A reverse proxy is an intermediary that allows a server to remain anonymous by forwarding requests from a browser to the original server. It provides security through encryption and load balancing, but does not protect against direct web application attacks.
In internet and network technology, a proxy is a device or address that serves as a substitute for a web browser. The proxy is essentially an intermediary, which allows the accessed website or server to send information to the web browser without obtaining any information about the user or the browser. A reverse proxy basically performs the same function for the web server. The browser contacts the reverse proxy instead of contacting the server directly, allowing the server to remain anonymous. A reverse proxy generally only serves a limited set of websites.
Reverse proxies only work because the web browser doesn’t know that the server it is accessing is a proxy. The reverse proxy looks to the browser just like a regular server. When the reverse proxy receives a request from a browser, it forwards the request to the original server. When it receives the response, it forwards the information to the browser as if the information came directly from the reverse proxy. It’s like a person receiving an email from someone, changing the signature, and then forwarding that email to a third person.
Security is one of the main functions of a reverse proxy. It can provide encryption using a secure socket layer or SSL. An SSL is a computer protocol that ensures the security of data sent over the Internet by sending encrypted data that requires an authentication code for access. This type of security is provided by reverse proxies equipped with special hardware.
Reverse proxies can also handle other security issues. For example, this type of proxy provides an extra layer of defense for your operating system and web server. However, it does not protect against direct web application attacks. These tend to be a more serious threat and must be protected against by more direct means.
Using a reverse proxy can also increase the efficiency of a system. It is able to perform several operations that ensure that slow browsers do not slow down faster ones. The proxy can distribute the service load to multiple servers, each serving a particular area. This is called load balancing. It can also compress content to speed up loading time. If a client is particularly slow, the proxy can perform an action called a feed spoon in which the entire content requested by the server is broken up into manageable chunks before being passed to the client one by one.
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