Using Tor or Arti Through VPNs

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security considerations for accessing Tor and Arti through a VPN

How VPNs, Tor, and Arti Work

Before considering the security, efficiency, or ease of use when using Tor or Artiin line with a VPN, a brief review of how they work is necessary. VPNs are Virtual Private Networks. They carry data between your device and a remote server, encrypted for security, and you see the internet as though your device was at the server location. VPNs thereby mask your actual IP address by substituting the server's IP address. An observer watching your internet connection only sees noise-like data, because your connection to the VPN is encrypted. VPNs are not as broadband as a direct connection to the sites you visit, but a good VPN will offer bandwidth sufficient for your needs. Latency, or time delay, increases because your data travels through the VPN instead of directly between sites you visit and your devices.

Tor (The Onion Router) is a network of vpn-like servers that anonymizes your online activities by routing traffic through a chain of multiple relays. Your data is encrypted with a layer of protection for each leg of the journey, like an onion, so the servers never have enough information to know both your identity or what your activity is. Know that the entry node has your real IP address, the exit has the site you are visiting, and the middle relay knows nothing. You are protected when the "who and what" are kept separate.

Arti is an open-source rewrite of Tor, designed from the gound up, to be more efficient and secure. Tor is written in the "C" programming language, while Arti is written in Rust and can use modular add-ons written in other languages. It is operationally compatible with Tor and uses the same strategy for security and anonymity through onion routing.

VPNs, Tor, and Arti are each effective tools for secure internet connectivity, preventing local observers from watching your activity and stealing your data. Tor and Arti, however, are not merely encryption tools; they provide anonymity, so no attacker can connect your activity to your identity.

The question is: "Does using a VPN before or after a trip through an onion routing enhance or reduce security?" It is a valid question, and the answer of "help" or "harm" depends on what you are seeking protection from. Are you primarily seeking anonymity, a different IP address, or to hide your usage of Tor or Arti?

Scenario 1: VPNs to the Tor Entry

There are two main ways to combine VPNs with Tor. The first scenario involves using a VPN to reach the Tor network. It offers concealement of you usage of Tor, which is beneficial for users who may be subjected to extra surveillance or penalties for using Tor (or Arti). Here is the workflow:

Connect to a VPN first.
Then connect to the Tor network:
1. Pass Tor connection through the VPN
2. Or Use a VPN which accesses the internet through Tor installed at the server.
3. Important: make sure DNS is configured to send queries through the VPN.
Your traffic goes: Device -> VPN -> Tor -> Internet

In addition to concealing the use of Tor from the internet service provider or local surveillance, passing the Tor or Arti connection through a VPN also adds an additional layer of encryption, foiling attempts to accomplish cryptanalysis of your internet traffic. Attackers can trace your connection to the VPN and then attempt to track you entry to the Tor network.

Using a VPN to reach Tor has a couple of drawbacks, or vulnerabilities not protected. The VPN provider knows your real IP address, so you are not anonymous to the VPN. Make sure it is trustworthy, as it is a single point of failure. Also, you are as vulnerable as anyone else to malicious Tor exit nodes. The onion routing scheme should hide your VPN IP address, but the exit node has access to what you are doing. To repeat, your VPN knows "who" and the Tor exit node knows "what."

Scenario 2: Using Tor to Reach a VPN

The second scenario is one in which Tor or Arti is used to reach a VPN server, and the desired internet resources are accesses through the VPN. It is useful when there is a need to have anonymous access to the VPN, as when the VPN keeps user logs or there is reason to believe the VPN is not trustworthy. Here is the workflow:

Connect to Tor first
Then connect to a VPN
Your traffic goes: Device -> Tor -> VPN -> Internet

The highest benefit of using the Tor network to access a VPN is that your anonymity is strongly protected. From the VPN, an attacker would be aware that you are coming from the Tor network. The attacker would also see your activity on sites accessed through the VPN. Mind you, most sites now use use SSL (https) connections, so the activity is not directly obvious. A well funded nation-state attacker would have to collect your data and eventually crack the keys to access your activity.

A lot of websites block access from Tor, to using a VPN after the Tor exit allows you to be anonymous yet still access sites where Tor is blocked.

The drawbacks to accessing the web with a VPN after Tor are not especially serious. The workflow is more complex and the connection may have lower bandwidth and higher latency. It might not work well for video streaming or other applications needing low latency and high throughput.

Differences if Using VPNs with Arti?

Arti s still an experimental project, so combining it with VPNs is not yet widely implemented and not well tested. However, the general principle would be similar to combining VPNs with Tor. Generally speaking, Arti should offer better performance than Tor, for the same connection scenario.

Best Practices for Combining VPNs and Onion Routing

A set of bestpractices have emerged from the experiences of people who have often used Tor or Arti to access VPNs or vice versa. Here are the suggestions:

Choose reputable VPN providers with strong encryption and no-logs policies.
VPNs with high bandwidth and low latency are better. If possible, avoid criscrossing the world in order to get a connection.
Use the Tor browser rather than just the Tor network for better protection. The Tor Browser is very plain and difficult to fingerprint.
Be aware of potential drawbacks like slower speeds and increased complexity.
When it makes sense, combine these technologies with other security measures like strong passwords and two-factor authentication.
Stay informed about changes in online privacy laws and best practices.

Conclusion

Accessing Tor or Arti through a VPN can provide enhanced anonymity and protection against ISP tracking. However, it's crucial to understand the trade-offs involved, including potential performance issues and increased complexity. The setup also introduces new security risks, such as relying on the integrity of multiple systems.

If you are prioritizing maximum anonymity, using a VPN through Tor or Arti may be preferable, as it provides an additional layer of encryption between the user and the Tor/Arti network. However, this comes at the cost of potentially slower speeds and increased complexity. Make sure the VPN is trustworthy, as it can be a single point of failure, unlike the distributed risk of the Tor metwork itself.

Ultimately, the choice depends on individual needs and risk tolerance. It's essential to stay informed about the latest developments in digital privacy technologies and to regularly reassess your chosen methods based on evolving threats and available tools. As censorship and surveillance technologies increase in capabilities, so do circumvention methods.