How Tor Works: The Complete Technical Guide 2026
A deep technical exploration of the Tor network: onion routing mechanics, the ntor handshake, v3 onion services, threat models, and pluggable transports.
library
Blog
30 articles · en
Setting Up Tor Bridges: Obfs4, Snowflake and meek-azure
Learn how to configure Tor bridges using obfs4, Snowflake, and meek-azure to bypass deep packet inspection and network-level censorship.
Tor Browser Security Settings: The Definitive Guide
Master Tor Browser security settings. Learn how the security slider, RFP fingerprinting defenses, circuit isolation, and ESR hardening protect your privacy
Onion v3 Addresses Explained: Architecture and Verification
Explore the cryptographic architecture, Base32 byte layout, key blinding, and checksum verification of Tor v3 onion addresses in this technical guide.
Tor Network Speed: Myths, Facts and Optimization
Explore the technical mechanics of Tor network speed, routing latency, congestion control updates, and safe, protocol-compliant client optimization methods
Running a Tor Hidden Service: Step-by-Step
Learn how to deploy and harden a Tor v3 Onion Service step-by-step using secure Unix domain sockets, strict Nginx configurations, and PoW DoS defenses.
OpSec Fundamentals: What Most Guides Get Wrong
Discover why popular OpSec guides fail. Learn how to address threat modeling, identity bleed, metadata correlation, and systemic operational drift.
Metadata Removal: Files, Images and Documents
Master metadata removal for OpSec. Learn deep sanitization mechanisms for images, PDFs, and Office files using ExifTool, MAT2, and pixel-level rasterizatio
Anonymous Communication: From Email to Messaging
Explore the mechanics of anonymous communication, from high-latency mixnets and onion routing to modern metadata-resistant messaging architectures.
Digital Footprint Elimination: A Practical Checklist
A technical, step-by-step checklist to eliminate your digital footprint, clean metadata, revoke tracking tokens, and enforce OpSec compartmentalization.
Device Compartmentalization for High-Risk Users
Explore device compartmentalization strategies for high-risk users, detailing physical separation, hypervisor isolation, Qubes OS, and GrapheneOS architect
OpSec Failures: Lessons from Real Cases
Explore critical OpSec lessons from real-world cases. Learn technical strategies for network isolation, metadata sanitation, and defensive compartmentaliza
How Monero Achieves True Privacy: RingCT, Stealth Addresses, Bulletproofs
Complete technical guide: How Monero Achieves True Privacy: RingCT, Stealth Addresses, Bulletproofs. Rigorous, educational explanation for privacy-consciou
Setting Up a Monero Wallet: Feather vs Monero GUI vs CLI
Compare Monero GUI, Feather Wallet, and Monero CLI. Learn the technical trade-offs, security profiles, and setup procedures for privacy-conscious users.
Monero vs Bitcoin Privacy: A Technical Comparison
A deep technical comparison of Monero and Bitcoin privacy, analyzing UTXO graph heuristics, stealth addresses, CLSAG ring signatures, and Bulletproofs+.
Monero Mining in 2026: P2Pool and RandomX Explained
Explore Monero mining mechanics: how the RandomX CPU-hard algorithm and decentralized P2Pool sidechains prevent ASICs and mining pool censorship.
Monero Atomic Swaps: Trading Without Exchanges
Explore how Monero atomic swaps utilize adaptor signatures and DLEQ proofs to enable trustless, non-custodial XMR-BTC trading without centralized exchanges
Understanding Monero Fees and Transaction Sizes
Explore Monero transaction sizes, weights, and fee algorithms. Learn how CLSAG, Bulletproofs+, and dynamic block scaling protect financial privacy.
PGP Encryption: How It Actually Works
Discover how PGP encryption actually works under the hood: from hybrid cryptography and subkey architecture to message pipelines and digital signatures.
Generating and Managing GPG Keys: Best Practices
Master GPG key management best practices: Ed25519 primitives, offline master keys, hardware token isolation, subkey rotation, and modern distribution hygie
Verifying PGP Signatures: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to verify OpenPGP and GPG digital signatures step-by-step. Discover cryptographic mechanics, key fingerprint audits, and hardened workflows.
Kleopatra Tutorial: Windows PGP Made Simple
Master Kleopatra for Windows PGP encryption. Learn secure key generation, subkey management, file signing, and defensive operational security protocols.
PGP Key Servers vs WKD: What to Use in 2026
Explore PGP Key Servers vs WKD in 2026. Understand SKS vulnerabilities, WKD implementation, threat models, and how to harden your GnuPG discovery configura
Common PGP Mistakes That Compromise Your Security
Discover common PGP encryption mistakes that expose communications to adversaries, including EFAIL, metadata leaks, subkey mismanagement, and key ID spoofi
How .onion Hidden Services Work: A Technical Deep Dive
Explore the inner mechanics of Tor v3 .onion hidden services: key blinding, HSDir lookups, 6-hop rendezvous circuits, and cryptographic routing defenses.
Onion Service Uptime: Monitoring and Reliability
Learn to monitor and optimize Tor v3 onion service availability, debug reachability issues, deploy OnionBalance, and configure Proof-of-Work DoS defenses.
Darknet Market Security Architecture Explained
Explore the technical security architecture of darknet markets, covering Tor v3 Onion routing, zero-JavaScript interfaces, multisig escrow, and system hard
How Darknet Users Get De-anonymized: A Defensive Security Analysis
An in-depth defensive analysis of darknet de-anonymization vectors, covering traffic correlation, browser exploits, guard nodes, and operational security.
Tor Consensus and Directory Authorities Explained
An in-depth technical analysis of the Tor Directory Protocol v3, explaining how Directory Authorities, microdescriptors, and voting consensus secure routin
I2P vs Tor: Which Anonymity Network is Right for You
Explore an architectural comparison of I2P and Tor. Learn how onion and garlic routing, consensus models, and cryptographic transports fit your threat mode