Dos and Don’ts of Using a Dark Website

The Dark Web is a place full of underground criminals and clever hackers, but it’s also a much safer place than your favorite browser. It’s no secret that when you connect to the Internet, your activities are followed, not only by Google, Facebook and Amazon, but also by official surveillance teams and hackers.

We often recommend privacy plugins and software that block at least some web trackers, but if you really want to preserve your anonymity, the Dark Web browser calledHill It is the best option available. Tor will be used in this blog to discuss the dos and don’ts of using the Dark Web.

What does Tor do?

Tor keeps your web activities safe from spammers and advertisers, hides your data from corporations and other web users, and allows you to browse without being followed by identity thieves and stalkers.

What can you do with Tor?

You can send personal photos without being intercepted, use social networks without being monitored, write genuinely anonymous blog posts, and much more. For access information, seeHow to get access to the dark web.

Top Five Safe Ways to Use a Dark Website

Tip #1: Make sure Tor is always up to date

Tor is much more secure than Chrome and Firefox, but as with any software, it is not immune to attacks. For example, the network was attacked in 2013 by a Trojan called Chewbacca, which stole banking data.

In 2016, it was revealed that the FBI had used specially crafted malware called Torsploit to “deanonymize” Tor users and track their real IP addresses. There have also been cases of Tor exit nodes (the last relays that Tor traffic passes through before reaching its destination) being used for malicious rather than anonymous purposes, infecting users’ systems.

Fortunately, Tor usually addresses these types of threats and vulnerabilities very quickly, makingIt is essential to keep your browser updated..

1. Every time you start Tor, click theonion iconin the toolbar and choose ‘Check for Tor Browser Updates‘ (Tor is updated periodically, but updating it manually ensures that you are using the latest version.)
2. Additionally, if you are using a service that involves sharing personal information, you should change Tor’s security level toHigh.

Don’t #1: Use Tor to download torrents

As a powerful privacy tool, Tor may seem like the perfect means of downloading and uploading files over BitTorrent and other peer-to-peer networks, but it is not.No!Using a torrent client bypasses Tor protection and ruins your anonymity by sending your real IP address to the torrent service and other “peers.”This action allows them to identify you, the port you are using to download torrents, and even the data you are sharing, if it is not encrypted.

They can then potentially attack you with malware or even notify the relevant authorities (if you are sharing copyrighted material). Additionally, torrent traffic puts enormous pressure on the Tor network and slows it down for others, so it’s selfish and careless.

For all these reasons, Tor says that file sharing is “widely unwanted” andExit nodes are configured by default to block torrent traffic..

Tip #2: Create a new identity when necessary

Tor does a great job of keeping you safe and anonymous, but you can still find websites that raise alarm bells. Tor can warn you that a site is trying to track you.

If you are concerned that your privacy has been compromised, please do the following:

1. Click on the onion icon in the toolbar.
2. Choose “New Identity.” This option will restart the Tor browser and reset your IP address, so you can continue browsing as a new user.

Don’t #2: Maximize the Tor window

Leave Tor browser windows at their default size becausemaximizing them allows websites to determine the size of your monitor. This suggestion may not seem significant on its own, butCombined with other data, it can provide the “extra” information that websites need to identify you..

Tip #3: Use a VPN along with Tor

It is important to remember thatTor is a proxy rather than a VPN, which only protects traffic directed through the Tor browser.. As we explained above, there are some risks when using the Tor network, especially downloading torrent files and inadvertently connecting through a malicious exit node.

You can increase your privacy and security by using Tor in conjunction with a VPN, to ensure that all your data is encrypted and no logs of your activities are kept. Several VPNs offer features designed explicitly for Tor users, including:

• ProtonVPNwhich allows you to access pre-configured servers to redirect traffic through the Tor network
• ExpressVPNwhich allows you to register anonymously through their ‘.onion’ website
• AirVPNwhich directs traffic through the Tor network first and then through the VPN

None of the VPN options above are free, but they are faster, more flexible, and more reliable than free VPN services.

Don’t #3: Search the Web Using Google

Google is not known for respecting the privacy of its users, so continuing to use it on Tor (it is one of the available options) is quite counterproductive.

Not only does Google keep trying to track you and log your searches (based on your exit node’s IP address), but it also gets very snobbish and arrogant when it discovers that you’re connecting in an “unusual” way. Try Googling Tor and you will continually get CAPTCHAs asking you to prove you are not a robot.

We recommend using the Tor default.DuckDuckGo privacy search engineits ‘Onion’ variant or Startpage (which uses untracked Google results), all of which come pre-installed along with Google.

Tip #4 – Consider running a Tor relay

Tor relies on its loyal and ever-expanding community to provide relays that create circuits and provide anonymity. The more relays or ‘nodes’ that are currently running, the faster and more secure the Tor network will be.

If you become a regular Tor user, consider giving back to the community by sharing your bandwidth and running your stream. You can be an “intermediate relay”, which is one of two or more nodes that receive Tor traffic and then transmit it, or an “exit relay”.

Being a middle relay is much safer. If another user uses the Tor network to do something malicious or illegal, their IP address will not appear as the source of the traffic.

Conversely, an output relay can be identified as that source, which means that the people running the output relays may have to deal with complaints and even legal attention. Therefore, you should not host an exit node from your home PC and, if you are sensible, not at all!

One more problem:you need to have a Linux computer running Debian or Ubuntu to host a reliable stream. On Windows, you need to run a Linux distribution as a virtual machine to configure your streaming. It’s a little complicated, but at least it will keep your Tor traffic separate from the rest of your system.

Don’t do number 4: share your real email address

There is no point in using Tor to remain anonymous if you register on a website using your real email address. It’s like putting a paper bag over your head and writing your name and address on it. A disposable email service likeMail boxor the brilliantFake name generatorYou can create a temporary address and identity for site records and keep your Tor persona separate from your standard web persona.

Tip #5: Use Tor for Anonymous Email

You can use your favorite email services on Tor, although Google may ask you to verify your Gmail account. However, the content of your messages will not be encrypted during transit. Tor will, of course, disguise where you are, but unless you use a disposable email address (see above), anyone intercepting your messages will see your real email address and potentially Your name.

For complete privacy and anonymity, you can use a Tor-compatible email service. Several of them have been shut down by law enforcement in recent years because they were linked to criminal activity, but using one is not illegal nor does it put anyone under suspicion. The best and most reliable option isproton mailan end-to-end encrypted email provider, launched by the CERN research center in 2013.

Earlier this year, ProtonMail introduced a Tor hidden service specifically to combat censorship and surveillance of its users. You can sign up for a free ProtonMail account at protonirockerxow.onion, but this limits you to 500MB of storage and 150 messages per day; To get advanced features, you need the Plus plan ($5.00 per month).

Because Tor is based on Firefox, it’s still possible to install your favorite add-ons based on your preferences, which makes sense if you plan to use Tor as your default browser. Don’t be tempted! Even if extensions aren’t infected with malware (as some Chrome extensions were recently found to be), they can seriously compromise your privacy..

Tor comes with two of the best protection plugins pre-installed: NoScript and HTTPS everywhere – and that’s really all you need if your reason for switching to the browser is to be anonymous. Also, keep in mind that browsing with Tor may be slower than Chrome or Firefox due to its indirect way of connecting, so overloading it with plugins will further reduce its speed.

Alternatively, you can try Bitmessage, a free desktop client that allows you to send and receive encrypted messages using Tor and can be run from a USB stick.

Don’t #5: Overdo it with browser add-ons

Because Tor is based on Firefox, it’s still possible to install your favorite add-ons based on your preferences, which is understandable if you plan to use Tor as your default browser. Don’t be tempted!Even if extensions aren’t infected with malware (as some Chrome extensions were recently found to be), they can seriously compromise your privacy..

Tor comes with two of the best protection plugins pre-installed:NoScript and HTTPS everywhere– and that’s all you need if your reason for switching to the browser is to be anonymous. Also, keep in mind that browsing with Tor may be slower than Chrome or Firefox due to its indirect way of connecting, sooverloading it with plugins will further reduce its speed.