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I'm considering running a Tor (non-exit) relay on my personal Ubuntu 14.04 computer at home (which also has my personal data on it).

I wanted to know if I should have any concerns about the security of my computer, data and home network?

Could the security of my machine and my home network be compromised by using a vanilla Tor relay configuration? Or are the extra security steps suggested here needed?

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    I don't think it's wise to run a relay off your personal computer. Taking the security pre-cautions in the link you've listed would be a good start, but you should probably have a dedicated computer for something like this.
    – RoraΖ
    Jan 29, 2015 at 13:30
  • Keep in mind that the Tor wiki page you linked is extremely out of date, so you should not blindly copy and paste anything on it.
    – Michael Hampton
    Mar 21, 2015 at 8:25
  • If not a chroot, at least don't run tor with your user, create a separate account. The Debian package does this by default, IIRC.
    – Nemo
    Oct 21, 2015 at 21:29

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A Tor networked computer has a giant target painted on it. Bad guys love screwing with Tor. Government entities love screwing with Tor.

  1. Do not use your personal computer. Keep the Tor relay far, far away from your personal data.

  2. Those security tips are incredibly helpful. I'd implement all that I could, but if I had to pick out the ones that are utterly crucial:

  • Encrypting the box
  • Running a secured operating system
  • Keeping on top of updates
  • Locking down services running
  • Minimizing Data Retention
  1. Be paranoid. You're carrying incredibly sensitive traffic, and Tor is the Holy Grail of pwnage right now. Don't endanger the network, and don't take this lightly. If someone compromises your relay, you can get a ton of people in a boatload of trouble.
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    Tor is the holy grail of pwnage? Since when?
    – forest
    Apr 25, 2022 at 22:02

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