Tor Tutorials

Tor Security Best Practices

Using Tor doesn't automatically make you anonymous. Your behavior determines your security. These best practices prevent the most common mistakes that Tor users make - mistakes that can reveal your real identity.

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Critical Rules

  1. Never use Tor and non-Tor browsers simultaneously - Correlation attacks can link your Tor and non-Tor activities by timing.
  2. Never log into personal accounts - One login to your real Gmail through Tor links your anonymous session to your identity.
  3. Keep Tor Browser at default window size - Resizing creates a unique fingerprint. Tor Browser starts at a specific size to blend in.
  4. Don't install browser extensions - Extensions change your fingerprint and may leak data outside Tor.
  5. Use the highest security level you can tolerate - "Safest" disables JavaScript, which is the #1 de-anonymization vector.
  6. Never open downloaded files while connected - PDFs, DOCs, and other files can make external connections that reveal your IP.

Advanced Protection

  • Use VPN + Tor - Connect to a VPN first, then Tor. Your ISP can't see you use Tor.
  • Use Tails or Whonix - Full OS-level protection instead of just browser-level.
  • Separate identities completely - Each anonymous identity should use different circuits, different sessions, different behavioral patterns.
  • Be aware of writing style analysis - Stylometry can identify you by how you write. Vary your style for different identities.
  • Use cryptocurrency for payments - Monero (XMR) is preferred for privacy. Bitcoin is pseudonymous, not anonymous.

Common De-Anonymization Attacks

  • Traffic correlation - An attacker watching both ends of your connection can correlate timing. Use VPN to prevent ISP-side observation.
  • JavaScript exploits - Malicious JavaScript can reveal your real IP. Use "Safest" security level.
  • Browser fingerprinting - Window size, installed fonts, timezone, and other browser properties can identify you. Don't modify Tor Browser.
  • Behavior patterns - Logging in at the same time every day, using the same phrases, or accessing the same sites creates patterns.

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