Tor Browser 12.5.4 Private web browser for Windows

For the everyday user, we don’t recommend Tor. As we said earlier, Tor is for a specific type of user. The browser is supposed to help keep things a secret with all of the security features that it has, but we don’t think most of the general population is going to make use of them. The location of the voluntary servers are unknown, but this also means that we have no idea who is running the servers and what they see. Tor is also known to be the home of many black market websites, so even if you’re not using Tor for that purpose, that fact alone is understandably enough to scare a lot of users away. Sure, this browser jumps through hoops to lock in your connection, but it’s not foolproof. As unfortunate as it may be, if someone wants to hack into your computer through Tor, they still might be able to do it. Your connection is encrypted as it moves from server to server, but the moment it leaves the third server and makes its way to your internet destination, there is no layer of encryption covering it. Unless you’re an undercover journalist, you live in a country that has heavy restrictions in place by the government on internet use, or you’re looking for trouble, we would pass on downloading Tor.

Tor Browser for Windows

With the internet being the massive resource that it is, people are becoming more and more reliant on it. Not only do we search for recipes and directions on the web, but we use it for banking, storing photos and videos of ourselves and our loved ones, accessing healthcare information, and doing other activities that may involve sending and receiving private information. It seems like more and more frequently, there are stories of personal data being leaked from financial institutions, social media services, and the cloud. Tor looks to ease our worries with a web browser that aims to help people use the internet without fear of being tracked or spied on. According to Tor, their mission is to “advance human rights and freedoms by creating and deploying free and open source anonymity and privacy technologies, supporting their unrestricted availability and use, and furthering their scientific and popular understanding”. If that doesn’t say security, we don’t know what does!

Towards better privacy

Three layers of encryption keeps your data private.

So, what exactly is Tor, and how does it work? Every day when we use the internet, especially if we’re using devices that don’t have software that protects us from spyware, hacking, and other malicious activity, we are essentially at risk. This doesn’t just include times that we go to our bank’s website and transfer money, or enter our social security number to take care of our taxes. With every website that we visit, someone somewhere could track where we go, what we search, what we save and download, and more. To works by shielding us from all of that. Tor is an internet browser run by volunteer-operated servers. Tor’s icon is an onion because like an onion, Tor’s has layers that encrypt your internet connection. When you connect, your activity is sent through three different voluntarily operated servers around the world. So, three layers of protection secure your activity in transit from you to your destination on the internet. None of the locations of any of the servers are known.

Once you’ve downloaded Tor, you’re prompted to choose the language you’d like to view the browser in. From there, you’re taken to the main page where you can start searching. For those new to the browser, it does offer a step by step tutorial on how to navigate around. To ensure your privacy, Tor erases cookies and your browsing history after you’re finished using the internet. Each time you use Tor, you can also change the route and servers that your connection goes through before you access the website that you’ve searched for with the Circuit Display. At this point, you can click “See My Path”, and a separate tab will pop up. In this tab, you can see the countries that house the servers that your connection is currently passing through. Next, you’re able to see your security level and make adjustments in the advanced settings. Everyone starts off with a standard connection, which means that every function that the Tor browser has available is turned on. Safer is the next level, and removes JavaScript and HTML5 media, which Tor says have been involved in dangerous activity in the past. The final level of security is the safest which works by disabling scripts, media, and certain images. You can toggle on and off functions like blocking deceptive content, giving you alerts for strange software and more. In the general tab you can select Tor as your default browser and make changes to the browser’s appearance as well.

Finally, Tor warns you that because of all the services that it offers, your browser may run a little slower depending on the level of security you’ve selected and which features are enabled. Onion services include creating your own webpages and stores.

Where can you run this program?

Tor is currently available for download on Mac and PCs running Windows.

Is there a better alternative?

This depends on the user. If you just use the internet for casual browsing, social media and maybe to do some shopping from time to time, this may not be the browser for you. The Chrome browser would be an excellent option, as it’s faster than other popular browsers like Firefox and Internet Explorer (which is surprisingly still widely used), it has a simple and clean layout, and has a large extension gallery that grows exponentially as time passes.

Our take

Tor is a browser for a specific type of user. It has a lot of functions in place to help people keep their information private, and walks us through all of our options – and there are many. It does a good job of repeatedly reassuring the user that they don’t have to worry about who is seeing their web activity.

Should you download it?

For the everyday user, we don’t recommend Tor. As we said earlier, Tor is for a specific type of user. The browser is supposed to help keep things a secret with all of the security features that it has, but we don’t think most of the general population is going to make use of them. The location of the voluntary servers are unknown, but this also means that we have no idea who is running the servers and what they see. Tor is also known to be the home of many black market websites, so even if you’re not using Tor for that purpose, that fact alone is understandably enough to scare a lot of users away. Sure, this browser jumps through hoops to lock in your connection, but it’s not foolproof. As unfortunate as it may be, if someone wants to hack into your computer through Tor, they still might be able to do it. Your connection is encrypted as it moves from server to server, but the moment it leaves the third server and makes its way to your internet destination, there is no layer of encryption covering it. Unless you’re an undercover journalist, you live in a country that has heavy restrictions in place by the government on internet use, or you’re looking for trouble, we would pass on downloading Tor.

• Three layers of encryption
• Tutorials for new users
• Ability to create websites

• Not completely safe
• Home to many websites on the dark web
• Runs slowly with too many features enabled

Tor Browser 12.5.4 Private web browser for Windows

Browser that provides anonymous and secure web browsing with its built-in encryption features.

Free and open source Internet communication software download, reviewed by Sven Sørensen

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Web browser that protects identity, avoids censorship and provides anonymous Internet browsing while hiding true IP address. Tor Browser is the well-known dark web browser that’s been developed as an open source project which makes browsing the web anonymously a reality. Based on the code by Mozilla as the browser component and The Onion Network as the component allowing for anonymous browsing, this application provides you with a free and easy way to access web sites without revealing any personal details or geographical information about your actual physical location. The application redirects all traffic through something called TOR, a network of routers placed across the planet which obfuscate your IP address. The browser part of this application implements a bunch of different privacy options included with Firefox which make it so that incognito browsing is always active. Cookies and any personal information is deleted after you’re done. Tor Browser works without any type of manual configuration. You can just install the browser and run it. Everything is ready to go with a few clicks.

Installing TOR Browser

The Tor browser package is very easy to set up. Run the EXE file, set the language to English (or whichever you prefer) and follow the installer. Setup shouldn’t take more than a minute. After successful installation, the default Tor Browser opens.

TOR Browser security settings

Before you start surfing, you should switch to “Security Settings” by clicking on the protective shield logo to the right of the address bar. There you can see the not too restrictive basic settings. Basically, you use the Tor browser in private mode, i.e. history and cookies are not stored locally. In addition, plug-ins such as Flash are disabled. Nevertheless, the slider for “Security level” is set to “Standard”, which you should change to block off even more browser features. For example, if you change the security level to “Secure”, HTML5 videos can only be played via click-to-play and JavaScript is restricted. If you set the security level to “Most secure”, then JavaScript is completely switched off and the browser also blocks many image files.

TOR Browser is a bit slow

For technical reasons, surfing with Tor is slower than in a normal browser because every request takes a detour. This is the price one has to pay for the gained anonymity. However, if surfing with the Tor browser is really slow, you can usually take countermeasures. We’d suggest restarting the browser so that it can reconnect to the TOR network and perhaps connect you to faster servers.

In closing

Tor Browser is a powerful and, above all, safe Internet browser; that will allow you to navigate the web and dark web anonymously. The most normal thing is to think that ‘you have nothing to hide’, but even if that is the case, it does not hurt to value and protect your right to privacy and anonymity on the Internet.

Features of Tor Browser

• Blocking Trackers: Blocks third-party trackers, which prevents companies from collecting and monetizing your data.
• Enhanced Privacy: By routing your web traffic through several servers, Tor Browser helps to keep your identity and location anonymous.
• Multi-Platform Compatibility: Available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.
• No Logging: Does not keep logs, so your browsing history is not recorded.
• Open Source: Its code is open to public scrutiny and can be modified by anyone.
• Secure Connections: Enables secure connections to websites, so your data is protected from man-in-the-middle attacks.
• Security: Encrypts your traffic, making it difficult for hackers to intercept your data.

Compatibility and License

Tor Browser has been released under a General Open Source license which means the software can be downloaded and distributed for free. There are other programs from VPN and proxy software available with different licenses like GPL or just plain closed-source freeware.

Tor Project accepts donations for the continued development of this free software.

What version of Windows can Tor Browser run on?

Tor Browser can be used on a computer running Windows 11 or Windows 10. Previous versions of the operating system shouldn’t be a problem with Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista having been tested. Windows XP is supported. It’s only available as a 64-bit download.

Other operating systems: The latest Tor Browser version from 2023 is also available for Android and Mac. These are often available from the app store.

1. Tor Browser Download
2. Free VPN and Proxy Software
3. Free VPN Software
4. Open source and GPL software
5. Internet Communication Software

We have tested Tor Browser 12.5.4 against malware with several different programs. We certify that this program is clean of viruses, malware and trojans.

Download

for Windows 91.74 MB – Tested clean

• $$ Cost:Free General Open Source

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User Rating: 3.9 / 5 ( 283 )
File Tested

Filename: torbrowser-install-win64-12.5.4_ALL.exe Type: Setup & Installation EXE File Description: More privacy and anonymity SHA256 filehash: aaf3c46c924525bc62ed53b95c981cc6483f84df2bcea41c3b7a47b0f41205eb MD5 filehash: 082d430dc20cd97dcba3e8457301d5e8 Status: