The first step in establishing privacy and security on the internet is to encrypt your internet traffic. Whether you’re using plain HTTPS, a VPN, or perhaps the Tor network to remain anonymous, the freedom with which you may browse the web differs.
Is there any recourse if you’ve had your security and privacy breached? Don’t worry, use the Tor Project’s technologies to avoid stringent censorship and monitoring.
What Is Obfsproxy?
Obfsproxy is a subproject of the Tor anonymity network that aims to hide online activity from network surveillance technologies. “Obfuscate proxy” is shorthand for “obscure proxy,” which means to hide or disguise the fact that online traffic is traveling via a proxy server.
But Obfsproxy isn’t simply an add-on for the Onion browser; it is a full-fledged product. In a few locations, it is imperative to connect and use the internet easily.
Tor employs the SSL communication protocol when filtering traffic across several destinations. To prevent you from utilizing the Tor network, your state and Internet service provider (ISP) might restrict SSL traffic. Just as in Iran, hundreds of Iranians were blocked from utilizing the Tor network in February 2011.
One way to hide your Tor traffic is to use Tor through a VPN, however, this has a significant impact on your internet speed. Also, if you reside in a country where VPNs are either outlawed or heavily regulated, this is not an option.
How Does Obfsproxy Works?
Obfsproxy’s (or any other traffic masking technology’s) operation may be better understood if you know what they are up against. An example of data processing, Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), is a method for inspecting data as it travels over a network Wireshark & Glasswire. They are both examples of network monitoring software that use similar techniques.
While they are unable to decode internet traffic, they can analyze the public indications that data packets convey. For example, they can choose between SSL, HTTPS, and BitTorrent encryption.
Network monitoring technologies, such as DPIs, aren’t just for spying. They may be able to prevent an invasion or prevent you from accessing an untrustworthy service in some cases.
Where Can You Use Obfsproxy?
Obfsproxy is not a modification to the Tor network; it is a distinct extension. That made it straightforward to construct and deliver on Tor without the need for large alterations to the original code.
Tor traffic obfuscation can, therefore, be used outside of Tor. For starters, you may utilize Obfsproxy alongside OpenVPN or Wireguard protocols if you want to customize your VPN connection. Obfsproxy must be configured on both the Vpn service and the server. You’ll have to put in a lot of time and effort, but the payoff is worth it.
Nobody wants you to encrypt your information. Whether it’s a censored government website, an overzealous Internet service provider, or a streaming service. For years, reporters and civil rights campaigners in some nations have been the primary users of obfuscation technology. Now, anybody can use it.
For the most part, IT firms are quick to adjust. To protect your online privacy and security, many VPNs now have built-in traffic camouflage modes, and there are countless how-to guides available.