He polokalamu manuahi a wehe ʻia ʻo Tor no ka hiki ke kamaʻilio inoa ʻole. Loaʻa ka inoa mai ka acronym no ka inoa papahana polokalamu kumu "The Onion Router". E alakaʻi ʻo Tor i nā kaʻa pūnaewele ma o ka ʻoihana manuahi a puni ka honua, ʻoi aku ka ʻoi aku o ʻehiku kaukani relay e hūnā i kahi o ka mea hoʻohana a me ka hoʻohana ʻana mai kekahi mea e hana ana i ka nānā ʻana i ka pūnaewele a i ʻole ka nānā ʻana i nā kaʻa. ʻOi aku ka paʻakikī o ka hoʻohana ʻana iā Tor i ka ʻimi ʻana i ka hana pūnaewele i ka mea hoʻohana: ʻo ia hoʻi "nā kipa ʻana i nā pūnaewele pūnaewele, nā pou pūnaewele, nā memo koke, a me nā palapala kamaʻilio ʻē aʻe". ʻO ka hoʻohana ʻana o Tor e pale i ka pilikino pilikino o kāna mau mea hoʻohana, a me ko lākou kūʻokoʻa a me ka hiki ke alakaʻi i ka kamaʻilio huna ʻana ma o ka mālama ʻana i kā lākou mau hana pūnaewele me ka nānā ʻole ʻia.