With increasing digitalization, cybersecurity is also becoming more and more critical. The Tor Browser or a VPN are often reported in this area. But which technique is better, or can they be used at the same time? There is always a lot of discussion about it. It, therefore, seems helpful to describe the two techniques in more detail so that the differences become more apparent.
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This Is The Principle behind A Tor Browser
The name Tor is the abbreviation for The Onion Network. The basic idea behind it is a network that consists of several layers like an onion. The data moves from one layer to the next, making it impossible to trace it back to its origin. In principle, it is a decentralized network on which the data travel completely arbitrary routes. This means that no hacker can find out from a website where the call came from. It is, therefore, anonymous surfing. The identity can no longer be found out using this technology. This is precisely what makes the Tor Browser so interesting. More details about the gate project can be found on this page. It is worth taking a look at for anyone interested.
This Is How The VPN Works
The abbreviation VPN stands for the virtual private network. With this technology, the data on your computer when surfing the Internet is first routed through various servers of the VPN provider. Not only are they encrypted, but they can also no longer be tracked. This is a huge safety benefit. Not only larger companies are now using the VPN in their operations. Small and medium-sized companies, as well as private individuals, are also making increasing use of it.
In addition to higher security, the VPN offers other advantages. A good example is when someone is on vacation abroad and wants to use a streaming service. He usually has no way of accessing German-language offers because these are only activated. However, via an installed and configured VPN, the data is redirected to the respective on-site server. This means that it is not noticeable in which country the user is currently located. In the same way, it is also possible to access services that are only permitted for certain other countries.
Setting up and using a VPN is not difficult. If you are not sure whether you can handle it, you can test the VPN for free. Full support is available during the test period. It is, therefore, possible to try out this safe technology in detail in everyday operation.
Tor And VPN Are Not Opposites
So it’s not about whether Tor or VPN is the better solution. Since these are by no means opposing techniques, either one or the other can be chosen. If you want to protect your Internet connections particularly vigorously, you can easily combine both technologies. In this case, however, it is advisable to set up and configure a VPN first. The Tor Browser can then be placed on top of it. This allows the user to surf anonymously and encrypted.
Are There Any Disadvantages?
When surfing the Internet, security should always come first. Cybercrime has risen sharply recently. It is therefore advisable to use high-performance security techniques. Since the data transmission is rerouted several times when using a Tor browser or a VPN, data flow can be a little slowed down. With a robust Internet connection, however, this disadvantage should hardly be noticeable.
With a Tor Browser, it is also no longer possible to use torrent services for data exchange. It is theoretically possible, but doing so would override the security precautions used by the Tor Browser. That would therefore be counterproductive. However, all other services can still be used to their full extent without any restrictions.
What Should Be Considered?
Despite these modern security devices, you should always be careful when surfing the Internet. The following things are essential:
- Not every free offer is harmless.
- Never reveal private data on third-party sites.
- Make payments only via pages with SSL encryption.
- In the case of particularly tempting offers, research information about the provider.
Conclusion
With internet crime on the rise, you should be extremely careful. In the meantime, however, there are already various technical solutions that make surfing very safe. These are now affordable for private users and can be configured without extensive IT knowledge.