Skip to main content

Hornet, the high speed anonymous network, lets you have both security and speed

An Internet speed test.
Tomislav Pinter/Shutterstock
For years, it’s been the ultimate trade-off — when it comes to browsing the Internet, would you rather have more privacy, or more speed? Now, researchers believe that they’ve found a way to combine the best of both worlds, allowing for anonymous, encrypted web browsing at the same speeds as your standard Internet meanderings. The new system, named Hornet, boasts speeds of up to 93GBps, making it one the fastest, if not the fastest, high-speed anonymous network to date.

Hornet, an acronym for High-speed Onion Routing at the Network Layer, works somewhat similarly to the The Onion Router (Tor) network, which encrypts and decrypts data arbitrarily across the servers of the network. But currently, this process can be painfully slow, as each level of encryption involves yet another set of operations as the data moves through the network. As researchers wrote in their paper describing Hornet, Tor “suffers from performance and scalability issues: as more clients use Tor, more relays must be added to the network.”

But with Hornet, the anonymity network is somewhat shifted. Rather than sending data from computer to computer, this new system, Engadget explains, “creates a set of encryption keys (and routing information) on your home machine.” This, theoretically, cuts down on much of the time the network has to spend passing data around, ultimately allowing for more seamless (but still secure) web browsing.

While the research has not yet undergone the all-important peer review process, the notion of a high-speed anonymous network is one that could be truly exciting for many different types of Internet users. As Patrick O’Neill of the Daily Dot noted, “Adversaries — whether they’re small-time hackers or big-time government surveillance agencies — are meant to be stymied by HORNET. The researchers assert that the network provides integrity, secrecy, and unlinkability for the traffic flowing through it.”

So just wait, privacy seekers. Soon, you may not have to choose between speed and security.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
7 best Chromebooks for 2024: the best for every budget
Close up of the Chrome logo on the top of a Chromebook.

Chromebooks might have a hard time competing with Windows laptops and MacBooks, but that doesn't mean they don't have their place. We've reviewed hundreds of laptops over the years, testing for important qualities like performance, battery life, and display quality — and we've found that Chromebooks consistently excel at performance and reliability.

You can find Chromebooks from Google, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and many others, and we've dug through them to put together this roundup of the best Chromebooks on the market. They're incredibly accessible devices, and for the right person, a Chromebook can be the best laptop in terms of value.

Read more
HP Envy deals: HP’s most popular laptop starts at $630
An HP Envy 17-inch laptop sits on an office desk.

A great computer brand to shop if you’re in the market for a new laptop is HP, which is consistently among the best laptop brands. It has several different model lineups to choose from, with the HP Envy laptop lineup offering a good balance of hardware options and pricing. The HP Envy lineup is also a good one to shop because it regularly turns out some impressive laptop deals. That’s certainly the case right now, as there are a lot of HP Envy deals to shop. We’ve rounded up what we feel are the best HP Envy deals currently taking place, so read onward for more information on how to land some savings.
HP Envy x360 2-in-1 laptop 15Z-FH000 — $630, was $900

The HP Envy x360 convertible laptop is a great option for just about anyone, particularly anyone who enjoys the touchscreen functionality of a tablet. It’s well designed and super slim, making it a truly go-anywhere device. Despite its portability, it still has an immersive 15.6-inch touchscreen that’s great for creators, note-takers, and binge watchers. Top notch build quality and durability, fast charging technology, a fingerprint reader, and great battery life round out the top features of the HP Envy x360 convertible touchscreen laptop. It competes well with the best 2-in-1 laptops. Its versatility and all-around capability make it a worthy companion on any desk, and on any lap.

Read more
Best Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals: From $450
Microsoft Surface Go 3 sitting on table.

If you want a thin and light laptop that's similar to the MacBook Air but not in the Apple ecosystem, then the Microsoft Surface lineup of laptops is absolutely the way to go. In fact, if you've seen the recent unwrapping of the business version of the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, you might be fired up and ready to grab your own surface. Unfortunately, the Surface lineup can be quite expensive, which is why we've gone out and scoured the retailers for the best deals we could find and collected them below. So, be sure to check out everything, as well as some of these other great laptop deals if you aren't fully committed to the Microsoft Surface lineup.
Microsoft Surface Go 3 -- $450, was $550

Functioning as a 2-in-1 laptop that can switch between tablet mode and laptop mode, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 won't have trouble dealing with basic tasks as it's equipped with the Intel Pentium Gold 6500Y processor and 8GB of RAM. The 10.5-inch touchscreen with 1920 x 1080 resolution is bright and colorful, and its 128GB SSD is more than enough for your documents. The Microsoft Surface Go 3 ships with Windows 11 Home in Mode, so you can start using it as soon as you unbox it. The device also promises up to 11 hours of battery life before requiring a recharge.

Read more