TOR: Strengthening Online Defenses With Onion Links

TOR Browser is your secret key to hidden websites in the secret TOR network. When you use the TOR Browser, it helps keep you anonymous. They’re hidden from regular search engines, so you can’t just type their names into Google to find them. Instead, you need a special tool called the TOR Browser. In short, onion links and the TOR network work together to create a secret and safe place where you can browse the internet without anyone knowing who you are. 

How Onion links work:

Onion sites, also known as Tor sites, are web pages that you can only visit on the dark web. You can’t open them with a regular web browser like Chrome or Firefox. These sites have unique web addresses that end in “.onion”, unlike the usual ones like “.com” or “.net” that you see on regular websites. These .onion sites are like hidden places within the internet and they rely on Tor to make sure that when people visit them, nobody knows who they are – neither the visitors nor the people who made the site. This special encryption keeps everything secret and anonymous.

When you attempt to access a .onion website, your online activity takes a detour through the internet. It hops between three different servers chosen at random before reaching the website you want. Each server adds a protective layer of encryption and this layering is what gives the system its name, The Onion Router. This is also why the websites on the dark web are referred to as Tor links.    

TOR and the Onion Browser:

Within the Tor network, regular domain names are not used by websites. Instead, they rely on unique domain names that finish with .onion. These domain names aren’t registered through a central authority.

It’s important to note that connections within the Tor network are automatically encrypted from end to end. This means there’s no need for an extra layer of encryption, unlike what’s used for typical websites. This is why many onion sites don’t display the “S” in HTTPS. Don’t worry though; when your connection is secure, the Tor Browser will indicate this with an onion icon instead of the usual lock symbol you’re familiar with.