AVG on tor browser
Is Tor Browser safe to use?
Written by Domenic Molinaro
Published on August 25, 2023
Tor Browser is safe to use if you’re browsing the same sites you would on the “clear web.” But if you browse .onion sites, use caution. Tor’s encryption tries to keep your identity and destination secret, but bad actors can still find a way to identify you. Plus, Tor’s lack of regulation allows for illicit activity and the proliferation of cybercriminals.

Is Tor illegal?
Tor is not itself illegal, but much of the activity on the dark web is illegal. Activities using Tor Browser are subject to the laws of each respective country. Depending on the country, even just accessing certain dark web sites may be illegal.
If you are browsing Tor’s onion sites, you should tread carefully and only visit reputable ones. How safe Tor Browser is depends upon your own actions and common sense while using it or visiting the dark web.

Disadvantages of using Tor Browser
Tor is a dark web browser built by “the people.” Without the resources of private companies, the infrastructure can get overloaded. And while Tor’s anonymous nature frees it from prying eyes, it also opens it to risk. You are sending your information through other people’s computers, which makes some people uneasy regardless of the assurances.

Tor browsing can be slow
Routing your connection for every request takes time. Not only that, Tor has over a million daily users, and only 6,000-10,000 relays at any given time. This leads to server overload as the relays work hard to process all the incoming and outgoing requests.

Used for criminal activity
The lack of regulation makes the Tor online browser a hotspot for every seedy type of internet activity. Hackers are looking for a vulnerability, thieves are looking for an opportunity, and scammers are looking for a mark. Anonymity only goes so far when you have to worry about so many threats.

Risk of deanonymization
The amount of illegal activity makes Tor an online browser to watch for many authorities. Tor started as US naval research, and some still think Tor is one huge ,honeypot used to catch busy criminal bees. In 2015, the FBI hacked over 8,000 dark web users in 120 countries based on one warrant.
It’s easy to let your guard down on Tor, with all the promise of anonymity. But if authorities get a piece of information on you, or trick you into giving it to them, they can put together the rest. The same goes for cybercriminals. Using a VPN over Tor Browser can help protect your anonymity further, among other benefits.

Threat of malware
Anonymity means much less risk of getting caught, which makes cybercriminals more daring on Tor. At the same time, there’s less regulation. This combination can make malware threats more prevalent on the dark web than on the surface web.
Make sure to download Tor Browser only from official sources. Thieves set up malware disguised as Tor Browsers in March 2023 and stole around $400,000 in cryptocash from unsuspecting victims.

Less protection on certain systems
JavaScript has been used to exploit Tor in the past, which makes Windows users particularly vulnerable. Windows users make up a large portion of Tor’s user base, making Windows systems a bigger target for hackers as well.
Though Apple offers strong security, Apple restricts Tor from using its normal code on macOS and iOS. Linux and macOS Tor users also suffered an IP address leak in 2017 due to security flaws.

Hackers use exit nodes
Though Tor assigns exit nodes randomly, anyone can register to be an exit node because the process for node registration is not well-regulated. Hackers can squat on exit nodes to perform a man-in-the-middle attack on whoever is unlucky enough to come their way.
Exit nodes aren’t exclusively vulnerable. Tor’s entry nodes know your browsing IP, and the middle nodes know the location of the entry and exit nodes. If any of the nodes are compromised, your identity might be pieced together.