press/en/2009-03-12-performance-roadmap-press-release.wml (00386bfd0)

2009-03-12-performance-roadmap-press-release.wml

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<h2>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</h2>

<h2><strong>TOR PROJECT LAUNCHES PERFORMANCE ROADMAP AND CAMPAIGN</strong></h2>

<p><strong>DEDHAM, MA</strong> -The Tor Project has <a href="/press/presskit/2009-03-11-performance.pdf">launched a roadmap</a> for dramatically improving the performance of the public Tor network over the next year.  A combination of existing funding and a needed $1 million over the next 12 months will ensure success.  This campaign is a direct result of the recently published <a href="<page press/2008-12-19-roadmap-press-release>">3-Year Development Roadmap</a>.  The roadmap incorporates research and actions from a number of sources which define the next steps for improving performance of the public Tor network.  The most requested feature by users of the public Tor network is to increase performance while keeping strong anonymity intact.</p>

<p>As Tor's user base has grown, the performance of the Tor network has suffered.  Over the past few years, Tor's funding (and thus the development effort) has focused on usability and blocking-resistance.  We've come up with a portable self-contained Windows bundle; deployed tools to handle the upcoming censorship arms race; further
developed supporting applications like Vidalia, Torbutton, and Thandy; made it easier for users to be relays by adding better rate limiting and an easy graphical interface with uPnP support; developed an effective
translation and localization team and infrastructure; and spread understanding of Tor in a safe word-of-mouth way that stayed mostly under the radar of censors.  All of these successess have contributed to the growing user base and increased stress on the public Tor network.</p>

<p>Tor's tools and technologies are already used by hundreds of
thousands of people to protect their activities online.  These
users include journalists and human rights workers in politically
rigid countries communicating with whistleblowers and dissidents.
Law enforcement officers on Internet sting operations stay
anonymous with Tor, as do people wanting to post socially
sensitive information in chat rooms, like rape or abuse survivors
and those with illnesses.  The Tor network also provides
protection for people looking for another layer of privacy from
the millions of websites and ISPs bent on collecting private
information and tracking their moves online.</p>

<p>Tor welcomes additional sponsors to join our <a
href="<page sponsors>">current sponsors</a>;
such as the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the NLnet Foundation,
and hundreds of individual donors. While existing funders are enough to
get the items on the roadmap started, an additional $1 million over the
next year will dramatically increase the performance of the public Tor network.</p>

<h2>ABOUT THE TOR PROJECT</h2>

<p>Based in Dedham, MA, The Tor Project
develops free and open-source software that provides online
anonymity to the everyday Internet user. Tor was born out of a
collaboration with the U.S. Naval Research Lab starting in 2001,
and it became an official U.S. 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2006. The
Tor Project now works with many individuals, NGOs, law
enforcement agencies, and businesses globally to help them
protect their anonymity online.</p>

<p>In addition to its efforts developing and maintaining the Tor
anonymity software and the Tor network, The Tor Project also
helps to lead the research community in understanding how to
build and measure scalable and secure anonymity networks. The Tor
developers publish several new research papers each year in major
academic security conferences, and just about every major
security conference these days includes a Tor-related paper.  Tor is a
project-funded organization with eight full-time staff.</p>

<p>The "Onion Logo" and "Tor" wordmark are registered trademarks
of The Tor Project, Inc.</p>

<p>Contact: Andrew Lewman</p>
<p>Tel: +1-781-424-9877</p>
<p>Email: execdir@torproject.org</p>
<p><a href="https://www.torproject.org/">Website: Tor Project</a></p>
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