I2P (Invisible Internet Project)
Definition
A peer-to-peer anonymity network that routes traffic through a distributed mesh of volunteer nodes using unidirectional tunnels. Unlike Tor, I2P is primarily designed for communication within the network (eepsites) rather than access to the public web, and it uses a garlic routing variant that bundles multiple messages together.
- Routing structure
- Distributed mesh of volunteer nodes, unidirectional tunnels
- Routing variant
- Garlic routing, bundles multiple messages together
- Primary use
- Internal network services (eepsites)
- Contrast with Tor
- Not primarily designed for accessing the public web
Common questions
How does I2P's garlic routing differ from Tor's onion routing in practice?+
Onion routing wraps a single message in layered encryption sent through a chosen relay circuit, while garlic routing bundles several messages into one encrypted package for the same set of hops, which can make traffic analysis harder but adds latency.
Why does I2P present a different investigative challenge than Tor for forensic examiners?+
Because I2P is built around internal eepsites rather than exit nodes to the public internet, evidence of I2P activity found on a suspect device typically points to communication with other I2P users or hidden services rather than to a specific external website visited.
Related terms
- Blockchain Analysis
- The forensic examination of a cryptocurrency's public transaction ledger to trace the flow of funds between addresses, cluster addresses controlled by the...
- Exit Node
- The third relay in a Tor circuit, which forwards decrypted traffic to the public internet destination. The destination server sees the exit...
- Onion Routing
- A technique in which a message is encrypted in multiple layers, one per relay node, so that each relay decrypts only its...
- Onion Service (Hidden Service)
- A server reachable through Tor using a .onion address derived from its public key. The server's real IP address is never exposed...
- Traffic Correlation Attack
- A deanonymisation technique that compares timing patterns and traffic volume at the entry point of a Tor circuit and at the destination,...