Tor is upgrading its relay encryption algorithm for improved
security. In upcoming releases, Arti and Tor will both support a new
encryption algorithm called Counter Galois Onion (CGO). CGO prevents
attackers from tampering with encrypted traffic, adds forward secrecy,
and brings Tor's encryption up to modern standards.
Relay Families are Tor’s way of grouping together relays run by the same operator,
providing security and operational transparency.
But the current 20-year-old design bloats directory info
and becomes a maintenance headache as families grow.
Tor 0.4.9 (currently in alpha) introduces cryptographic family certificates
to help save up to 50% of the bandwidth cost for
initial connections to the Tor network.
Here's how it works, and what you can do to speed up the transition.