A proxy server intercepts requests between a client and server, commonly used to speed up network traffic by caching frequently requested pages or files. It can also filter content, act as a firewall, and provide anonymous web browsing. Some models use encryption to protect privacy.
A proxy server is a computer that sits between a client and a server to intercept requests. There are several uses of a proxy server, but the most common is to speed up network traffic by caching pages or files that are frequently requested. This way, the server can deliver the request quickly, only querying the server when required. In this way, it not only speeds up the network traffic but also reduces the server load. Major Internet hubs and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use dozens of proxy servers.
Filtering or censorship is another use for a proxy server. A company that provides Internet connectivity to its employees could configure that server to block requests for certain websites. It can also filter content based on configurable criteria to help enforce acceptable use policies.
If a proxy server does not require a web browser to be configured to use the proxy, it is called a transparent proxy. Otherwise, the web browser must point to the proxy to use it. Businesses prefer the former, as employees can’t get around it by reconfiguring their web browsers. These types of servers are also commonly used as firewalls. They can scan for malware, viruses, and other threats, safeguarding your main server and network.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) servers used to create virtual private networks (VPNs) sometimes use https proxies. These proxies speed up traffic over secure channels and check tunneled communications for viruses. The https proxy server can encrypt, decrypt and cache the encrypted data. Normal proxy servers cannot cache encrypted data for security reasons and therefore are of no use in a VPN. There are differences of opinion as to whether https proxies create potential security risks.
Yet another use for a proxy server is to provide anonymous web browsing. Many services provide proxies that the public can use to protect their online anonymity. Customer requests go to the website’s proxy server, which strips the customer’s Internet Protocol (IP) address and sends them on their way. The information is redirected to the proxy, which then forwards the pages to the customer’s browser. As far as the Internet is concerned, the only IP address on the remote server is the IP address of the proxy. Only the proxy knows the client’s IP address. Companies that operate anonymous proxy servers generally report that they often clear server logs to protect customer privacy.
Another model includes a network of voluntary proxy servers. This model uses encryption to obfuscate the original IP address and final path of a request. As the request makes its way across the Internet from one proxy server to another, each server in between can only read adjacent steps in the chain. Contents, origin and final destination are not all available.
The end server decrypts the contents and delivers the request to the server without a plain text record of the origin of the request. The page or file then returns the same way, through a series of encrypted steps. This system hinders traffic analysis and protects privacy by protecting the proxy servers themselves.
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