Security and Privacy in TOR Network

University of Colorado System via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/security-and-privacy-in-tor-network

Introduction

### Course Review and Recommendation: Security and Privacy in the TOR Network In today’s digital landscape, ensuring security and privacy online has become paramount, especially with rising concerns over data surveillance and censorship. The Coursera course titled **"Security and Privacy in TOR Network"** meticulously addresses these issues, providing a comprehensive understanding of the TOR (The Onion Router) network. This course serves as a gateway into the intricate world of anonymous browsing, censorship resistance, and the associated technologies that protect user identity online. #### Course Overview The course is designed as a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and delves into the fundamentals of the TOR network. It covers essential aspects of how TOR safeguards user privacy and security while also resisting various censorship attempts. Through an engaging module structure, learners are guided through basic concepts of TOR, practical applications like the TOR browser, and advanced discussions of recent security vulnerabilities, including sniper attacks. Additionally, the course introduces hidden services on TOR, shedding light on how they operate and can be denonymized. #### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **The Onion Routing (TOR)**: - This initial module lays the groundwork for understanding TOR’s architecture and its significance in preserving user anonymity. You will learn how to effectively utilize the TOR browser, modify the entry guard and exit nodes, and execute network commands via TOR using the torify command. Furthermore, setting up the TOR software package on a Linux machine is a hands-on experience that enhances practical skills. 2. **Hidden Service on TOR and their Attacks**: - Understanding hidden services within the TOR network is crucial, especially for those interested in providing secure online services. This module covers the architecture and protocol that enable hidden services, along with best practices for maintaining anonymity while managing these services. The content dives into how to set up a hidden server on AWS, equipping learners with relevant skills to operate effectively within the TOR network. 3. **Censorship Systems**: - The module focuses on the mechanics of censorship, examining various models and challenges. It helps learners define the censor's sphere of influence and visibility while providing insights into fingerprinting methods and different censorship techniques. This critical understanding aids in valorizing the importance of the TOR network against these threats. 4. **Censorship Resistance System (CRS)**: - The final module discusses censorship resistance strategies. It covers the components necessary for establishing secure communications and methods for hiding information to avoid detection. As well as delving into technicalities around obtaining credentials for CRS, this section arms learners with knowledge to combat both active and passive censorship efforts. #### Course Experience The course is structured to cater to both beginners and those with existing knowledge of network security. The content is delivered through a mix of video lectures, readings, and practical exercises. The hands-on approach, particularly in setting up TOR and hidden services, allows for an immersive learning experience. Users may also benefit from interactive discussion forums, where they can share insights and collaborate with peers. #### Recommendation I highly recommend "Security and Privacy in the TOR Network" for anyone interested in cybersecurity, privacy advocacy, and the technical foundations of the TOR network. Whether you're a cybersecurity professional looking to expand your skill set or a curious individual wanting to understand better how to navigate the web anonymously, this course offers invaluable knowledge. The practical applications and detailed examination of both the strengths and vulnerabilities of TOR will empower participants to use the network more effectively and contribute to ongoing discussions surrounding digital privacy and freedom. Embark on this educational journey to enhance your understanding of one of the most crucial tools in online safety—and fortify your digital presence in an era where privacy matters more than ever!

Syllabus

The Onion Routing (TOR)

In this module, we learn the basic concepts of Tor network for protecting the privacy of Tor users and how to use the Tor browser features to access the web sites while preserving the anonimity, change the entry guard and exit node of the Tor circuit, learn how to setup Tor software package on a Linux machine and start its service, and use torify to run network commands, such as ssh or curl command, but use a Tor circuit as an outgoing connection

Hidden Service on TOR and their Attacks

In this module, we learn how the hidden service architecture and protocol work, and how to set up the hidden server to provide network services on the Tor network without revealing the public IP address. We also learn the best practice of managing the hidden server anonymously and hide the version information of web server, OS, and installed software packages.

Censorship Systems

In this module we learn the basic components of the censorship systems, the censor model and the related challenges. We learn to define the censor's sphere of influence and sphere of visibility, and their impact on the techniques that can be deployed by the censorship systems. We will be able to describe the basic components of the censor's attack model, explain different fingerprinting methods and evaluating their strength and weakness. We will study different direct censorship method and learn the limitations imposed upon the range of censorship actions.

Censorship Resistance System (CRS)

In this module, we will learn the two main functional components of censorship resistance system (CRS) and explain the steps to establish the CRS communications. We will understand the operating requirements for establishing the CRS communications and learn the techniques for hiding information and avoid tracking using CRS channels. We will learn the basic CRS properties shared by CRS' and their purposes. We will comprehend different methods for obtaining CRS credentials and reduce faking/testing of them. We will be able to deploy different schemes for resisting active probing, identify different schemes to establish user trust. We will learn how to implement methods for evading censor detection and blocking. We will understand various methods for protecting publisher information and current open and active CRS research areas.