Onion routing
Definition
A technique in which a message is encrypted in multiple layers, one per relay node, so that each relay decrypts only its own layer, forwards the remainder, and learns only its immediate predecessor and successor in the chain. Tor uses this design to prevent any single node from knowing both the sender and the destination.
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...
- I2P (Invisible Internet Project)
- A peer-to-peer anonymity network that routes traffic through a distributed mesh of volunteer nodes using unidirectional tunnels. Unlike Tor, I2P is primarily...
- 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,...
Explained in
- Tor and Anonymity NetworksA technique in which a message is encrypted in multiple layers, one per relay node, so that each relay decrypts only its own layer, forwards the remainder, and...