Tor Hidden Services: Preparing For Reaching The Hidden Area

After my previous article about the deep web and the Tor hidden services you know just enough to be curious: what lies behind the gates of the Onion Routing protocol? To figure it out you need an instance of the Tor browser connected to the Tor network. Before you jump right to a download link, please do a bit of research yourself about the Tor project and its tools and affiliates. It is interesting to take a look at the Tor metrics and understand its data. The growing usage of Tor relays talks about a constantly growing user base. At a peak time in the beginning of February, 2024 there were more than 7.5 million users online on the relays. It was only about 4 million in the end of 2023. Before you continue this journey into the hidden services read about information safety and be notified that this area of the internet is dangerous!

Disclaimer: While exploring Tor hidden services can provide anonymity and privacy, it is essential to emphasize the importance of practicing operational security (OPSEC). You should be aware that engaging with Tor hidden services comes with potential risks, including exposure to malicious actors, scams, and illegal activities. Exercise caution, stay informed about security best practices, and be mindful of the potential consequences of navigating the dark web. This article aims to inform and educate, but readers are urged to prioritize their safety and adhere to legal and ethical guidelines when using Tor or any similar networks.

Now that you were notified about the possible dangers, and you made your research about the topic for sure, you are safe enough to download the Tor browser.

Navigate to the Tor project’s homepage and use the Download menu to jump to the downloadable content. Chose a package for your platform and download it. The Tor browser is available for

• Windows
• MacOS
• Linux
• Android

On Linux look for the Download for Linux button, right click on it with your mouse, and choose the Save Link As... to browse the destination for your archive.

Open a terminal window and navigate to the freshly downloaded archive. Extract the file with the following command:

tar xf tor-browser-linux-x86_64-13.0.9.tar.xz

It extracts the contents of the archive to the tor-browser directory. Let’s visit it:

cd tor-browser
ls
Browser  start-tor-browser.desktop

The new directory contains the Browser folder and a desktop file that we can use to integrate the package with our system. Use the following command to register it:

./start-tor-browser.desktop --register-app

Now you should be able to pin the Tor browser to your quick start dash. If something is not right, use the embedded readme text in the file or the --help command line option.

Congratulations! Your first step into this secret world is done! For other platforms please consult the Tor browser manual. Follow the steps in the installation instructions.

Start Tor for the first time. As I wrote before, the browser is a modified version of the Firefox web browser. It can connect to the Onion Routing services but it will not connect immediately at startup, unless we configured it to do. Don’t rush into connecting at this point! You have to configure your browser for more safety and privacy.

In the top right corner use the button with tree parallel lines to open the Application Menu. Choose the Settings menu option.

The settings will open in a new browser tab. On the left side there are the settings tabs like General and Connection. Navigate to the Privacy & Security tab.

Choose the Onion Services to Always prioritize .onion sites when known.

Then scroll down to the Security Level settings and enable the Safer option. Read carefully about these settings in the Tor documentation.

At the Deceptive Content and Dangerous Software Protection area make sure that every option is checked. If you are unsure about something, examine the documentation about the topic.

The Tor browser is ready for connecting to the Tor hidden services!

It is very important to mention here that over the years hundreds of questions came up regarding the Tor hidden services’ real anonymity/privacy. Your internet traffic is a very complex flow and it can be tracked with multiple valid techniques. For example, your internet habits can open a possibility for time based tracking. The exit node is another weak point where information can be leaked.

Many people suspect that there are built in backdoors and hidden traps in the Tor network hid by governments and authorities to fight against the illegal activities. It is mandatory to understand that Tor is not 100% anonymous.

We will start exploring this territory in the next article. The Tor hidden services and the .onion sites are not indexed by the ordinary search engines, so we need an entry point to the system. We will take a look at these entry points, and start browsing.

If you want to discuss the topic with other technology-minded people, join my Discord: https://discord.gg/YbSYGsQYES

Now we have an IRC channel as well: irc.libera.chat / #tomsitcafe