived of the opportunity to bask in the resplendent glow of Sir Cheetos Puffs wisdom?

This concept of simultaneously treating or increasingly recognizing the internet as a public sphere and protecting companies right to censor have come into conflict. Its plausible that the next decade could see a Supreme Court case calling to better codify the limitations of tech companies right to censor hate speech. As the most impactful case of tech-company censorship to date, Charlottesville and the ensuing shutdown of the Daily Stormer could have set a precedent to be cited either in favor of censoring hate speech or against it.

And there is a case to be made against censoring hate speech, as repulsive as it is. For one, the expectation that tech companies should police inflammatory comments could lead to them censoring, say, #BlackLivesMatter. Moreover, while silencing racists and pushing them ever further to the fringes of society is cathartic, it may be more important now more than ever to remember why civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, who stand tallest as historys beacons of hope, are those who chose the high roadwho chose to be empathetic, acknowledge their persecutors humanity and appeal to what moral values they did have.

Its increasingly easy for someone to tumble into echo chambers of confirmation bias, where they never intellectually interact with people with different viewsonly abstractify and insult them. Its easier to be pushed toward extremism. The Obama administration realized this and allocated a $10 million fund to counter recruitment for neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations. Then Trumps administration slashed that funding.

Now white supremacists are being pushed to the fringes of society, and not necessarily in a productive way. In less than 24 hours after Stormer was shut down, a social media campaign began disseminating the URL to a new version of the site on the Tor Browser, the darknet.

This isnt the first time racists have huddled together in the darknet. However, the Stormer was the white supremacist hub, with 2.87 million visits a month. Thats depressingly popular, but this centrality made sites like the Stormer and Vanguard a treasure trove of data for organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. Regular websites also require IP addresses to be archived. This is useful to law-enforcement agencies when they need to track down suspects.

The Tor Browser doesnt render all users perfectly anonymous, but its considerably harder for law-enforcement agencies and hate-group researchers alike to mine info that could allow them to track white supremacists. Initial research by Motherboard cybersecurity reporter Joseph Cox has even noted that there doesnt seem to be any issues with the site that might allow users to be easily de-anonymized.

Since then, a hacker took credit for launching a distributed denial of service attack, a type of cyberattack wherein networks of internet-accessible devices are harnessed to overwhelm a system with traffic, in order to shut down the new site. The attacker or attackers claimed that they dont really care about either side. They did it because they could.

Nevertheless, if the site goes back up, white supremacists will flock together again. And in the process of deciding that white supremacists should once again wear hoods, tech companies might have just made sure theyll do so in greater anonymity.

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Tech Companies Decide White Supremacists Should Wear HoodsWhich Could Make Them Harder to Track - The Root

Ransomware has been the largest cybersecurity threat in the world for over a year now. Over that time we've seen a number of massive attacks. The WannaCry variant that occurred earlier this year in May was extremely nasty, locking up hundreds of thousands of computers in over 150 countries.

One of the first known ransomware attacks to hit the scene was dubbed Locky, but it hasn't been prevalent in a while. Until now. A new Locky ransomware variant is spreading and you need to know what to watch for.

Researchers at Comodo Threat Intelligence Lab recently discovered a new Locky variant dubbed IKARUSdilapidated. It is being distributed through phishing emails that contain little to no content. The email does, however, have a malicious file attached to it.

The attachment is either a Word document, PDF, archive zip file, or image file. If the recipient executes the attachment, it infects their gadget with IKARUSdilapidated ransomware.

A Comodo spokesperson said, "When the user opens the attached document, it appears to be full of garbage, and it includes the phrase 'Enable macro if data encoding is incorrect' - a social engineering technique used in this type of phishing attack. If the user does as instructed, the macros then save and run a binary file that downloads the actual encryption Trojan."

Here is an example of what the email looks like:

Once the victim's gadget is infected with the ransomware, a message appears instructing them to download the Tor browser. Then, a ransom of up to $1,200 is demanded that the victim is told to pay using bitcoin.

So far, there have been tens of thousands of these phishing emails delivered. The cybercriminals are using botnets to send the malicious emails.

(Note:A botnet is a group of gadgetsthat hackers have taken over without the owner's knowledge. The hackers seize control of unwitting gadgetswith a virus, and then use the network of infected computersto perform large-scale hacks or scams.)

As you can see, this is a very elaborate scam. Phishing emails, botnets, and ransomware are all used in this attack to scam people out of money. That's why you really need to know how to avoid falling victim to this attack.

The best way to defeat a ransomware attack is to takeprecautionary steps. Here are suggestions that will help:

Backing up your critical data is an important safety precaution in the fight against ransomware. It's the best way to recover your files without paying a ransom.

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Nasty Locky ransomware is back, and now it's worse than ever - Komando

Tails, the amnesic incognito live system, also known as the anonymous live operating system, has been updated today to version 3.1, a point release that fixes many security issues and updates important components.

Tails 3.1 is here with the latest Tor Browser 7.0.4 anonymous web browser and the Linux 4.9.30-2+deb9u3 LTS kernel, which is also used by default in Debian Stretch. The new release was synced with the upstream repositories of the Debian GNU/Linux 9.1 "Stretch" operating system.

Among other noteworthy changes implemented in Tails 3.1, we can mention a fix for a bug that lets the Mozilla Thunderbird email and news client erase its temporary directory, which might contain previously opened attachments, as well as updated "Tor is ready" and time synchronization notifications translations.

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Debian-Based Tails 3.1 Anonymous OS Debuts with Tor Browser 7.0.4, Linux 4.9.30 - LXer (press release)

As planned, the Tails project has announced the general availability of Tails 3.1. The developers are strongly encouraging users of older releases to upgrade as soon as possible because it closes several security vulnerabilities and upgrades the Tor Browser to the latest version based on the newest Firefox ESR.

The two major changes in Tails 3.1 are that the Tor Browser has been upgraded to 7.0.4 and the Linux kernel has been upgraded to 4.9.30-2+deb9u3. The new Tor Browser will be the main reason to upgrade, to make sure that bugs in the browser arent being exploited to remove the anonymity of the user. The final detail to note is that this release is based on the new Debian 9.1, which was released in July.

There are also a few problems which have been fixed in Tails 3.1, they are:

To get the new update, you can either do a clean install or do a manual upgrade. Both options have well-detailed instructions accompanied by screenshots making it easy to create your new Tails live USB. Unfortunately for existing users, the automatic upgrade from 3.0.1 to 3.1 has been disabled due to some issues, but Tails 3.0 users can jump directly to 3.1 with an automatic upgrade.

Tails 3.2 is scheduled for release on October 3, and version 3.3 will be out on November 14. While the team behind the OS seems to be good at meeting their deadlines, you should assume that the dates listed could change. To see where the project is headed over the coming years, feel free to give their roadmap a look.

Source: Tails

Originally posted here:

Tails 3.1 has been released but you'll need to do a manual upgrade - Neowin

Malware and hacking tools are established parts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's toolkit when it comes to unmasking criminal suspects on the Tor anonymity network. In a new case revolving around someone blackmailing children, FBI agents sent the suspect a digitally-poisoned movie file that obtained the target's real IP address.

Though the FBI has used hacking techniques in a wide, controversial manner, the tactic used here highlights how the bureau can identify suspects in a much more targeted way too.

Monday, prosecutors announced charges against Buster Hernandez, 26, of Bakersfield, California. Hernandez is charged with threats to use an explosive device and sexual exploitation of a child. He is suspected of using the moniker "Brian Kil."

Since 2015, Brian Kil has used social media, email, and VoIP to communicate with a number of underage female victims and extort sexual photos from them, according to the criminal complaint. Under duress, some victims sent explicit images and videos to Kil.

When Kil used sites like Facebook to harass victims, investigators found he was always hidden either behind an anonymous proxy or the Tor network, meaning authorities could not simply subpoena relevant companies for the suspect's IP address.

"Your time is running out. You though [sic] the police would find me by now but they didn't. They have no clue," Kil wrote to one of the victims. As the harassment, threats, and publication of sexually explicit photos continued, law enforcement even held a community forum at Plainfield High School in January last year to discuss the case. Kil allegedly forced one of his victims to attend and report back, according to the complaint.

On June 9, Magistrate Judge Debra McVicker Lynch authorized the use of a Network Investigative Technique (NIT), an FBI blanket term for malware, exploits, and hacking tricks. The idea, the complaint adds, was to obtain Kil's real IP address.

The complaint explains how the FBI's tactic worked.

In this case, the FBI was authorized to add a small piece of extra code to a video file produced by one of the victims. Posing as the victim, the FBI then sent the booby-trapped file to Kil via Dropbox.

"Uploading now. Did you get it," a message from the undercover FBI agent to Kil reads, according to text messages included in the complaint. (The video did not include any depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit activity, the complaint reads).

Judging by the complaint, the NIT was successful. "When Kil viewed the video containing the NIT on a computer the NIT disclosed the true IP address associated with the computer used by Kil," the document adds.

Armed with the IP address, investigators then filed an emergency subpoena with the relevant internet service provider and were given a physical address. After intercepting communications to and from that IP address, investigators found someone viewed a photograph of the Columbine killers, according to the complaint. Kil, it turned out, had posted the same photo when he threatened the Plainfield School District in 2015. Physical surveillance showed that resident Buster Hernandez was always present when Tor was being used in the home.

Several recent cases have shown the FBI using hacking tricks in a targeted manner. In May, Forbes reported on an investigation in which the FBI used a similar technique but with Word documents rather than a video file.

These stand in stark contrast to the agency's broader use of malware. Motherboard found the FBI used a Tor Browser exploit to hack over 8,000 computers in 120 different countries.

Although this latest case doesn't highlight any vulnerabilities in the Tor network itself, it does act as a reminder that there are ways of deanonymizing people in a targeted way using novel or unorthodox law enforcement techniques.

Got a tip? You can contact this reporter securely on Signal at +44 20 8133 5190, OTR chat at jfcox@jabber.ccc.de, or email joseph.cox@vice.com

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The FBI Booby-Trapped a Video to Catch a Suspected Tor ... - Motherboard

The Tor software is a common tool among consumers who prefer to enjoymore privacy while accessing the internet on a regular basis. However, we also know the Tor software is not without its flaws. The developer of this browser hasacknowledged that furtherimprovements need to be made. A batch of new features wasannounced earlier this week. All of these improvements should make Tor a much safer tool.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the Tor software and the people who use it. Someautomatically assume that anyone using Tor must be frequenting the darknet. However, the vast majority of people utilizingTor do so to access regular websites. Thebrowser provides more privacy and anonymity features than any other browsing software in the world today. It is no surprise that a lot of people would prefer this software for regular internet usage.

Tors developer has clarified another myth surrounding the usage of this software. The NSA does not run half the relays used by the network by any means. With over 8,000 relays on a global scale, that would require a ton of resources to pull off. Some intelligence agencies doset up temporary relays every now and then. The vast majority, however, are run by independent users with no political agenda whatsoever.

The biggest announcement concernedsome new features coming to a Tor browser near you. The team has partnered with Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium to improve traffic analysis resistance. This method is often used to identify Tor users with relative ease. Stepping up countermeasure efforts should result in making it a lot more difficult to de-anonymize onion services in the future.

The Tor protocol will switch to a new cryptosystem using elliptic curve cryptography keys such as Ed25519. At present, the protocol continues torely on the first 80 bits of the SHA-1 of a 1024-bit RSA key. Althoughthis has worked quite well so far, the system hasgotten a bit outdated. Especially consideringthe progress made in quantum computing, the time is now to come up with improved solutions which guarantee additional privacy for all users. One always has to prepare for whatever the future may hold.

Further changes include making it more difficult to set up relays to target particular onion services. This will be done through an improved hidden service directory design functioning similarly toDNS for the regular internet. The current use of HSDir relays is too predictable in the mindsof the developers. Tackling this problem will not be an easy feat, but it should be feasible to improve upon this feature in the coming months and years.

Perhaps the most intriguing new features come in the form of different deployment models. Tor users can now sacrifice location privacy for performance and scalability if they wish to do so. This method hasbeen used by services such as Facebook already to improve load times and so forth, and it makes sense to integrate different deployment models. Making Tor the new standard among Internet browsers will not be easy, but all of these steps pave the way toward achieving that goal.

Excerpt from:

Major Improvements Are Coming Soon to the Tor Browser - The Merkle

Monday August 7 2017

Every day, millions of Kenyans visit Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Internet shutdown would inconvenience many. PHOTO | FILE | AFP

Our Constitution basically allows the government to bend the rules by invoking the threat to national security clause for the citizens good.

Censorship can be enforced by ordering internet service providers to block access to certain or all IP addresses hence a partial and full censorship.

This kind of arm-twisting normally leaves ISPs with two options: comply or have their operating licence revoked.

On February 18, 2016, our neighbours to the west went to cast their ballots in a hotly contested election.

Shortly after voting started, the Ugandan government shut down access to major social media sites in the East African country.

Five months later, on July 15, a similar case of censorship hit Turkey after attempted overthrow of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

These two cases are not unique.

Governments around the world (at least 11 African countries in 2016) have been known to enforce some form of censorship on citizens.

Many see internet shutdown as a way of restoring order while a majority of the citizens see it as oppression and breach of their rights to access information.

But Kenya is a strong democracy, I hear you say, and that can't possibly happen here, or can it?

Although the government has stressed that it doesnt intend to shut down the internet on and after August 8, that doesn't mean it can't happen.

The Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) recently denounced any attempts to shut down the internet, claiming that it would cripple its transmission of results and this raises concern.

Is the government considering an internet shutdown? Should we be worried?

Our Constitution basically allows the government to bend the rules by invoking the threat to national security clause for the citizens good.

Censorship can be enforced by ordering internet service providers to block access to certain or all IP addresses hence a partial and full censorship.

This kind of arm-twisting normally leaves ISPs with two options: comply or have their operating licence revoked.

So how can you tunnel your way around an internet shutdown? How can you regain access to your much loved source of news and gossip on social media sites in case of an internet curfew?

A virtual private network (VPN) would be your first line of offence due to its simplicity and ease of use.

This tool works by enabling you to access a site that you wouldn't ordinarily access due to the aforementioned curfew by making the site server think you are in a different country.

For example, if the domain facebook.com is blocked for users in Kenya, a VPN will enable you to browse as if you were in another country, say Britain, where the site isn't blocked.

The programme does this by reassigning your device an Internet Protocol (IP) address for the country where the blockade isn't in effect.

A variety of VPN programmes are available for all the common operating systems in premium or paid pricing and some are absolutely free.

Start with the commonly used VPNs, such as Tunnelbear, OpenVPN and ExpressVPN.

The second option would be using The Onion Router, famously known as TOR browser a free program that will enable you to surf the internet anonymously by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays all around the world.

TOR is a fairly easy programme, with easy tutorials available on its official website on how to install and run it.

Other methods include the use of Proxies and modification of Domain Name Servers (DNS).

These two options can seem a bit complicated but online tutorials can easily get you unstuck.

Therefore, in the unforeseen circumstance the government decides to shut down the internet during or after the elections, you can count on these methods to get you back online.

Just remember to observe the ethics. Dont mention me either.

He also told police to be impartial.

Chepng'etich grabbed gold in a thrilling race.

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Internet shutdown: Just beat it - Daily Nation

At the DEF CON hacking convention in Las Vegas, one of the three co-founders of Tor, Roger Dingledine, corrected a few misconceptions regardingwhat the Tor Project is really being used for and slammed journalists for the negative way it has been covered in the media. According to Dingledine, a mere 3% of Tor users employthe browser to access .onion websites.

According to The Register, Roger Dingledine decided to use part of his speaking time at DEF CON to criticize journalists for the way they have painted the Tor Project in the media as a tool for drug dealers and pedophiles to hide from law enforcement and get away with criminal activity.

He added that only 3% of Tor users connect to hidden (.onion) websites, meaningthe other 97% use the browser to anonymously browse clearnet sitessuch as Reddit, Wikipedia, Yahoo, and The Merkle. In Dingledines mind, most Tor users are just people wishing to hide their identities from website owners, not new-age criminals.

Dingledine even dismissed the concept of the dark web, implying that what people call the dark web is so insignificant that it should not even get its own term. He notably stated:

There is basically no dark web. It doesnt exist. Its only a very few webpages.

During his talk, he also addressed the fear of law enforcement agencies infiltratingthe network and running a large number of nodes. The concernis that this would allow them to reveal the true identity of Tors users.

Edward Snowden had previously revealed that nodes were being run by intelligence agencies. According to Dingledine, however, there were only a few such infiltrators and these could not compromise the network. He added that he himself knew two-thirds of the people running Tor relays, and that agencies do not need to set up nodes of their own. If they really wanted to compromise the network, they could merely monitor those who do run them.

The Tor Projects co-founder revealed that the most visited website by Tor users is Facebook, which opened its doors to Tor back in 2014 when it launched an .onion address. At the time, Facebooks senior engineer,Alec Muffet, stated:

The idea is that the Facebook onion address connects you to Facebooks Core WWW Infrastructure check the URL again, youll see what we did there and it reflects one benefit of accessing Facebook this way: that it provides end-to-end communication, from your browser directly into a Facebook datacentre.

Facebook had barred Tor users from accessing its website in the past, citing security concerns. At the time, it claimed that the network could be used to attack its servers. Now, according to reports, as many as one million people use Facebook via the Tor browser. This may be an insignificant amount for Facebook, but it is a major figure for Tor.

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Tor Co-Founder: There Is No Dark Web The Merkle - The Merkle