The Tor Browser provides powerful anonymity protections, but proper configuration is essential to maximize your privacy and security. Default settings offer good protection, but understanding and adjusting security settings based on your threat model provides additional safety layers.
Security Level Configuration
Tor Browser includes three security levels: Standard, Safer, and Safest. Standard mode provides full functionality but permits potentially dangerous features like JavaScript on all sites. Safer mode disables JavaScript on non-HTTPS sites and disables some fonts and math symbols that could be exploited. Safest mode disables JavaScript entirely, along with various media features and custom fonts, significantly reducing your attack surface.
For dark web browsing, using Safer or Safest mode is strongly recommended. While this may break functionality on some sites, it dramatically reduces the risk of browser exploits that could compromise your anonymity. Many onion sites are designed to work without JavaScript, making Safest mode viable for most dark web activities. If you must use JavaScript on specific sites, consider using separate browser profiles for different security levels.
Additional Privacy Enhancements
Beyond security levels, several additional configurations enhance your privacy. Disable WebGL and WebRTC through about:config settings, as these technologies can leak identifying information about your system. Set privacy.resistFingerprinting to true to make your browser harder to uniquely identify through fingerprinting techniques. Regularly clear all cookies and browsing data, or use New Identity feature to switch to a completely fresh Tor circuit.
Never resize the Tor Browser window, as unique window sizes create a fingerprintable characteristic. Keep the browser in its default size or use full-screen mode. Avoid installing any extensions or plugins beyond those that come pre-installed, as these can compromise your anonymity. Even seemingly innocuous extensions can introduce unique identifiers that distinguish your browser from others.
Maintaining strong security posture requires constant vigilance and regular updates to your security practices. As new vulnerabilities emerge and attack techniques evolve, staying informed about best practices is essential. For current security insights, review this analysis of recent targeted hacking campaigns.