An individual skilled in Forensic Investigation has been summoned to look into a potentially unlawful transaction, believed to have unfolded on the shadowy expanses of the dark web. The investigator knows that the suspect used the Tor network for the transaction. Which of the following aspects of the Tor network should the investigator focus on primarily to trace the origin of the data transmission?
In the context of the Tor network, tracing the origin of a data transmission requires focusing on the Entry/Guard Relay. The Entry/Guard Relay is the first node that the user’s data passes through when entering the Tor network. It is the point at which the data enters the network and would be the primary aspect to investigate in order to determine the true source of the transmission, as it has knowledge of the user's IP address.
Yes, A. The Exit Relay, as it sends the data to the destination server is in line with the CHFI v10 textbook. The CHFI v10 textbook highlights that in the Tor network, the Exit Relay is crucial for tracing the final destination of data transmissions. Since the Exit Relay decrypts the data and forwards it to the destination server, it can provide valuable insights into the traffic’s endpoint. The textbook also discusses the roles of the other relays (Entry/Guard Relay, Middle Relay, and Tor Bridge Node) but emphasizes that tracing the data’s final destination typically involves focusing on the Exit Relay, as it is the point where the data leaves the Tor network and reaches its intended endpoint.
Tricky question, as one would suspect the entry relay to be the answer as that's where the true transmission originated from. However we can't determine the entry relay from the final transmission alone, hence we can only access the exit relay.
As the final relay of the Tor circuit, the exit relay receives the client’s data from the middle relay and sends the data to the destination website’s server. The exit relay’s IP address is directly visible to the destination. Hence, in the event of transmission of malicious traffic, the exit relay is suspected to be the culprit, as it is perceived to be the origin of such malicious traffic. Hence, the exit relay faces the most exposure to legal issues, take-down notices, complaints, etc., even when it is not the origin of malicious traffic.