Anonabox: Tor Network Router Keeps All Internet Browsing Private

A $45 (£28) device that provides encryption through the Tor network in order to anonymise internet access and bypass censorship has been developed by a team of US-based IT consultants.

The anonabox aims to offer internet users the ability to browse the web privately without needing to download or configure software.

The Tor network is widely considered to be the most secure way to access the internet anonymously. It currently requires users to install a Tor web browser onto their computers, as well as some specialised knowledge of how to run it effectively.

Many people that use the Tor network leave their computers exposed and unprotected by using the software incorrectly or by simultaneously running other software that compromises their security, according to August Germar, one of the creators of the anonabox.

Germar and his colleagues came up with the idea for the device after hearing about internet censorship in countries involved in the Arab Spring.

"In places where the government or private entities may try to control or limit access to the Internet, the Tor network allows access to the full, uncensored internet, and also access to some parts of the web that are hidden even in uncensored places, like .onion domains," the product's Kickstarter page states.

"The anonabox uses Tor to allow anyone to access the internet anonymously without having to install any software, and makes the encryption of the Tor network available to anyone, anywhere in the world."

The anonabox has already smashed its fundraising targets of $7,500 intended to bring the device to market, receiving more than $20,000 from around 350 backers within hours of the Kickstarter page going live.