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| What is onion routing and should you use it? |
Several technologies are available for users to protect their privacy on the Internet. Perhaps a good example is a VPN service. However, many of these services do not provide a sufficient level of security, and some of these services log the user's Internet traffic while using the service and thus lose their usefulness. This led to the creation of the Onion Directory.
Onion Routing offers all the benefits of VPN services. On the other hand, it also protects users from its mistakes. Due to the unique encryption technology, Onion Routing is a secure way to surf the Internet.
The reason why lamp orientation is called is that it encodes content based on many overlapping layers, just like the layers of an onion plant.
When this type of routing is used to send messages or connect to the Internet, the content is distributed across a large number of nodes. After connection, the content is encrypted according to your device itself and can only be decrypted after termination. node.
After the data goes through all these steps, it is decrypted at the last node as described above and then sent to the recipient as usual. Therefore, no person or entity can know where the transmission is or who is responsible for the transmission, since the data was transmitted over a long distance between these nodes before it reached the recipient.
What is onion routing?
As we all know, this technology is quite complex, but it has been available to ordinary users for many years. This is done via the Tor service, which is available in the form of a separate browser or as an app similar to a VPN app.
To illustrate the above, let's go through the steps for data iterations when using the onion directive:
- After opening Onion Routing on your device, the content it passes is encrypted
- Your computer or smartphone sends the encrypted content to the first node called N1
- Node N1 is connected to node N2, adding an extra layer of data protection
- Repeat the same command for node N3 and the command is repeated over and over again
- Once the content reaches the receiving end, the data passes through the last node, the EN end node. This node decodes the content
- In the case of the messaging app, when a reply comes to a message, the reply goes through the same step as your message until it reaches you.
Onion Boot can be used on a Windows PC via the open source AdvOR software, and TOR Browser can be used on all other platforms.
Should it be used?
Nothing prevents the use of Onion Routing, be it via TOR or other applications, but since the encryption is at a high level, using Onion Routing will in many cases have a negative impact on internet speed.
Some VPN services use similar methods, but on the one hand they are paid services, and on the other they are still questionable.