I2P: A Different Dark Web

Dark Web Without Tor? Enter the I2P Browser

To benefit from the anonymity afforded by dark web sites, the internet-savvy must make use of special browsers. While Tor is the most common “dark web” browser, popularly known as the Onion Router due to its layers of encryption, another browser might be a better choice for your mission: I2P.  

The Invisible Internet Project, known as I2P, is a “fully encrypted private network layer,” according to the organization’s website. Like Tor, I2P provides the option for online users to access the internet anonymously. Thanks to this promise of anonymity, I2P users may partake in online activities with built-in protection from potential bad actors, like cyber criminals. However, I2P is not equivalent to Tor.  

I2P vs. Tor: Which Is Right for Your Mission?

A Little on Tor

As you might already know, Tor is used to gain access to dark web sites. Sometimes referred to as “onion sites,” these services are encrypted to facilitate anonymity.  

Since you might be familiar with Tor, it’s not surprising to find out that this dark web network has a huge user base. With its popular status comes investments in researching, investigating, and regularly updating the network. Many studies have been written on Tor; these studies analyze things like the network’s anonymizing capabilities and potential design flaws. Likewise, Tor receives significant funding and benefits from a large number of developers, whose role is to continually improve the network.  

Due to Tor’s popularity, it has benefited from academic and financial interest. But it has also experienced many blocking and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, which are designed to make a network inoperable. This risk alone could be a reason to find a different method to anonymize your online activities.  

Pro-I2P: Accessing a New Dark Web

With encryption and an anonymizing network model, I2P does share a few similarities with Tor. But while Tor might be the popular choice for encrypted research and investigations, you could be forgoing some major benefits of I2P’s software.  

Rather than using onion routing like Tor, which entails the use of layers of encryption, I2P utilizes garlic routing. In this case, messages are bundled together within a data packet, like a garlic clove. While Tor’s layering method allows outside observers to guess the timing of messages, I2P’s method does not.  

I2P is limited in its ability to provide access to surface web information. Instead, its benefits lay in the network’s ability to build dark-web-only sites, meaning sites that are only available if you’re connected to I2P. These are called eepsites, which are comparable to Tor’s onion sites. For example, an eepsite on I2P would allow a user to do things like send secure messages or obscure their geolocation from outside internet users.  

Operating as a peer-to-peer network, every message you send on I2P will go through multiple peers before reaching its intended destination. Through this method of message transmission, anyone who tries to track your online activity won’t be able to follow its path through to its destination. I2P is even managed by vetted peers; I2P regularly assesses the peers who oversee the network, validating their trustworthiness and reliability. 

Additionally, due to I2P’s smaller size, they have yet to experience many DoS attacks. Dark web sites available through Tor may become inoperable due to a DoS attack. To maintain your mission requirements, a browser like I2P might offer greater reliability due to its lower profile. In this instance, you could save crucial hours or valuable data by avoiding a browser that’s more likely to be shut down.  

While I2P is more likely to stay active due to limited DoS attacks, tunnels in the I2P network have a short life. Why is this important? These tunnels pass information back and forth between the network’s nodes. If a tunnel has been breached, the longer it remains active, the longer an attacker can spend accessing any available information in the tunnel. Similarly, every tunnel is unidirectional, rather than bidirectional. With this model, a malicious entity would have to compromise double the number of nodes in order to access information. Inbound and outbound communications are separated, so an attacker would have to intercept two separate paths in order to intercept data.  

Brave the Dark Web Safely

Though I2P includes various measures to protect your location, identity, and the content you explore while on their network, they do recommend implementing additional security protocols. One option I2P recommends is downloading a software VPN if you wish to exit their network. However, a VPN will not provide complete attribution control when performing online operations. A secure managed attribution platform is a more effective way of saving you from potential threats. As a managed attribution solution, this type of technology would include the ability to control how you appear to other entities, rather than simply attempting to “hide” your online presence.  

Since I2P runs on a peer-to-peer network, your IP address is visible to this network in order for you to use the software. Similarly, a VPN cannot protect you from accidentally clicking on malware-infected links. If you download malware to your computer, you risk infecting your entire operation. This malware could bypass I2P and a VPN and discover your true IP address, or other critical information, such as personal data. Consider developing advanced safety protocols before downloading I2P.  

Related Article: Tor Browser Vulnerability: When Tor Isn’t for Sure