TorK weaknesses and risks
 

Hi all,

I am living in a place where the Internet is more controlled than in other places. One way of controlling is by not allowing to surf into certain Internet places. A friend told me about using TorK to surf all over the Internet. I read something about the program and it looks interesting (http://www.anonymityanywhere.com). Using it I could even browse the web as if I was in another country. But I read in wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_%28...ity_network%29) that it has some weaknesses like “is vulnerable to traffic analysis from observers who can watch both ends of a user's connection”. I am doubtful about using it because I do not know what could be the consequences. I would probably need to know more about legal issues of this country. But regarding the program itself, do you think the weaknesses reported can be trusted?

Thanks in advance!

All the best,

Pablo

No software can ever be trusted.

TorK reports weaknesses if a monitor can watch both ends of the connection. Would that be true in your case? Probably not as your country Big Brother will be able to watch one side (yours) but it is highly improbable that he will be able to watch the other side as well.

Is it a crime in your country to look at forbidden sites? Or did they just close the connection to certain sites and effectively block 98% of the ignorant public?

If it is a crime, the use of TorK itself could be detected and might be dangerous.

jlinkels

Hi jlinkels,

Thanks for your reply.

The place I am talking about is China and I am not sure if it is forbidden to surf on certain pages or they just block the pages. All type of blogs, youtube, most of the foreign social networks, some internet news media,…are blocked. I have to make sure of this first before using Tork. I guess it is not forbidden and they just block them but I do not want to take the risk.

I used sometimes online anonymous proxy server like www.zend2.com/ but it goes extremely slow (no way to use it) and after use it few minutes the whole internet connection goes down. Plug out and in the modem makes it work again but not always. Could it happened the same if I use TorK?

Greetings,

Pablo

Section Five of the Computer Information Network and Internet Security, Protection, and Management Regulations approved by the State Council on 11 December 1997 states the following:

No unit or individual may use the Internet to create, replicate, retrieve, or transmit the following kinds of information:

1. Inciting to resist or breaking the Constitution or laws or the implementation of administrative regulations;
2. Inciting to overthrow the government or the socialist system;
3. Inciting division of the country, harming national unification;
4. Inciting hatred or discrimination among nationalities or harming the unity of the nationalities;
5. Making falsehoods or distorting the truth, spreading rumors, destroying the order of society;
6. Promoting feudal superstitions, sexually suggestive material, gambling, violence, murder;
7. Terrorism or inciting others to criminal activity; openly insulting other people or distorting the truth to slander people;
8. Injuring the reputation of state organs;
9. Other activities against the Constitution, laws or administrative regulations.

I do not know if using alternative means of internet routing like Tor is illegal in and of itself. But I would not be surprised if it is.