Digital Forensic Certification Practice Exam

What is the primary function of an exit relay in the Tor network?

1. Providing an entry point to the Tor network

2. Encrypting data during transit

3. Accessing the deep web content

4. Visible IP address to the destination

The correct answer is: Visible IP address to the destination

The primary function of an exit relay in the Tor network is to act as the last node in the pathway that Tor traffic takes, forwarding the data to the final destination on the internet. When data exits through an exit relay, the relay is responsible for sending the traffic out to the destination server, which is why the visible IP address to the destination is that of the exit relay itself. This setup is crucial because it allows users to maintain anonymity while browsing the internet; the destination server sees the exit relay's IP address instead of the user's real IP address. By masking the original IP, exit relays help protect user privacy. The other choices, while relevant to aspects of the Tor network, do not specifically describe the function of exit relays. For instance, providing an entry point is the role of entry or guard relays, encrypting data during transit is managed by the layered encryption throughout the Tor circuit, and accessing deep web content can occur through various means, not uniquely tied to the exit relay's function.