Tor Browser's Great - But For More Complete Privacy Protection, You Need To Add This

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Tor Browser only protects browser traffic.
• To protect different web traffic, you request Tor.
• Tor is free to usage and installable connected Linux, MacOS, and Windows.

By now, you've astir apt heard of nan Tor Browser. If not, deliberation of it this way: the Tor Browser is simply a unafraid web browser that useful pinch nan Tor Network to encrypt and anonymize each traffic. The only drawback is that nan postulation nan Tor Browser useful pinch is constricted to nan browser.

That means, immoderate different web postulation (email, messaging, etc.) is not encrypted aliases anonymized. 

If you only usage your machine arsenic a intends to a web-browsing end, that's perfectly OK. But if you usage it for different things that nonstop and person information complete nan internet, you mightiness want to see taking immoderate other steps to thief unafraid those information packets.

Also: I recovered nan astir backstage and unafraid measurement to browse nan web -- and it isn't incognito mode

It's not arsenic confusing arsenic you deliberation it is.

In fact, I'm going to show you really to do this connected Linux, truthful if you deliberation that's reasonably simple, you cognize nan Windows and MacOS versions will beryllium conscionable arsenic easy.

Disclaimer: I urge you create a strategy reconstruct constituent connected your machine. In lawsuit thing goes wrong, you tin rotation backmost to a moving instance. Whatever OS you usage will dictate really this is done.

Tor vs VPN

You mightiness beryllium asking yourself, Why don't I conscionable usage a VPN for this? First, immoderate VPN services only activity pinch web browsers. The large reason, however, is that Tor routes postulation done aggregate servers to amended anonymize your traffic, while a VPN only routes postulation done a azygous server. In nan end, a VPN mightiness connection a much unchangeable connection, but Tor offers a much unafraid and backstage connection.

Installing Tor

What you'll need: To make this work, you'll request a moving lawsuit of Linux (I'll show nan process connected Ubuntu 24.04) and a personification pinch sudo privileges.

If you're utilizing a different operating system, you tin download Tor from nan official download page and instal it arsenic you would immoderate exertion connected either Windows aliases MacOS.

Also: Why don't much group usage desktop Linux? I person a mentation you mightiness not like

Let's do Linux.

sudo apt-get instal tor -y

If you're utilizing a Fedora-based distribution, you first person to instal EPEL merchandise pinch nan command:

sudo dnf instal epel-release -y

You tin past instal Tor with:

sudo dnf instal tor -y

You now request to alteration nan Tor work pinch nan command:

sudo systemctl alteration --now tor

export http_proxy="socks5://localhost:9050"
export https_proxy="socks5://localhost:9050"
export no_proxy="localhost,127.0.0.1,::1"

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

If you want to make that permanent, adhd nan supra 2 lines astatine nan bottommost of nan bashrc. 

You tin past trial to make judge this is moving pinch nan command:

curl https://check.torproject.org

You should spot successful nan output thing for illustration this:

Congratulations. This browser is configured to usage Tor.

Also: The first 5 Linux commands each caller personification should learn

Notice nan "browser" portion of that sentence. That intends Tor is moving for your browser. How do you make this global? Well, depending connected your OS, you astir apt person a Proxy configuration action successful Network Settings. Essentially, erstwhile you enable/configure a proxy, it intends each postulation is routed done it, and successful this case, it's nan Tor proxy. For example, Pop!_OS (with COSMIC desktop) allows you to alteration and configure nan proxy by going to Settings > Network & Wireless >  Wi-fi (or Wired if you're plugged successful via ethernet cable) > Known Networks > Menu fastener > Settings. Click nan Method drop-down and prime Automatic.

On a Ubuntu machine, that location would beryllium successful Settings > Network > Proxy. In that window, prime Manual from nan Configuration drop-down and past usage localhost arsenic nan URL.

Configuring a proxy successful Ubuntu is rather simple.

Bang & Olufsen

If you're OS offers a Manual option, prime that and past usage nan aforesaid addresses from nan export commands above.

I would besides make judge to configure your web browser to usage a Proxy. What browser you usage will find really this is configured, but I would propose selecting Automatic Proxy (or nevertheless your browser defines it), and each should beryllium fine. As well, you tin configure immoderate different networkable applications to usage your proxy.

Also: Why don't much group usage desktop Linux? I person a mentation you mightiness not like

If you find an exertion is failing to activity done nan Tor proxy, make judge to configure it to usage nan section proxy.

After taking attraction of this, your OS should now beryllium routing each postulation done nan Tor proxy.

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