Use Vidalia to Manage Tor on Mac OS X

Vidalia is a cross-platform controller GUI for Tor. It has been built using the Qt framework and it helps Mac users start and stop Tor, view the status of Tor more conformably, and monitor Tor's bandwidth usage. You can also use Vidalia which, by the way, is open source and a free download, to contribute to the Tor network by setting up and managing a Tor relay.

Tor: anonymity online

Tor is a software project that helps you defend against traffic analysis, a form of network surveillance that threatens personal freedom and privacy, confidential business activities and relationships, and state security. Tor protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, and it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location. Tor works with many of your existing applications, including web browsers, instant messaging clients, remote login, and other applications based on the TCP protocol.

"Hundreds of thousands of people around the world use Tor for a wide variety of reasons: journalists and bloggers, human rights workers, law enforcement officers, soldiers, corporations, citizens of repressive regimes, and just ordinary citizens," TorProject reveals.

However, before you proceed with installing this new cross-platform controller GUI for Tor, there are some aspects you should take into account as far as the protection Tor offers, or doesn't offer in certain given circumstances:

1. Tor does not protect you if you do not use it correctly. A warnings list is available here. Also, make sure to follow the instructions for your platform carefully.
2. Even if you configure and use Tor correctly, attacks can potentially compromise its ability to protect you.
3. You should not rely solely on the current Tor network if you depend on strong anonymity.

Click HERE to download Vidalia. It's intended for Tiger but it seems Leopard will eat it up too.