Silk Road forums

Discussion => Newbie discussion => Topic started by: SirNomDePlum on July 19, 2013, 11:33 am

Title: Defeats the purpose of using Tor and other chit chat
Post by: SirNomDePlum on July 19, 2013, 11:33 am
Here's an interesting read - http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/03/29/1743201/Attacking-and-Defending-the-Tor-Network *Clearnet link*

Here are some of the statements made on that page:

If you're going through a proxy server to get to Tor, the proxy server knows your IP and everything you've browsed. This defeats the purpose of using Tor.

That's what I2P is for. No exit nodes, purely internal. It has a number of neat architectural differences from Tor to make it harder to attack and to improve performance. Also, for those who care, unlike Tor, I2P doesn't try to block filesharing.

Downsides: I2P is Java, so it eats more CPU. Also, it has a smaller userbase, meaning it's been less studied and isn't as resistant to takeover-style attacks like Sybil. And, obviously, you don't route to the outside world from I2P.

I guess that the research demonstrated by Stevens LeBlond just goes to prove what most of us have known for a long time - even using TOR (and the same will go for any other type of encryption, IP masking etc) you are not 100% safe if somebody wants to work out who you are. The governments may not care too much if you are just sharing a few pirated movies around, although some companies may. All that TOR does is provides people who aren't really that switched-on with a false sense of security about their activities.

Recently discussed on Bruce Schneier's blog ("Identifying Tor Users Through Insecure Applications"):

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/03/identifying_tor.html *Clearnet link*

###

Do the people on these forums have any idea what in the hell they're talking about?