A proxy server is a system that sits between your device and the internet. It’s designed to hide IP addresses and make you less trackable online.
Proxies offer numerous benefits, including privacy, security, and load balancing. However, selecting the right proxy for your organization and setting it up optimally can be challenging.
Our team has put together this comprehensive guide that walks you through how proxy servers work, their key types and benefits, and how to use them effectively.
How Does a Proxy Server Work?
A proxy server acts as an intermediary between your computer and the Internet. Let’s take a look at how it works.
You make a request
When you type a website address into your browser or click a link, your device sends that request directly to the website’s server.
Proxy intervenes
When using a proxy server, your request is sent to the proxy server instead of the target website.
Proxy forwards the request
Acting as a go-between, the proxy receives your request and sends it to the target server without revealing your original IP address (your unique internet identifier), but by using its own IP address.
Website responds to proxy
The web server processes the request and sends the data (the webpage content) back to your proxy.
The proxy server forwards the content to you
Your proxy receives the data from the website and delivers it to your browser.
The website you visited records the request as coming from the proxy’s IP rather than directly from your device. With your IP effectively masked, you can browse and work with a degree of anonymity.
This anonymity or masking is the key feature of a proxy server.
The Benefits of a Proxy Server
Proxy servers are more than just tools for anonymity. They offer a wide range of benefits, as we explore below.
Enhanced security
The security advantages include:
- Protection against direct attacks: By concealing your original IP address, you make it harder for hackers and cybercriminals to target your direct connection. This helps prevent them from infiltrating your device or network.
- Filtering capabilities: Many proxies can block access to known malicious websites, filter out harmful content, or detect suspicious activity before it reaches your network.
- Defense against malware: Some proxies can scan incoming data for malware or viruses. This adds an extra layer of security.
Greater privacy
The privacy benefits of proxies stem from their ability to mask your identity:
- Masking your IP address: Since your true IP address is not visible to the websites you visit, it makes it more difficult for them to track your online behavior or pinpoint your geographical location.
- Avoiding targeted ads: Reduced tracking means less intrusive advertising and other kinds of spam (or malicious targeting).
Getting around regional restrictions
Some proxies make it seem that you’re browsing from a different country. The obvious benefit here is that you can access content, including shows streaming on Netflix or Amazon, that’s not available in your region. You can also visit geo-restricted websites.
Note that bypassing restrictions may violate the platforms’ terms of service.
Faster browsing (caching)
Proxies store (cache) copies of popular websites or frequently accessed content. If you request the same web page and the proxy has it cached, it doesn’t need to fetch it from the original web server. It delivers it directly from the cache, facilitating a faster online experience.
This speed and efficiency are particularly advantageous in large corporate networks with high volumes of diverse requests.
Access control and content filtering
Employers use proxies to restrict employee access to certain websites (e.g., social media, online shopping, and streaming sites) during working hours.
Proxy servers log online requests and track user behavior, allowing you to monitor and enforce company “cyberloafing” policies.
At home, parents may use proxies to filter inappropriate content for their children.
Better load management
In large-scale web operations, proxy servers can distribute incoming web traffic across multiple backend servers. This load balancing prevents any single server from becoming overwhelmed.
Managing traffic flow intelligently ensures faster responses and greater reliability for users. It can also mitigate the impact of DoS and DDoS attacks. While proxy servers don’t prevent these denial of service attacks outright, they can:
- Absorb or redirect excessive traffic.
- Filter malicious requests before they reach the origin server.
- Work alongside rate-limiting and IP blocking tools to contain traffic surges.
Enhanced bandwidth management
Proxy servers can help manage and reduce bandwidth usage by:
- Caching frequently accessed content so that it’s available locally instead of via repeated downloads.
- Limiting download sizes or connection speeds for specific users or applications.
- Blocking access to bandwidth-heavy websites (like streaming or gaming platforms).
This capability is especially important in corporate networks, schools, and data centers, where efficient bandwidth usage is vital for maintaining performance and reducing costs.
Types of Proxy Servers
There are many different types of proxy servers. Some are public services while others are completely private. The level of anonymity and cloaking also varies.
It’s useful to categorize the main types based on their key purpose and functioning. We should mention that these categories often overlap. For instance, a proxy server might function as a forward proxy while also offering elite anonymity, depending on its configuration and use case.
Traffic flow and position
These proxies are defined by their location in the network path and how they handle requests.
Forward proxy
Positioned within an internal network, a forward proxy forwards your requests to the internet. It’s typically used by organizations for privacy and bypassing restrictions.
A forward proxy is effective and easy to administer as a single point of internet access. However, it doesn’t cater well to diverse proxy users, e.g., multiple departments with different online needs.
Reverse proxy
A reverse proxy server is positioned in front of web servers and is intended to manage incoming traffic. It’s often used by major websites to regulate traffic efficiently, prevent server overloads, and improve privacy.
It also offers caching of website content and can help to mitigate cybersecurity attacks like DDoS by filtering and managing requests before they reach the main server.
Anonymity level
These proxies differ based on how much they reveal about the user.
Transparent proxy
Transparent proxies don’t hide your IP address and don’t conceal that they are a proxy. They are commonly used by internet service providers (ISPs), schools, and organizations to filter content, monitor usage, and provide caching. Users are often unaware they’re behind a proxy because they aren’t required to configure the setup.
Anonymous proxies
Anonymous proxy servers hide your IP, but reveal that a proxy is being used. Websites will know you’re using a proxy, but not who or where you are.
These proxies are useful for bypassing firewalls, accessing geo-restricted or blocked content, and maintaining online privacy. While they don’t offer complete invisibility, they do help prevent websites and malicious actors from tracking your IP address.
Elite (High Anonymity) proxies
Elite proxies provide the highest level of anonymity. They hide both your IP address and the fact that a proxy is being used. To the destination server, you appear to be a normal user. This enables you to access sites that block proxy servers.
High anonymity proxies are utilized when anonymity is paramount. Users include cybersecurity professionals, researchers operating in restrictive environments, and journalists involved in sensitive investigations.
Distorting proxy
Distorting proxies intentionally alter your IP address in outbound requests, making it appear as if your request originates from a different location. Unlike high-anonymity proxies, it still identifies itself as a proxy to the target server.
This option provides a mix of anonymity and transparency while online.
Usage and Service Type
These proxies differ by how they are offered and accessed.
Public proxy
Public proxies are free, open, and easily accessible to anyone. They cloak your IP with theirs, hiding your identity as you visit sites. Because they are available to the public, i.e., multiple users from many locations, they are often slow.
The risk of your information being exposed to other parties is also higher.
Shared proxy
Shared proxies are also utilized by multiple users. The server is managed by a proxy provider, and reputable providers ensure greater security, monitoring, and maintenance than a public proxy. The benefits include affordability and decent performance, although you shouldn’t expect top-tier speed and reliability.
As several organizations may use the same shared proxy, this arrangement is not recommended for sensitive, high-security, and time-critical work
Private proxy
Private proxy servers are dedicated to a single user, providing better security, privacy, and performance. This is why they also come at a higher cost.
IP Address Source
This category is based on how the proxy’s IP address is assigned.
Residential proxies
Residential proxies use IP addresses assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to real physical devices. This makes your web request appear as though it’s coming from a legitimate, everyday user rather than a data center. Because they mimic genuine browsing behavior, these proxies are less likely to be detected or blocked by websites.
Residential proxies are widely used for web scraping, accessing geo-restricted content, and ad verification.
Data center proxies
Data center proxies are IP addresses provided by third-party data centers, not associated with ISPs or physical devices. These proxies are housed in powerful servers and offer high speed and performance. They are more affordable than residential proxies, easily scalable, and empower users to harvest data swiftly and inexpensively.
Data center proxy requests don’t present that they come from real users, making them more detectable by websites, especially those with advanced anti-bot systems.
Based on Protocol
These proxies are defined by the Internet Protocol they support.
HTTP/HTTPS proxies
An HTTP proxy handles HTTP requests from web browsers and forwards them to the target server. HTTPS proxies support secure web traffic (HTTPS), allowing encrypted communication between your device and the destination server.
SOCKS proxies
A SOCKS (Socket Secure) proxy is a more versatile tool that can handle a wider range of internet traffic. Besides HTTP/HTTPS, it also supports protocols like FTP, SMTP, and peer-to-peer connections.
SOCKS proxies are well-suited for applications beyond web browsing. These can include email, P2P file sharing, streaming, and gaming.
SSL proxies (SSL/TLS inspection proxies)
An SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) inspection proxy acts as a security checkpoint for encrypted internet traffic. It decrypts data passing between your device and a website and inspects it for hidden threats like malware. It then re-encrypts the information before sending it on.
The goal is enhanced protection against potential data security issues and threats concealed in encrypted communications.
Specialized proxies
These serve niche purposes and are often built on top of the other types of proxies.
Rotating proxies
Rotating proxies automatically assign you a new, different IP address from a large pool of IPs for each new connection or after a set period. This constant change makes it difficult for websites to track your activity across multiple requests or block you based on a single IP address.
DNS proxies
DNS proxies forward DNS (Domain Name System) requests from local area networks to Internet DNS servers while caching for enhanced speed. The caching reduces the time it takes for computers on the local network to resolve (convert) domain names into IP addresses, speeding up searches.
SEO proxies
Designed for anonymous SEO campaigns and web scraping, SEO proxies are specialized proxy servers used in search engine optimization tasks like rank tracking, competitor analysis, and web scraping. They help marketers and researchers gather search data anonymously without being blocked by search engines. These proxies typically employ a rotating IP strategy.
Uses of Proxy Servers
Proxy servers serve diverse purposes for individuals and organizations. Here is an overview of the most popular use cases:
For organizations
- Network security: By filtering traffic and hiding internal network structures, proxies are a safeguard against external security threats.
- Internet usage control for employees: They block access to non-work-related websites to protect productivity and prevent exposure to inappropriate content.
- Bandwidth management and caching: Proxies reduce internet bandwidth usage by serving cached content. This provides faster access and lower costs for frequently visited sites.
- Load balancing: Organizations can distribute incoming traffic across multiple proxy and backend servers. The idea is to reduce strain on any single server to avoid bottlenecks and compromised performance.
- Compliance and monitoring: A proxy server logs internet activity for auditing purposes. This helps you to comply with regulatory requirements or investigate security incidents.
- Geographical testing: Web developers can test how their websites present and perform for users in different global regions.
- Website scraping/data collection: Researchers or automated tools utilize proxies to collect data from websites without being easily detected or blocked. Companies also employ proxies to research competitors covertly (although there are ethical concerns to consider in these cases).
- Ad verification: Advertisers frequently leverage proxy servers to verify the authenticity and proper display of their ads across various platforms and geographical regions. They can also simulate diverse traffic from different locations, allowing them to test geo-targeted campaigns and monitor user experiences.
Individuals and families
- Privacy and anonymity: Proxies reduce online tracking for users who prioritize privacy.
- Filtering harmful content: Parents can use a proxy to prevent their children from seeing inappropriate and harmful content.
- Accessing geo-restricted content: By circumventing geographical blocks, you can access content or services available only in certain regions (e.g., streaming libraries, news sites).
- Security on public Wi-Fi: Some proxies add a layer of security when using unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. They can encrypt traffic between your device and the proxy server.
How Acrisure Cyber Can Help With Cybersecurity Services?
Good proxy servers deliver major benefits, but they are just one component of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. Without in-house cyber expertise, implementing and managing these tools, alongside other security measures, can be challenging.
What are your primary reasons for considering a proxy server for your business? Improved network speed and performance? Additional security protection? Advanced content filtering?
We’d be happy to work through these questions with you to find the best cybersecurity solutions. Acrisure Cyber Services provides tailored security services that protect your business from the evolving cyberthreat landscape.
- Assess your needs: We’ll evaluate your current online infrastructure and activities to recommend the most effective use of proxy servers and other security technologies.
- Implement and configure secure proxies: We’ll make sure your proxy solutions are set up correctly, securely, and optimally for your business’s specific requirements. We can also train your team on best practices, guaranteeing your system is successfully adopted.
- Provide holistic cybersecurity solutions: Beyond proxies, we offer a full suite of services, including:
- Threat detection and response: Proactive monitoring to identify and neutralize cyber threats before they cause damage.
- Vulnerability management: Identifying and patching weaknesses in your systems.
- Advanced firewalls: Expert configuration and management of your firewalls to control network traffic, block malicious activity, and enforce security policies.
- Compliance and risk management: Helping your business meet regulatory requirements and manage cyber risks effectively.
- Offer expert guidance: Our team provides ongoing support and insights, helping you to stay vigilant and proactive about online security now and in the future.
Focus on growing your business while we protect your digital assets. You shouldn’t have to worry about bad actors trying to derail you. Leave that to the experts.
We safeguard our clients’ digital assets as if they were our own. We have been doing it vigilantly and proudly for over 20 years.
FAQs
What is a proxy?
In simple terms, a proxy server acts as a middleman between your device and the internet. When you use a proxy, your internet traffic is routed through the proxy server, which communicates with websites on your behalf.
What is the difference between a proxy server and a firewall?
A proxy server masks your IP and manages access, often caching data for efficiency. A firewall monitors and controls network traffic to block unauthorized access and threats. Proxies focus on anonymity and access, while firewalls prioritize security.
What is the difference between a proxy server and a VPN?
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) encrypts all internet traffic, ensuring secure communication and preventing data interception by hackers or ISPs. It also hides your IP address by routing traffic through a secure server.
A proxy server masks your IP address by acting as an intermediary between you and the internet, but not all proxies encrypt your data. Proxies are effective for getting around geo-restrictions and for anonymous browsing, but do not provide the same level of security as VPNs.
VPNs offer stronger privacy protection because encryption safeguards sensitive information like passwords and financial details.
How does a proxy server hide an IP address?
The proxy forwards your web request using its own IP, concealing yours from the target website. It then delivers the website’s response to you.
Is a proxy server safe to use?
A paid proxy server from a reputable provider is generally safe. However, free proxies may log your data, inject ads, or compromise your privacy, so make sure to choose a trusted provider.