Safety Risks of Hosting an Onion Site Vs Clearnet Site?

[bluedye]

Is running a darknet website hosted with freedom hosting REALLY just as safe and anonymous as putting it on a clearnet website and only accessing it through Tor?

One would assume the onion site offers more security than a clearnet one? Can someone please clarify on this and if any would not mind please PM me with some extra tips or advice on this.

[1715418435]

1715418435

[1715418435]

1715418435

[1715418435]

1715418435

[mitty]

I've never ran a hidden service but I think the advantage of running a web server via tor (as a hidden service/.onion) is that people can visit your site yet not know where the server is located.  This makes it possible to run controversial sites with much lower risk of getting shut down by the authorities. 

Hidden services are more secure than clearnet services in the sense that the client and server don't know nearly as much about each other as they do in the clearnet.  Browsing a clearnet site via tor offers the client the protection of tor, but information about the server (such as IP address, Internet service provider, physical location, maybe name of the administrator/owner via WHOIS records) is still in the public.

You may as well stick to the clearnet if you're running a non-controversial/completely legal (whatever that means) site and then encourage visitors concerned about their privacy to browse via tor.

You'll probably want to stick with a tor hidden service (".onion" site) if you're running a site that might normally get shut down by your local authorities.  This is presumably how Silk Road remains in business.

I think all traffic through tor is encrypted which removes the need to use encryption on the web server level when running a hidden service, but clearnet sites can offer encryption through HTTPS.

The advantage of clearnet sites is accessibility by non-tor users and much greater speed than you'll ever see on tor.  The advantage of tor hidden services is protection of the server/site owner.

Good luck!

[TheKoziTwo]

I think all traffic through tor is encrypted which removes the need to use encryption on the web server level when running a hidden service, but clearnet sites can offer encryption through HTTPS.

Traffic is not encrypted once it reaches the exit node, it's only encrypted while traveling through multiple relay nodes. So you should still use HTTPS on Tor, in fact more so, as you have no idea what the exit node may be up to.

[grue]

I think all traffic through tor is encrypted which removes the need to use encryption on the web server level when running a hidden service, but clearnet sites can offer encryption through HTTPS.

Traffic is not encrypted once it reaches the exit node, it's only encrypted while traveling through multiple relay nodes. So you should still use HTTPS on Tor, in fact more so, as you have no idea what the exit node may be up to.

in a hidden service, the exit node is whatever server the hidden service runs on

[TheKoziTwo]

Good point, that makes sense. So guess HTTPS isn't needed after all?

[bluedye]

Good point, that makes sense. So guess HTTPS isn't needed after all?

So even if you were not hosting an onion site but merely browsing or connecting to onion sites then how would you ensure that your connecting with HTTPS? Are you talking about using the firefox add-on "HTTPS everywhere" or am I way off? I guess this add-on forces your connections through HTTPS?

From what I can see Freedom Hosting is a good place to host your onion site. I heard that the group 'anonymous' tried before to hack them and take them offline as they thought there was child porn being hosted too. They failed...

[bluedye]

Browsing a clearnet site via tor offers the client the protection of tor, but information about the server (such as IP address, Internet service provider, physical location, maybe name of the administrator/owner via WHOIS records) is still in the public.

There are lots of grey area and also plain illegal businesses which operate from the clearnet, which is why all of this (WHOIS records) must be avoidable somehow. Anybody know how to register and run a clearnet site completely anonymously as your services will be of use?

[TheKoziTwo]

So even if you were not hosting an onion site but merely browsing or connecting to onion sites then how would you ensure that your connecting with HTTPS? Are you talking about using the firefox add-on "HTTPS everywhere" or am I way off? I guess this add-on forces your connections through HTTPS?

I remember looking into this extension and from what I recall it adds HTTPS on mainstream sites with support for HTTPS such as facebook etc. So if you go there without https you are redirected to https.

You will need to use HTTPS when connecting to sites outside the Tor network if you don't want the exit node to ear swap what you communicate, but if you connect to hidden services then according to grue that's not necessary since the hidden service itself is the exit node.

From what I can see Freedom Hosting is a good place to host your onion site. I heard that the group 'anonymous' tried before to hack them and take them offline as they thought there was child porn being hosted too. They failed...

I agree, freedom hosting is hosting so much illegal stuff it's ridiculous. The Tor network would take a massive hit if they closed, I believe they host everything from silk road to child porn sites. And they are still going strong.

It would be great with a guide on how to setup a service like that, they must have done something right.

[bluedye]

It would be great with a guide on how to setup a service like that, they must have done something right.

Agreed. Although Id think they are not keen on revealing their ways with what they host.

Do you know anyone on the forum who is very reputable and could make/build/program an onion site?

[Largo]

If you are going to sell something on Tor using Bitcoin, check out:
http://shopsat2dotfotbs.onion/
You can buy a professional shop there, including hosting, domain, logo etc.