Portable Tor, an easy way to surf kinda anonymously

From the website:

Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet.

It uses a nifty process to create a tunnel that connects you anonymously to a series of proxy servers, at the end of which series of proxy servers, your request is passed on in the clear to the Net. This means: Tor is not an end-to-end protection, that is, from your computer to the requested server (website). The exit node (the server that passes on your request in the clear) can figure out who you are. More info here (University of Colorado, Boulder) and here (Dan Egerstad). I am ready to bet the NSA and several spy agencies operate Tor nodes for that very purpose…

But I would still use it for the following usage:

• Bypass censorship filters when used on a public computer or a public wireless network
• Check out a quick email when at a café that offers free wireless (Tor also prevents snoopers from sniffing your data between your laptop and the wireless router)
• Hide your tracks from your employer or your ISP

Tor can be a little bit intimidating to install by itself. So over the years a series of easy-to-use solutions have appeared.

Check out Torpark (free, no longer developed, became xB Browser – commercial but excellent – I trust the guys behind it), OperaTor and Portable Tor. They are free and portable (that means no install). You can copy them on your USB stick and fire them up on any computer! The only installation step if you want to call it like that: you have to make sure that your web browser is configured to use 127.0.0.1 as a proxy and all your traffic will be sent on the Tor network (read the specific documentation for each of these softwares to learn how to do this – it is REALLY EASY – it should not take you more than 30 seconds!)

Surf free, surf secure.