When you are browsing without any security like TOR or Virtual Private Network, you are exposed to hackers and data snoopers. So, you should start using them if you want to prevent that from happening.

For the very unaware people, think about when you connect to a roadside restaurant or an international airport and you get all these warnings that your request sent over their network might be vulnerable. All networks, but public networks to be precise are vulnerable to traffic analysis.

These security tools are essential for you to protect your personal information such as credit card details, your usernames, passwords, address, contact details as well as other personal data you enter online. This is more prone to theft when using public Wi-Fi.

In order to protect yourself from all this hacking and high-level checks, Virtual Private Network or TOR is highly recommended.

For those who have no clue about what Virtual Private Network and TOR are, let me start by giving a brief review of these two things.

VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a type of network that allows users to browse the web securely and anonymously.

TOR is majorly aimed to conceal the user’s identity and their online activity from surveillance by separating identification and routing. Both networks have one common feature that is privacy.

Using Tor and VPN – Detailed Analysis

Using both Tor and a VPN can be tricky, and even dangerous if done improperly. Routing VPN traffic through Tor or vice versa has certain major benefits as well as disadvantages, depending on your threat model.

Both of these services provide a privacy element, but what most people are not aware of is that when you combine both of these networks, the results are unbelievable. This connection can be done in either Virtual Private Network through TOR or TOR through Virtual Private Network. Both have pros and cons. When using Virtual Private Network through TOR, you will need to connect first to Tor and then to a Virtual Private Network server.

Your computer will;

-> Encrypt with VPN-> Tor -> VPN -> Internet.

One great Virtual Private Network server is ExpressVPN, after having launched its onion site. Since, in this, you connect to TOR first, and the Virtual Private Network server has no clue of your real IP address. It allows you to choose server locations that are great for geographical spoofing. It also directs internet traffic through Tor even by those programs which usually do not support it. This is the only way that the VPN provider can make a connection with you.

In “Tor through Virtual Private Network”, you need to connect first to a Virtual Private Network server then to tor before you finally use the internet. In this, your internet provider will have no clue that you are using Tor but it knows about the Virtual Private Network connection. It allows you to access Tor’s hidden services.However, the major disadvantage of this connection is that your real IP is out and open to your Internet Service Provider.

Read: How to Hide IP Address

One might have a concern that why there is a need to combine both these networks.

This is not for someone who has literally nothing to hide like the average internet user. Using either Virtual Private Network or TOR alone should be sufficient for such a user.

But again, in a world where you have no idea who can access your data by hacking your accounts or tracing your log history, it is certainly important to take that big step to increase the privacy and security by combining both of these services. It will make it nearly impossible for anyone online to identify you or harm you.

Is Tor & VPN Combo Strong Enough?

-> Neither a VPN nor a TOR is completely effective on their own and that raises the question of running them both at the same time or not. By doing so, it will give the user a double layer of privacy coverage.

One question that is frequently asked is whether this combination is strong enough for indefinite online protection? Well, first of all, you should use a VPN that uses some form of encryption like NordVPN when you are browsing the internet without TOR. This way you can protect your personal information.

Both of them obviously provide different effects. Standalone, they are strong enough to secure you, but the combination is there just to fill any gaps and patches left by either one of them.

To be more realistic, if you trust your Virtual Private Network provider, using Tor through Virtual Private Network will be a preferred way to set up for users for obvious reasons; one is that it provides better anonymity.

VPN over Tor

VPN over Tor means that the computer is first connected to a VPN, and the encrypted tunnel is created. After that, the traffic passes through the Tor browser. This way the VPN does not see the IP address of the user and it provides better privacy to the user.

The “VPN over Tor” method is generally considered more anonymous. NordVPN actually encourages its users to use Tor with their VPN for maximum online privacy and security.

Tor over VPN/ Onion over Tor

Connecting to a VPN first and then Tor is known as “Tor over VPN” or “onion over VPN”. It gets you additional protection that protects your IP address to be seen by any Tor node. “Tor over VPN” also provides access to the Tor network even where it is blocked, such as certain countries or school networks.

Another advantage of “onion over VPN” is that your VPN service provider will not be able to see what you are doing online. If there is a bug in the tor network, the VPN will put an additional layer between you and that bug.

How Does Tor Work Without a VPN

Tor is designed to make the user anonymous online, and it works fine even without a VPN. However, without a VPN it does not encrypt data. It is also known as “The Onion Router”, which is a specialized browser that sends the user’s data through several anonymous servers that makes it more difficult to identify what the user is doing online, but it does not make you completely anonymous.

Given below are the 3 hops that your data travels through while using Tor:

Entry node (it knows your IP address) Middle node (it prevents the exit node from finding out who you are) Exit node (it knows which site you are connecting to, but doesn’t know who you are)

Best VPNs for Tor

When choosing a Virtual Private Network, you need to be very careful. Here are the best VPNs and their features:

NordVPN

The best choice is NordVPN. Some of its best features that attract everyone who is looking for online privacy are:

High speed.

No-log policy

Easily bypasses restrictions on major geo-blocked streaming sites

High security and privacy.

24/7 customer support via live chat

Automatic kill switch

DNS leak protection

Unlimited bandwidth

Encrypted proxy extensions for Chrome and Firefox browsers

Users can use the service on up to 6 devices at the same time

ExpressVPN

User-friendly

Fast and reliable

Has a .onion site

High security

No identifying logs

Accepts bitcoin

Apps available for most of the devices

30-day money-back guarantee

IPVanish

10 simultaneous connections

Secure

Fast speed

No logs

7-day money-back guarantee

Unbreakable encryption

Can I Use a Free VPN With Tor?

Yes, you can use a free VPN with tor, but it will cause you more harm than good. Be wary of free VPNs. They look very nice and eye-catching online, but in reality, they often cause a lot of harm.

Moreover, there is no guarantee that a free VPN will actually keep your sensitive information private. Also, there are poor logging policies in free VPNs that force users to wait in queues to connect and impose data or bandwidth caps on users. So, using a free VPN with Tor is not a good idea.

Our Top VPN Picks and Why

Now there is a number of Virtual Private Network providers in the market, but sadly, only a few are offering good services, NordVPN is one of those best options. It is a great choice when using unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots. This network provides you instant access to an encrypted way that will protect you against data theft, privacy breaches and cyber-attacks over unsecured Wi-Fi.

NordVPN also offers Tor through Virtual Private Network via open Virtual Private Network configuration file that allows you to take entire internet connection benefits from Tor through Virtual Private Network.

Apart from this, you can also use VyprVPN which is one of the most popular Virtual Private Network providers boasting fast performance and customer support. It is popular because it takes user privacy and online protection very seriously.

It provides major security features to all kinds of Operating Systems like Windows, Mac, and Android. Others are PrivateInternetAccess and SurfShark VPN which are also very effective when it comes to encrypting your personal information.

Image Credit: NordVPN