Onion-encrypted anonymity: Navigating the dark web safely

How Tor browser works

Tor stands for The Onion Router – named for its method of encryption, which has many layers like an onion.

Step-by-step: How Tor keeps you anonymous

1. You open the Tor browser and request to visit a website (e.g., http://example.onion).
2. Your request gets encrypted multiple times and sent through a random series of at least 3 servers, called nodes:

• Entry node (knows your IP address)
• Middle node (just passes data along)
• Exit node (connects to the website)

3. Each node decrypts one layer of the encryption and passes it on, but none of them know both your identity and your destination.

This process makes it extremely difficult to trace you.

Why it’s so anonymous

But it’s not 100% foolproof

• If you log into a personal account (like Facebook), your anonymity is gone.
• Some exit nodes can be monitored (especially if using regular websites, not .onion).
• Downloading files or enabling scripts (JavaScript) can expose you to tracking or malware.
• Government agencies do monitor the dark web for illegal activity.

Safe uses of Tor

• Journalists reporting under dictatorship regimes
• Citizens bypassing censorship (e.g., in China or Iran)
• Whistleblowers (e.g., via SecureDrop)
• People who value privacy