The Exit Node: At this point, the traffic exits Tor it can be monitored by the Tor node itself or that node's ISP.The Tor Network: The traffic within the Tor network has multiple layers of encryption such that only the last node (the exit node) in your Tor circuit can see the traffic you send to the destination.Potential adversaries on your home network or at your ISP can see that you are using Tor, but they cannot see the websites you are visiting. Your Home Network and ISP: Tor provides strong encryption within the network.You will note that HTTPS only provides protection in the final step of the connection (between the exit node of the Tor circuit and the destination server): Here is a breakdown of some potential adversaries at the information available to them at each point. What protection does HTTPS provide with Tor?

Specifically, it depends on the type of data you are accessing and your threat model. Using a Qubes Disposable VM, Tails or Whonix to open files after you've downloaded them will help mitigate many of the risks (against leaks through normal operation of the file type) but not always against exploitation.It depends. The Tor Browser actually has an explicit warning about this before you download any files. These methods have been successfully used to deanonymize Tor users before, as well as deanonymizing state sponsored hackers targeting journalists. There are plenty it doesn't cover either. This presentation from 2015 shows a few examples of such techniques, although it is not at all extensive. So, it is safe to download file over Tor, at least about as safe as downloading them on a shared or public wireless network, for example but it is definitely not safe to open them and it will harm your anonymity. This is a very old tactic of bugging files (sometimes government documents have such tracking in them, provided by a DLP contractor), so that if they are opened they can discover who opened them. However, it is almost never safe to open them outside of Tor Browser or a special environment.Įven non-executable files (documents, videos, audio files, etc) can be used to ping-back to some server on the internet and since the application opening them isn't going through Tor, you will connect outside of the Tor network.

Tor safe