You can find public networks everywhere to connect to the Internet. For example, you can see them in airports, shopping centers, libraries… Although they may be useful, the truth is that they can be a problem for security. They could be fake networks, created only to steal data, so take precautions. You will have several options for this, such as using a VPN. Now, could it be useful to connect through the Tor browser?
Tor browser is considered one of the best when it comes to security and privacy. They use nodes to route the connection and thus hide the real IP. It is a good option to improve privacy. In certain cases, it can be very useful to avoid problems on the Internet, when you want to visit a web page or log in to a platform.
Tor to use public networks
The quick answer is yes, the Tor browser is a good option for connecting to public networks. Just like a VPN, it will encrypt the connection. It will hide data packets from potential attackers as well as keep your real IP address hidden. You will be able to browse anonymously and avoid certain attacks.
The Tor browser, what it does is encrypt data at multiple layers and they go out to the Internet through nodes that may be distributed in different places around the world. Therefore, it will help improve privacy and security when you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, in places where there may be risks.
To some extent, we can say that the Tor browser is going to act similar to a VPN. You can also use VPN for public networks, to encrypt the connection, and thus prevent them from accessing your personal data when using networks that may be dangerous.
Does not encrypt the entire connection
Keep in mind that Tor will only encrypt the connection from your browser, but not the entire connection from your device. That is, if for example you enter RedesZone or any page from Tor on a public Wi-Fi network, you will be encrypting the connection. Now, if you open the Skype application or any other application external to the browser, no.
To encrypt the entire connection, what you need is a VPN. This type of programs will allow all the connection is perfectly protected and thus avoid problems that may affect you. You will be able to use other applications that require the Internet, without the risk that they may steal your data and compromise your privacy.
Therefore, it is an interesting solution to navigate with greater privacy on public networks, but only when you are going to visit web pages from the browser itself. In order to encrypt the entire connection, what we recommend is to use a good VPN and thus avoid problems that affect your privacy and security.
Something similar can happen when you use a VPN for the browser, such as Chrome or Mozilla. They are extensions that you install in the browser and are used to change the IP address and encrypt the connection. However, everything you do outside of the browser will be exempt and will not be encrypted.
As you can see, you can use the Tor browser when you connect to public Wi-Fi networks and thus avoid privacy problems. However, it is not as complete an option as a VPN and you should keep this in mind to avoid problems.
