I just downloaded the Tor web browser. What are the benefits of this may I ask? I don't have much of a problem with people knowing what websites I visit, but what exactly can happen if one knows your IP address? Would they be able to steal money from your bank account as I do online banking regularly, also could they find out your home address, social security number, and other pertinent personal information from an IP address? Thanks in advance, your computer knowledge is very much appreciated.
Tor is a general anonymous browsing system. When you connect to a website, you connect from your home, to your ISP, to the website. This basically just adds a step in between your ISP and the website called a Node. BAsically you connect to webpages via this node (or a multitude of nodes) so that the website you visit thinks you are at the node, rather then your ISP. Your IP address can't really be used to steal money from your account, but if your system is vulnerable (via virus, malware, unprotected ports, that kind of thing) they can analyze other aspects of your system, which might include saved bank account passwords and such. The information you can get from an IP is generally limited to what ISP use and its location. Basically the best security you can have is A) a good virus scanner (I use Avast personally) (do regular weekly scans) B) a good malware scanner (I use malwarebytes) (also do regular weekly scans) C) keep your system up to date (windows updates) D) Don't open links in emails from people you don't trust or seems off (research phishing attacks) E) have different passwords for everything, and memorize them. Also change them every month or couple of months or so. F) Be wary about what you are downloading. Make sure it's a trusted site, and if you are unsure, do some research first. Hope this helps.
There are also free, easy to use proxies on the net like HideMyAss, or open proxies where you can just copy and paste the IP address into your web browser options menu - they're a lot easier to set up than a VPN.
