Tor expects attempts to take network offline

There are indications that malicious parties will attempt to shut down the Tor network in the coming days. It is not clear who is involved, but the Tor administrators would have found out that the attack will target the so-called directory authorities.

According to the administrators, attackers want to disable the Tor network by targeting servers that control the links in the network. These so-called directory authorities contain information about all relays in the network, such as location and the keys used. If malicious parties take these servers offline, they can disrupt Tor traffic. However, if they manage the servers, they can, for example, redirect the traffic. For example, to direct users past a specific exit node that takes care of malware, as happened before.

It is not clear who is behind the possible attack. The administrators of the Tor network provide no further information about this. However, several governments are making efforts to track down anonymous internet users who browse through Tor. For example, Russia recently launched a tender for the cracking of Tor security.

The administrators of the Tor network say they are taking steps to keep users safe, but no further details have been released. On the Tor blog, the administrators promise to keep their users informed.