Quote Originally Posted by JD1stTimer
Thanks Delta9. I think I might get a static IP address so I can easily set up an exit node. Until then I guess I will turn it off. I'm curious though, does the operator of an exit node know the IP address that the packets come from? I always thought the point was more to keep your ip address anonymous more so than encrypting the content. Maybe I have missed the point though.
Not necessarily (regarding tor operators knowing the address packets are coming from). However, you do have to log in and out of the boards, and other data is transmitted which may be sensitive, which *can* be traced back to wherever your destination is (destination = website or terminal server - ie this website). Your IP is masked from the website or destination server, yes, however the tor exit hub (admin) DOES know your IP. So if they think you look like a tasty target, they can trace your IP to whatever you were accessing (if they put the work into it - which isn't hard for someone good - depending on how many levels of security you use). It takes a bit of work to get enough info out of tor to ident someone, and most people don't have anyone looking for them with enough passion to go to the trouble. The thing about tor is that a LOT of people sniff tor exit hubs just because they can (thats what hackers do, after all), and instead of the joys of horticulture, or some other pleasantry, they spend their day trying to trace the routes of packets sent across the interweb, and many of them target tor especially because they know tor is used by people who don't want to be found.

To answer your question without going on and on - you are correct, in that the primary utility of tor is to prevent your IP being associated with someone else's IP (such as a website's IP). However, inside the tor architecture, there are several security and encryption algorithms built in as well to enhance privacy (theoretically). This allows not only your IP to be masked, but also the contents of the packets being sent back and forth. The encryption is why only the exit hubs are vulnerable. Since all the intermediate tor nodes are sending your data (and IP) encrypted, their security is FAR harder to bypass than an exit hub. Once your packets reach an exit hub though, if done correctly, the packets can be read (since they are no longer encrypted) and a trace back to whatever you were looking at or talking to is much easier.

Sorry for the long narative, I know its a *growing board* :jointsmile:

BTW- those are some very nice LST pics!