How to Configure the Torbutton Add-on

Level: 4: Experienced

In addition to controlling whether or not Firefox will use Tor when browsing webpages, the Torbutton add-on also increases the security and anonymity of your Tor session by blocking certain vulnerabilities in Firefox. Without Torbutton, a malicious website or Tor server could still reveal some information about your location on the Internet and your online activities, even while you are using Tor. Fortunately, Torbutton installs with a very safe default configuration. You can change these settings yourself, but you should not do so unless your have a relatively strong understanding of browser-related security issues.

The Torbutton Preferences window has three tabs that let you specify different options:

• The Proxy Settings tab
• The Security Settings tab
• The Display Settings tab

The Torbutton Preferences window can be accessed regardless of whether the Torbutton is disabled or enabled. To activate the Torbutton Preferences window, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Right-click the Torbutton to activate its menu as follows:

Figure 19: The Torbutton menu

Step 2. Select the Preferences... option to activate the following screen:

Figure 20: The Torbutton Preferences window showing the Proxy Settings tab

5.1 The Proxy Settings tab

The Proxy Settings tab controls how Firefox accesses the Internet when the Torbutton is enabled. You should not need to change anything in this tab.

5.2 The Security Settings tab

The Security Settings tab is intended for users with significant knowledge of web browsers and Internet security. Its default settings offer a high level of privacy for the average user. This tab lets you configure how Torbutton manages browser history, cache memory, cookies and other features in Firefox.

Figure 21: The Security Settings tab

The Disable plugins during Tor usage option is one of the few security settings that you might need to change, although you should only do so temporarily. In order to display online video content through Tor, many websites--including YouTube, DailyMotion and Witness's 'The Hub'--require you to uncheck this option. You should only enable plugins while visiting websites that you trust, and you should return to the Security Settings tab and check this option, once again, as soon as you are finished.

For more information on the specific function of each option in the Security Settings tab, please refer to the Torbutton website.

5.3 The Display Settings tab

The Display Settings tab lets you choose how to display the Torbutton in the Firefox status bar, as an onion icon or as text. It functions the same in either case.

Figure 22: The Display Settings tab

For more information on Torbutton, please refer to the Torbutton FAQ.

5.4 Removing the Torbutton

To remove this add-on, perform the following actions in Mozilla Firefox:

Step 1. Select: Tools > Add-ons

Step 2. Choose the Tor Button add-on and click Uninstall

Step 3. Restart Firefox