The Tor network, originally developed in the early 2000s by the Naval Research Laboratory of the U.S. Army, is now managed by the non-profit organization The Tor Project. The project’s goal is to offer a free means of anonymizing online connections, and since 2006, its development has continued with approximately 85% of its funding from U.S. authorities and the remaining 15% from private sponsors and NGOs.
The name “Tor” comes from “The Onion Router”, which reflects its method of routing traffic through multiple layers. A user’s connection is passed through three randomly selected nodes, hiding the original IP address. Websites visited only see the exit server’s IP while the user’s own address remains hidden. Every 10 minutes, the path through these nodes changes, but the initial access node remains the same for two to three months.
Although the data transmitted within the Tor network is encrypted, users should be cautious as it gets decrypted at the exit server. Without additional encryption (such as HTTPS), information entered on websites may be exposed. Tor users rely on a specially configured Tor browser, often based on Mozilla Firefox, to ensure anonymity.
With around 6,500 active Tor servers globally, the network’s openness allows anyone to operate a node. However, this can also be a vulnerability, as exit node operators could potentially read unencrypted communication. Despite this, Tor is considered one of the safest ways to browse the internet anonymously and is used by around two million people daily, especially in countries with high surveillance. The darknet also functions through Tor, with its sites only accessible via the network.
