Tor Browser
Version: 6.0.4 Web: http://bit.ly/TorBrowser6_0_4
Most modern web browsers are clones of Chromium. We could go further and suggest that once someone successfully builds Chromium from source (and the build system is complex), they could proudly announce another brand-new product, as if it were created from scratch.
Tor Browser is totally different. To start with, it’s derived from Mozilla Firefox. If you don’t know what Tor is about (and the name’s derived from The Onion Router, the original project) it’s focused on privacy, security and anonymous internet access.
TorBrowser applies a collection of hacks, custom settings, tweaks and workarounds to vanilla Firefox and aside from the changes to the product itself, all network traffic is redirected through the Tor Network to deliver greater anonymity. TorBrowser helps people bypass certain government regulations (such as ‘The Great Firewall of China') and generally leaves less of a digital trail on the internet.
Specific tools used by TorBrowser are the HTTPS Everywhere Firefox extension, another extension called NoScript for resisting JavaScript-based threats, and the Fteproxy utility to prevent traffic blocking and inspection along with a few other components. TorBrowser deliberately removes the regular set of Firefox system extensions as they don’t qualify for what the Tor developers define as ‘true privacy’.
In the case of the 6.0.4 release, it’s more evolutionary than revolutionary. The new browser relies on the updated Tor framework (v0.2.8.6), which starts faster and is more flexible for when you need to set custom ports for Tor traffic. TorBrowser looks and feels like Firefox that’s because it’s based on Mozilla’s updates, sync service and other ‘desktop’ features. It can also be run as a portable version as well, allowing you to write to a USB thumb drive and take your secure web browser with you.
“Tor Browser helps people bypass certain government regulations (such as ‘The Great Firewall of China').”