Fortinet VPN RCE Vulnerability Uncovered

This flaw, identified as CVE-2024-21762 / FG-IR-24-015, poses a severe risk with a CVSS rating of 9.6 due to its potential exploitation in cyber-attacks. Also, the heart of this alert is an out-of-bounds write vulnerability within the FortiOS system. Such a flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to execute remote code through maliciously crafted requests.

The amount of fuzz around this new vulnerability caused by the popularity of Fortinet networking solutions, along with the severity of the said vulnerability. Aside from the aspects mentioned above, RCE flaws can lead to system compromise and data theft. In some cases, they can also initiate ransomware or espionage attacks. In simple terms, it can simply be the reason for a company-wide cyberattack, with downtimes, leaked data and all the related “delights”.

This critical flaw was disclosed alongside other vulnerabilities, including CVE-2024-23113, which boasts an even higher severity rating of 9.8, and two medium-severity flaws, CVE-2023-44487 and CVE-2023-47537. However, these additional vulnerabilities are not currently marked as being actively exploited in the wild, unlike CVE-2024-21762.

Hackers Exploit Fortinet RCE Flaw

The disclosure of this vulnerability comes after it was revealed that Chinese state-sponsored threats known as Volt Typhoon have already exploited FortiOS vulnerabilities in the past. The deployment of custom malware such as Coathanger, a remote access trojan (RAT), suggests that adversaries are willing to do anything to exploit such vulnerabilities. This malware, in particular, has been used in attacks against the Dutch Ministry of Defense. This highlights the critical nature of the threats posed by such malware.

Still, as statistics show, the majority of exploitation cases happen after the vulnerability is publicly disclosed. Therehence, the best option will be to patch the flaw as soon as possible. Fortunately, the developer already offers the fixes for CVE-2024-21762.

Patch and Mitigation

The patch released by Fortinet brings affected FortiOS systems up-to-date, addressing the vulnerability and preventing potential exploitation by attackers. Fortinet recommends upgrading based on the following table:

The developer has provided guidance for those unable to immediately apply the necessary patches to mitigate this flaw. A possible mitigation strategy is to disable SSL VPN on affected FortiOS devices. While this step may impact remote access capabilities, it may be necessary to prevent exploitation. It’s crucial to note that merely disabling web mode is not considered a sufficient workaround for this vulnerability.

The post New Fortinet VPN RCE Flaw Discovered, Patch ASAP appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

The basics of VPN encryption

A VPN encrypts all your Internet traffic so it can only be decrypted using the correct key. Before leaving your device, the outgoing data is encrypted and sent to the VPN server, which decrypts the data using the appropriate key. From there, your information is sent to its destination, such as a website. This way, the encryption prevents anyone who can intercept the data between you and the VPN server from decrypting the content. This could be your ISP, a government agency, or hackers. In some cases, they may be synonymous with each other.

With incoming traffic, the same thing happens, only in reverse order. For example, when the data comes from a website, it goes to the VPN server first, gets encrypted, and arrives at your device. Your device decrypts the data, and you can browse the website as usual. All of this ensures that your Internet data remains private and does not fall into the hands of unauthorized parties. But, of course, if the VPN provider does not keep much data about its users and will not provide it by order of the police.

Encryption types may differ in the following ways:

• The persistence of encryption, or the method and degree to which your data is encrypted.
• How encryption keys are managed and exchanged
• What interfaces, protocols, and ports do they use
• What OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) layers do they operate on
• How easy is it to deploy
• Performance (read: speed)

Difference between IPSec and SSL: Security

In a nutshell, a slight advantage in favor of SSL. IPSec connections require a shared key on both the client and the server to encrypt and send traffic to each other. However, sharing this key allows attackers to hack or capture the pre-shared key. SSL VPNs are devoid of this problem because they use public key cryptography to negotiate the handshake and exchange encryption keys securely. Unfortunately, TLS/SSL has a list of other vulnerabilities, such as Heartbleed.

Some SSL VPNs allow untrusted self-authenticating certificates and do not verify clients, which are especially common in SSL VPN browser extensions. Such virtual private networks allow anyone to connect from any computer and are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks. However, this does not apply to most of OpenVPN’s clients. Likewise, SSL usually requires frequent patches to update the server and the client.

The lack of open source for IPSec-based VPN protocols may worry people who fear government spies and spyware. Thus 2013, Edward Snowden reported that the U.S. National Security Agency’s Bullrun program was actively trying to “insert vulnerabilities into commercial encryption systems, IT systems, networks and communication endpoints used by targets.” The NSA allegedly used IPSec to add backdoors and side channels that hackers could exploit – even the ones hired by the government. In the end, strong security is likely the result of experienced and careful network administrators, not protocol choices.

Firewall traversal

In short, SSL-based VPNs are better suited for bypassing firewalls. However, most Wi-Fi routers and other network equipment contain NAT firewalls. So they reject unrecognized Internet traffic and data packets without port numbers to protect against threats. IPSec encrypted packets (ESP packets) do not have default port numbers assigned to them. Therefore, NAT firewalls can intercept them, which can interfere with IPSec VPN workflow.

To avoid this, many IPSec VPNs encapsulate ESP packets into UDP packets. This assigns the data a UDP port number (usually UDP 4500). Although this solves the problem of NAT traversal, your network firewall may not allow packets through this port. Thus, network administrators at airports, hotels, and other locations may only allow traffic through certainly required protocols, and UDP 4500 may not be one of them.

SSL traffic can go through port 443, which most devices know as the port used for secure HTTPS traffic. Since almost all networks allow HTTPS traffic through port 443, it is likely to be open. In addition, although OpenVPN uses port 1194 by default for UDP traffic, it can be redirected through UDP or TCP ports, including TCP port 443. This makes SSL more helpful in bypassing firewalls and other forms of censorship that block port-based traffic.

Speed and reliability

Although both are reasonably fast, IKEv2/IPSec negotiates connections faster. Most IPSec-based VPN protocols take slightly longer to negotiate connections than SSL-based protocols. However, this does not apply to IKEv2/IPSec. IKEv2 is an IPSec-based VPN protocol that is more than a decade old. Nevertheless, it is still popular among VPN providers. Its crucial feature is quickly reconnecting whenever the VPN connection is interrupted. This makes it especially useful for mobile iOS and Android clients who don’t always have a reliable connection or frequently switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data.

As for the actual bandwidth, things are not clear here, as there are arguments on both sides. However, according to some claims, IKEv2/IPSec can offer higher throughput than OpenVPN, although both protocols typically use 128-bit or 256-bit AES encryption. The extra layer of UDP that many ISPs add to IPSec traffic to help it pass through firewalls adds to the load. This means that more resources may be required to process it. However, most people won’t notice the difference because, in most consumer VPNs, throughput is determined by server and network congestion, not the VPN protocol.

Ease of use

IPSec is more versatile, but most VPN provider applications users will not notice the difference. Because IKEv2, SSTP, and L2TP are built-in IPSec-based VPN protocols in most major operating systems, they do not necessarily require an additional application to run and work. However, most consumer VPN users will still use an ISP application to connect. In addition, although SSL works by default in most web browsers, you will need a standalone application to use OpenVPN. From an end-user perspective, IKEv2 offers a more user-friendly interface. This is because IKEv2 connects and handles interruptions faster. That said, OpenVPN is more versatile and may be better suited for users who can’t get what they need with IKEv2.

If we talk about corporate VPNs, they aim to provide access to the company network, not the Internet. The consensus is that SSL is better suited for remote access, and IPSec is preferred for VPNs between networks. Because IPSec operates at the network layer of the OSI model, it gives the user full access to the corporate network regardless of the application. Consequently, restricting access to specific resources can be more difficult. On the other hand, SSL VPNs allow businesses to control remote access to specific applications at a fine level.

Generally, network administrators who work with VPNs find that client management using SSL is much easier and less time-consuming than using IPSec.

Conclusion

If you have both options, we recommend using IKEv2/IPSec first, and if you have any problems, try OpenVPN. IKEv2 connection speed will be more comfortable for everyday VPN users while offering comparable security and speed. However, it may not work in some circumstances. Until recently, OpenVPN/SSL was considered the best VPN combination for most consumer VPN users. It is fast enough, secure, open-source, and can overcome NAT firewalls. It can also support UDP or TCP.

In turn, IKEv2/IPSec is a new competitor to OpenVPN. It improves L2TP and other IPSec-based protocols with faster connections, excellent stability, and built-in support for most new consumer devices. In any case, SSL and IPSec boast reliable levels of security with sufficient bandwidth, safety, and ease of use for most commercial VPN service customers.

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Windows Security Tips

1. Update Your Software Regularly

Updating Windows and every piece of software on your computer is crucial to preventing hackers from accessing them. Creating updates for software is a way to keep hackers from accessingprivate information. However, making these updates requires developers to look for code bugs and incompatibilities. As a result, larger pieces of software are more likely to contain vulnerabilities that hackers can find.

The developers create new versions of the update for the PC each time the attackers find new loopholes and methods to hack. Unfortunately, many users use outdated software versions so that hackers can exploit the same vulnerabilities.

2. Turn on your firewall

Windows Firewall is a network security system built into recent versions of Windows operating systems, including Windows 10. That is a sophisticated tool to protect internal networks from threats from external sources such as intruders or malware. It can look at both hardware and software. The firewall works by tracking incoming and outgoing traffic. Thus, the program allows or blocks passing data packets according to security rules. It should be noted that a firewall is a barrier between the user network and incoming traffic.

3. Use Device Encryption or Bitlocker to Protect Your Hard Drive

A computer-generated complicated cipher is used to encode data through encryption. Without the correct password, encrypted data appears as a mess of random characters. Windows Device Encryption is included in many Windows 10 Home machines. This function can encrypt files and folders on command and create disk partitions to store encrypted bulk data. With this feature, users have a better chance of maintaining the integrity of their files and documents. In addition, because someone with a password can decipher them in this way, unauthorized users will not be able to access any of the encrypted information. The downside of this Windows security method is that disk encryption utilities may cause performance issues on weak systems, or systems equipped with HDD.

4. Use a Secure Password Manager with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

User accounts are easier to hack if you need an easy password to log in. Therefore, it is necessary to create a password with a complex combination of letters and characters for more excellent protection. However, the problem is that users can’t always memorize all complex passwords. In this case, it is better to use password managers that save, automatically fill and generate your passwords. In addition, most password managers support two-factor authentication. Finally, the last protection method requires an additional confirmation form when logging into an account. It could be many things, like fingerprints, cell phone confirmation codes, or facial scans.

5. Enhance Your Windows Security by Uninstalling Flash Player ASAP

Adobe Flash Player was the most popular internet media player. However, it was also the favorite tool of hackers and cybercriminals, since it was very easy to exploit. Because of this, Flash required weekly security updates to patch vulnerabilities hackers had discovered. Consequently, many hackers would trick users into installing malicious programs by posing as legitimate Flash updates.

Adobe announced in 2019 that they would be phasing out Flash entirely in 2020. Since then, HTML5 has replaced Flash as a web browser plugin. Because of this, there is no reason to keep Flash on your computer; it provides hackers with an easy entry into your system. However, uninstalling Flash on Windows computers is easy. You can remove it using Adobe’s uninstaller app on their website.

6. Keep Your Browsing Private with a VPN, Especially on Public WiFi

A VPN provides anonymity and privacy by creating a private network from a public Internet connection. This security method masks your protocol address and makes your online activity almost impossible to track. Moreover, a VPN sets encrypted and secure connections than a secure WiFi hotspot. A virtual private network creates a tunnel type that helps hide your activity on the network. This way, you can connect to websites that are banned in your region and not be seen.

7. Avoid Dangerous Pop-Ups

Annoying pop-up windows bore the user, wasting their time and slowing down the PC’s work, but they can also infect the device with malicious software. These pop-up banners do not harm anything; their damage is activated only by clicking on them. Therefore, users must be careful what to switch to and click on. To avoid this, use an ad blocker, or try not to visit the sites that post dubious pop-ups. If ad blockers are ineffective, you likely have malware that shows these things to you. Scan your device with anti-malware software to get rid of the intruder.

8. Enable or install antivirus protection tools

Antivirus software will be your next level of protection against malware. For example, GridinSoft Anti-Malware can remove all malware from your computer. In addition, it scans the system for viruses, spyware, and adware and prevents rootkits or backdoors from invading your PC.

This antivirus protection can function without conflict with other antivirus programs as additional protection. GridinSoft Anti-Malware can free the user’s browser from third-party control and return it to its working state.

The post How to Keep Your Windows 10 Computer Secure in 2023 appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

Let me remind you that we also wrote that Vulnerability in WebKit engine could redirect iOS and macOS users to scam sites, and also that For iOS was discovered a new exploit, with the help of which China traced the Uyghurs.

In 2020, Proton Technologies experts explained that when using a VPN, the operating system must close all existing Internet connections and restore them through a VPN tunnel to protect the user’s privacy and data. However, iOS for some reason can’t keep up with closing existing connections, leaving the traffic insecure as a result. For example, new Internet connections will connect through the VPN tunnel, but connections that were already active when the user connected to the VPN server will remain outside the tunnel.

Although insecure connections are becoming less common, the main problem is that the user’s IP address and the IP address of the server to which it connects remain open, and the server “sees” the user’s real IP address instead of the VPN server’s IP address.

As The Register now writes, Proton Technologies researchers continued to wait for the release of the patch for a very long time. From time to time, specialists have updated their report and say that there is still no fix, although Apple is aware of the problem. So, until recently, the last update in the text was dated October 19, 2020, and it reported that the vulnerability had not been finally fixed in iOS 13.4, 13.5, 13.6, 13.7 and 14.

Earlier this year, cybersecurity researcher and developer Michael Horowitz re-examined this situation and found that VPNs in iOS still do not work correctly and provoke data leaks.

Horowitz writes that back in May 2022, he sent an email to Apple announcing this leak. In July, he said that he exchanged several letters with the company, but this did not give any result:

In addition, at the end of last week, on August 18, 2022, Proton Technologies experts updated their old report again. They argue that the kill switch feature that Apple introduced to developers with the release of iOS 14 does block additional network traffic, but “some DNS queries from Apple services can still be sent outside of a VPN connection.”

The post iOS VPN Bug Prevents Encryption of Traffic for Years, Researchers Say appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

In this article, we will look at some of the most effective ways to hide your IP address. You may be wondering why you’re hiding this obscure IP address. Simple, this position allows your ISP or hacker to learn about your online activities, as well as to understand the location of your device. It turns out that some users prefer to hide their IP addresses from prying eyes. So, what is my IP location?

What Is An IP Address?

IP address is a protocol that identifies your device, on a particular network or a particular computer. Thus, using the Ip address your ISP or attacker has all the possibilities to find your location and also web activity. From this, it should be understood that the hidden IP address is not such a bad idea.

Read Also: IP addresses allow computers and devices to communicate over the Internet. What is IPv4 and IPv6?

How To Hide Your IP Address

The process of hiding your IP address can also be called masking. To undertake this process there are several ways through which it is best done:

1.VPNs

It is considered to be the easiest way. Because a VPN (a virtual private network) allows you to replace the current IP address with a static one or makes it dynamic, which will change every time you connect. This way your ISP, and even more so the attacker will not be able to see the actual IP address, but only permanently changed. So, does VPN hide IP addresses?

How to get it:

• Find the one you want.
• Make an account.
• Launch the app.
• Enter your account.
• Join a server.

2.Tor

This is a good and free way to hide your IP address. Tor is a web browser whose purpose is to block tracking. Unfortunately, popular browsers like Firefox, and Chrome do not cope with this. When using Tor, your cookies will be cleared as soon as you log out. And the best part is, it will triple encrypt all your information, making your security more secure.

How to get it:

• Open the Tor Project’s website;
• Set the browser.

Related Content: VPN, Proxy or Tor: Differences, Importance (Complete Guide)

3.Proxy Servers

The proxy server has its advantages over the VPN. First, they are often available free of charge, and secondly, they also can cover a website or application for one-time use. When connecting to proxy servers, users can use encryption and hide their IP addresses.

How to get it: How to work proxy servers depends on the type of operating system you use.

Mac:

• 1.Tap on Preferences in the Safari app.
• 2.Tap on Advanced.
• 3.Tap on Change Settings.
• 4.Renew your settings with the information that the Network Administrator provided. After that, you’ll get a new, protected window!

Windows:

• 1.In administrative templates, press Windows Components.
• 2.Tap on Data Collection And Preview Builds.
• 3.Set up Authenticated Proxy Usage.
• 4.Install it to Enable.
• 5.Tap on Apply.

iOS:

• 1.Tap Wi-Fi in Settings.
• 2.Tap Network info.
• 3.Click on the HTTP proxy section.
• 4.Select the Manual option.
• 5.Tap on Edit Proxy Settings.
• 6.Insert Authentication.
• 7.Go back to the Wi-Fi Selection page and save it.

Android:

• 1.Tap Wi-Fi under Settings.
• 2.Tap Network Name.
• 3.Select Modify Network.
• 4.Tap on Advanced.
• 5.Tap on Manual.
• 6.Impose in your Hostname and Proxy Port.
• 7.Tap Save.

4. Public Wi-Fi

Technically, this method works, but it is less effective than the others. For this to work, you need to connect to a public Wi-Fi network and your private IP address will be changed to a shared network address.

How to get it:

• 1.Go to your computer or phone settings.
• 2.Go to the Wi-Fi area.
• 3.Connect with the public network.

Why to Hide My IP Address?

• Anti-tracking: if you encounter frequently targeted ads or do not want to be added to different lists after visiting websites, then the hidden IP address is just what you need. It will help you avoid tracking after visiting different sites.
• Secure networks: If you think that if you don’t work in the office then you don’t have to worry about your safety, then you’re wrong. Attackers can catch you on any sites and public networks, which proves once again the need to hide your IP address. Your privacy is your concern.
• Bypass government restrictions: This is another reason to use a hidden IP address. Because it allows you to access banned sites and apps without being noticed.
• More privacy: anonymity in the work of journalists, activists, and other online activities will be an essential element in the work. Because of this, a hidden private IP address will be as helpful as ever.
• Stream: With a hidden IP address, streaming content is more valid than without streaming content. Examples include Netflix, Hulu, and others.

The post How To Hide IP Addresses appeared first on Gridinsoft Blog.

]]> https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/how-to-hide-ip-addresses/feed/ 0 9323 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/vpn-proxy-or-tor-differences-meaning/ https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/vpn-proxy-or-tor-differences-meaning/#respond Thu, 16 Jun 2022 14:00:45 +0000 https://gridinsoft.com/blogs/?p=8622 You’ve probably heard the words VPN, Proxy, and Tor. You may even regularly use these technologies to remain anonymous, bypass blockades, view content blocked in your region, or simply access your corporate network. But how exactly do these technologies work, and how do they differ? Today we’ll talk about how to protect yourself and your… Continue reading VPN, Proxy, or Tor: Differences, Meaning

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]]> You’ve probably heard the words VPN, Proxy, and Tor. You may even regularly use these technologies to remain anonymous, bypass blockades, view content blocked in your region, or simply access your corporate network. But how exactly do these technologies work, and how do they differ? Today we’ll talk about how to protect yourself and your data on the global network.

What is a Proxy?

Among VPNs, Proxy, Tor – the most straightforward technology is Proxy. Let’s start with it. First, let’s find out how web surfing technically works: When you connect to a website, your connection is sent to the server hosting the website. This server can see much information about your connection, including your IP address and relative location.

A proxy server is an intermediate between your browser and a Web site. In other words, it communicates with the Website server on your behalf. You connect to the proxy server, which then forwards the connection to the site-like that friend in high school passed your notes to the cutie in class. Proxy servers come in several types and perform different functions depending on the type. By swapping your location with a Proxy, you can bypass regional blocking and access content available only in certain countries.



How Does Proxy Server Work?

But the situation can also be reversed. If necessary, network administrators can restrict access to certain resources with the help of a proxy. There are also less obvious usage scenarios. For example, proxy servers often cache data from popular sites, so downloading data via a proxy server may speed up access to these resources. Or you can save traffic because proxy servers can compress all requested content. This is how different turbo and economy modes work in browsers.

As we can see, there are many uses for proxy servers. And this is a positive side of the technology, but proxy servers also have significant disadvantages. First, the technology itself is limited. Proxy servers are highly specialized, so a different type of proxy is needed for each type of Internet connection.

For example, an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) connection requires an FTP proxy. For HTTP and HTTPS, you also need two separate HTTP and HTTPS proxy servers. This is a severe limitation, so a particular type of proxy is the SOCKS proxy. This variation of the protocol knows how to handle different kinds of traffic. But it works slower, so it is also not suitable for everyone. Also, the proxy works only with traffic coming from the browser. All other traffic in the system does not go through a proxy server.

Proxy Security

All types of proxies have a crucial problem in common: security issues. Because proxy servers additionally do not encrypt traffic in any way. That is, HTTP traffic will not be encrypted in any way. Instead, HTTPS will be encrypted similarly to a standard Internet connection: SSL encryption. And this is a huge problem. And to imagine the scale of the tragedy, let’s remember the analogy of the note.

Using a proxy server is like sending a note to a cutie without an envelope. But, of course, you can only do that if you trust the intermediary 100%. After all, he can easily read the contents. And, of course, you have to watch out for free proxy servers of dubious reputation. After all, using an unverified free proxy is like giving an envelope to the first person you meet.

There is also a particular type of proxy called Shadowsocks. This is essentially an improved version of the SOCKS proxy. It has both traffic concealment and the ability to bypass various blockages. There are clients for both the computer and the smartphone, allowing you to stay protected at all times. Hence a few nice features of Shadowsocks. For example, to elegantly bypass blocking, it knows how to mask traffic selectively. You choose what to hide and what not to hide. But it is essential to understand that Shadowsocks is not designed to protect the privacy and anonymity of the user because when using Shadowsocks, data packets are unencrypted.

What Is a VPN?

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a technology that has most of the advantages of proxies and is devoid of most disadvantages. Initially, this technology was not conceived as a means to anonymize traffic. Its purpose was to join computers into a single network remotely. For example, to access the local network of the head office from a regional branch or home. The principle of VPN is similar to that of a proxy. The traffic in the same way, before reaching the Internet, first gets to the intermediate server. This, on the one hand, allows you, for example, to access blocked resources. Because for the Internet provider, you send a request to the VPN server, but not to the banned site. On the other hand, it allows you to preserve your anonymity because the website you get to thinks that the request came from the IP address of the VPN server, not yours. But proxy servers do essentially the same thing, so what’s the difference then?



VPN and a Proxy: Differences to Pay Attention

The key difference between a VPN and a Proxy is end-to-end encryption. All traffic passing through a VPN server is protected from the entry point to the exit point. That’s because when the VPN is turned on, an encrypted communication channel is created between your device and the VPN server, protecting all data from hacker attacks. If we compare it to a proxy, in the former case, we are passing a note without an envelope to a friend, who can either be robbed at any time or steal it himself. In the case of VPN, we transmit data through a closed tunnel which is extremely difficult to penetrate. Moreover, VPN works with all types of data and encrypts all traffic from all applications, not just your browser traffic. Unlike the proxy, a VPN client must be installed on your device as a separate application or browser extension for the VPN to work.

VPN Security

VPNs are much more secure because they use advanced encryption algorithms, such as AES-256 and ChaCha20, to encrypt your connection and anonymize your traffic. But not all VPN services are equally helpful. As with proxies, free VPN services have repeatedly been caught spying on users and selling their data. For example, the Betternet VPN service, which had 38 million users, used as many as 14 libraries to spy on users. And the Hola service sold the IP addresses of free users to criminals. In other words, criminals could use your IP address for their purposes. Therefore, before choosing a VPN service provider, it is essential to learn more about it.

What Is a TOR?

Tor stands for The Onion Router and uses what’s called onion routing. Your data is the core of the onion, and its protection is the layers around it. To anonymize, Tor, like proxies and VPNs, passes traffic through intermediate servers. But only in the case of Tor, there is not one but several, and they are called nodes. In other words, TOR is a free network of access points that act as a proxy for your connection. It is also the browser name you use to connect to this network. When you use the Tor browser, your connection passes through several nodes before reaching your final destination. Traffic on the web is also encrypted, so it is a little more secure than a proxy.

Since your traffic is wrapped in three layers of protection, the first and second node do not see your traffic, they only peel off the layers of protection, like the skin of an onion, but only the third output node gets to the core and sends a request to the Internet. Each node knows the IP address only of the node in the chain before it. Therefore, the original IP will be lost when your traffic reaches the last node. The users on their computers deploy these nodes. The more users, the safer and faster the network is.

TOR Security

The Tor browser is based on Firefox. It has been improved with add-ons that prohibit sites from spying on you. For example, the browser can distinguish all scripts on sites, effectively forbidding the collection of any user data or forcing sites to use encryption. It sounds very secure, but in practice, it’s not.

• Tor is very disliked by law enforcement, and the very fact that Tor is being used is easy to trace. So just by using the Tor Browser, you can already attract much attention.
• The owners of the output nodes are very risky. After all, they are the ones who are responsible for all of the actions that users take on the network.
• The same owners of the output nodes see all your traffic, which means they can track you by implication. This is why law enforcement officials most favor exit nodes.
• Moreover, because the multi-layer encryption Tor network is prolonged, half of the sites refuse to work correctly through the Tor Browser.

It is also worth mentioning that TOR, as well as a proxy, does not filter all system traffic, which is obvious.



Proxy, VPN, or Tor?

If you are worried about your online security, the best way to protect yourself is through a VPN. But do not forget that you should use only reliable VPN services with a good reputation. Often you can find information about the reliability of a particular service on the Internet in special articles. Also, remember that a good VPN can cost money, or its creators can charge a certain amount for its use. Finally, proxy servers are solutions focused on convenience and speed, which are suitable for bypassing major geo-blocks.

In contrast, Tor focuses on rough anonymity at the expense of many nodes. Therefore, a VPN is the best choice in most cases because the VPN connection is encrypted, secure, and fast. Unfortunately, proxy servers and Tor do not have that security, so your security can only be guessed at.

However, for maximum effect, you can use a VPN and Tor at the same time. Connecting to a VPN via Tor is a slow but effective solution for true anonymity. At the same time, proxies are a quick and inexpensive solution for basic IP masking. So, VPNs are the best all-around solution if you’re a casual internet user and want to keep yourself safe online.

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