WEBVTT 00:01.520 --> 00:02.160 Okay. 00:02.200 --> 00:09.440 In this video we are going to post a question to VPN with Tor or not to VPN with Tor. 00:09.800 --> 00:11.120 That is the question. 00:11.320 --> 00:17.880 So this is a short clarification about Tor and VPNs, since I have gotten questions about this in the 00:17.880 --> 00:18.280 past. 00:18.280 --> 00:29.600 And there is, well, some debate, a lot of debate about whether it's good to use a VPN with Tor or 00:29.640 --> 00:32.000 not use a VPN with Tor. 00:33.000 --> 00:41.240 Now with everything, there are pros and cons to using VPN or not using VPN, using this tool, or not 00:41.240 --> 00:42.400 using this tool. 00:43.000 --> 00:46.200 And just to clarify, I don't work for Tor. 00:46.200 --> 00:48.400 I'm not associated with the Tor group though. 00:48.440 --> 00:51.920 I do really like their software and I do use it. 00:52.800 --> 00:55.360 So no VPN option. 00:56.520 --> 00:56.920 So. 00:59.080 --> 01:05.680 In a interview a while back, someone that worked with the Tor Project recommended do not use a VPN 01:05.720 --> 01:06.440 with Tor. 01:06.480 --> 01:08.400 Don't add plugins with Tor. 01:08.680 --> 01:14.000 Don't do bookmarks with Tor and don't actually maximize the window for Tor. 01:14.040 --> 01:15.480 Keep everything default. 01:15.720 --> 01:17.240 Now the reason for this. 01:17.360 --> 01:24.040 Keeping your defaults help the traffic look the same, resolution the same, the browser settings are 01:24.040 --> 01:32.120 the same, etc. etc. so, um, should there be something that circumvents the Tor security such as the 01:32.120 --> 01:37.360 exit node, your identity may be compromised if you're not using a VPN. 01:37.360 --> 01:44.720 So personally, if I'm surfing the dark web, visiting chat rooms, etc., I may not have a VPN engaged. 01:44.720 --> 01:52.240 This really depends on how much of a threat I think it is going somewhere that I'm using Tor. 01:52.520 --> 01:59.440 If I believe that the threat is pretty low, I'm just browsing, uh, doing some recon, doing browsing 01:59.440 --> 02:00.240 some things. 02:00.560 --> 02:03.920 Using the Tor browser might not even be the dark web. 02:03.920 --> 02:06.720 It could just be the deep web. 02:06.720 --> 02:12.680 For example, I might be I might use Tor to just for that extra layer of security. 02:13.920 --> 02:15.960 I'm not going to worry about it now. 02:17.560 --> 02:24.760 Uh, on the other hand, keeping a VPN on while you're while you're on tour can't give you the extra 02:24.760 --> 02:25.640 layer of security. 02:26.720 --> 02:31.960 Uh, especially since your traffic's anonymized by tor your traffic. 02:32.000 --> 02:34.120 Traffic is anonymized by your VPN. 02:34.560 --> 02:44.960 And the extra step is I personally use VPN that has a multi-hop, uh, um, multi-hop route that takes 02:44.960 --> 02:45.880 kind of like Tor. 02:45.920 --> 02:50.960 So the VPN I use uses, uh, I think it's two hops. 02:51.120 --> 02:59.880 So it will go from, say, where I'm at to say New York from New York, and may go to Japan and to wherever 02:59.880 --> 03:00.520 I'm going. 03:00.680 --> 03:08.360 And then Tor will bounce itself around the different, uh, Tor routers and then go to again where it's 03:08.360 --> 03:09.240 going to go. 03:11.600 --> 03:18.160 The other thing about the, uh, the VPNs I tend to use, they have a kill switch, meaning that if 03:18.160 --> 03:22.440 my VPN drops, it will kill my internet connection. 03:22.640 --> 03:31.800 Now, the reason why I like this is if I'm using a VPN would tour and my VPN drops certain VPNs. 03:31.800 --> 03:37.920 If you don't have a kill switch, you're not going to know that it dropped and you lose that layer of 03:37.920 --> 03:38.720 protection. 03:39.240 --> 03:46.480 So, um, the downside is your traffic will become more unique if someone's trying to fingerprint your 03:46.480 --> 03:47.400 Tor traffic. 03:49.120 --> 03:59.920 But again, depending on how dangerous, uh, where I'm going may be, I tend to like that extra layer 03:59.920 --> 04:07.560 of security having my VPN multi-hop kill switch and then going through, um, the Tor traffic. 04:09.000 --> 04:11.720 So what's right for you? 04:11.760 --> 04:12.880 VPN with Tor? 04:13.080 --> 04:14.800 Don't do a VPN with Tor. 04:14.880 --> 04:18.800 That's something you're going to have to decide for your individual cases. 04:19.240 --> 04:26.760 So again, I would think about how much protection do you need or at least you perceive that you might 04:26.760 --> 04:27.280 need. 04:28.520 --> 04:30.760 Is the tour traffic going to be okay? 04:30.960 --> 04:34.800 Are you planning on messing with your tour browser, especially if you're going to mess with your tour 04:34.800 --> 04:35.480 browser? 04:35.680 --> 04:39.360 You're going to put it full screen because it's kind of hard to read, because it's small. 04:39.360 --> 04:40.560 It's kind of a pain in the butt. 04:41.120 --> 04:43.800 You want to add bookmarks. 04:43.800 --> 04:46.720 You want to add these different plugins to your tour browser. 04:46.880 --> 04:50.400 Well, in that case, you're already making your traffic unique. 04:50.680 --> 04:54.240 You might as well use a VPN if, um. 04:54.360 --> 04:57.240 But again, consider the pros and cons. 04:57.240 --> 05:00.400 I just wanted to lay this out out there for you. 05:00.920 --> 05:06.240 Unfortunately, there is no really good, um, black and white answer for this. 05:06.280 --> 05:10.440 I, I don't think anyone could say you should do this period. 05:10.480 --> 05:12.160 You should do that period. 05:12.160 --> 05:15.920 It's again, you need to consider the pros and cons of both. 05:16.200 --> 05:18.720 And hopefully that kind of laid it out for you. 05:18.720 --> 05:20.240 So thank you for watching. 05:20.240 --> 05:21.520 I'll see you next video.