"Tor Browser Adds Automatic Censorship Circumvention"

The Tor Project recently updated its flagship anonymizing browser to make it easier for users to evade government attempts to block its use in various regions.  According to the US-based non-profit that manages the open source software, Tor Browser 11.5 will "transform the user experience of connecting to Tor from heavily censored regions." The new version replaces a "manual and confusing process" that requires users to manage their own Tor Network settings to work out how to apply a bridge to unblock Tor in their region.  The new version contains Connection Assist, which automatically applies the bridge configuration that should work best in a user's specific location.  Countries that have blocked the Tor Network include China, Russia, Belarus, and Turkmenistan.  There's also a new HTTPS-only default mode for users, which will protect customers by encrypting traffic between their machine and the web servers it contacts.  The Tor project stated that this change will help protect their users from SSL stripping attacks by malicious exit relays and strongly reduces the incentive to spin up exit relays for man-in-the-middle attacks in the first place.  Tor Browser is commonly associated with nefarious dark web surfing.  However, the Tor Project noted that it is also a valuable tool for activists, journalists, dissidents, and NGO workers operating under oppressive government regimes.

Infosecurity reports: "Tor Browser Adds Automatic Censorship Circumvention"