Tor is a system for encrypting and rerouting network traffic that makes it hard to determine who's using the web. Tor also gives access to 'onion' hidden services that can help people avoid oppressive regimes. But the dark side of Tor has criminals using it for everything from stealing money to spreading malware.

To protect your privacy while browsing the web, the Tor browser encrypts your data multiple times and routes it through a series of servers called relays. Each server only knows your connection to the previous one, not your request contents or location. Then, the request is sent through more randomly-chosen relays until it reaches the destination website. This circuit is designed to be resilient against attacks and prevent a single node from becoming a chokepoint for the whole network.

If you want even more privacy, configure the Tor browser to use bridges instead of the standard entry and exit nodes. This increases the amount of computational effort it takes to attack a bridge, making it less likely that attackers will be successful. You can also disable fonts and other features that make it easy to fingerprint users, as well as use the HTTPS Everywhere extension to ensure websites are always using HTTPS.

The browser doesn't offer complete anonymity, though. Your ISP can still see your Tor connections, and if you're not careful with your settings, other browser plugins can reveal your identity too. The best way to keep your privacy safe is to pair Tor with a VPN, such as PIA. PIA has a massive server network, a verifiable no-logs policy, and is known for avoiding government requests to hand over user data. what is a tor browser