Securing Your Network: The Benefits and Risks of Proxy Servers

Nowadays, there are various threats on the Internet, so it is important to increase security. If you use the Internet without any precautions, there is a risk that your personal information will be stolen. Discover how installing proxies for social networks allows you to prevent various problems that arise on the Internet.

What is a proxy?

A proxy basically refers to a system that acts on behalf of a client when accessing a server from the client. Proxy is a literal translation of a term that has meanings such as “representation” and “substitution”.

Proxies are classified according to their purpose, such as forward proxies and reverse proxies (described later), but they usually refer to web proxies (forward proxies) that act on behalf of HTTP communication.

Overview of a proxy server

What is proxy on social media? Proxy means “on behalf of someone”. A proxy server intervenes when you access a website from your smartphone or PC and transmits data.

It also has a feature called a cache, which allows it to temporarily store data from websites you have visited in the past.

For example, even if multiple users want to access a website at the same time, the proxy server can return the temporarily stored cache to prevent delays in displaying the website.

In addition, it has a filtering function that prevents malicious sites from being viewed and a function that automatically translates when a user accesses a foreign site, so it is widely used depending on the purpose.

How do proxy servers work?

A proxy server is basically placed between your company’s local network and the external Internet. This place is called a DMZ (demilitarized zone, buffer zone) and is located outside the company’s local network, which is protected by a firewall.

When a client machine on the company’s local network accesses an external web server, it communicates with this proxy server, and the proxy server that receives the message communicates with the external web server.

When a response comes from the external web server, it is not sent directly to the client machine, but is received by the proxy server and then sent to the client machine.

In this way, the proxy server behaves like an external web server from the perspective of the client machine, and on the other hand, from the perspective of the external web server, it behaves like a client machine.

This makes it possible to ensure anonymity and reduce the load on the server.

Easier to check access logs

Using a proxy server makes it easier to check which sites a client PC is accessing, when, and from where. This is because access logs remain in the proxy.

Inspecting access logs is a task that is mainly performed by corporate IT administrators, so it can be said that it has the advantage of reducing the workload of IT administrators.

For example, it is useful for investigating cases of mistaken access to a malicious site on a company computer. With normal access that doesn’t go through a proxy, you have to check each computer’s browser history to find out which client computer accessed the malicious site. However, if you start to find proxies for social networks, you will get excellent speed of access for checking the proxy logs.

Use only when necessary

Only use a proxy server if you need a high level of security. In addition, even if you use a proxy server all the time to increase speed, depending on performance, the speed may decrease and have the opposite effect.

Enable ID and password authentication

When creating and installing a proxy server in your company, set the ID and password to “Authentication” to make it a private proxy server. If you do not set authentication by ID and password, it will become a public proxy and can be used by an unlimited number of people. There may also be a risk of information leakage.

Correct settings

Specifying an incorrect server at the proxy configuration stage can lead to problems with your Internet connection. Also, since there are cases where data passes through another proxy, there is a risk of information leakage. Be careful when setting up, making sure you enter the correct address.

Regarding server management, measures against cyberattacks are important to prevent the leakage of corporate information. Please refer to the following page for the latest information requests and ratings for each related product.

How to set up a proxy?

We’re going to show you how to set up a proxy server in Windows 10.

1. Click the Start menu in the lower-left corner of the screen
2. Click Settings (gear icon)
3. Click “Network and Internet.”
4. Click “Proxy” on the left
5. Turn on “Use a proxy server.”
6. Enter the address and port number and click “Save.”
7. *Note: “5.” If you want to automatically detect it, follow the steps below.
8. Enable “Auto-detect settings.”
9. Turn on “Use a setup script.”
10. Enter the URL of the PAC file in the script address
11. *A PAC file is a file that describes in JavaScript the “when” and “which” proxy to use. If you always use the same proxy, you can set it manually, but if you want to use multiple proxies, automatic discovery is convenient.

Conclusion

A proxy is a system that is installed between a client and a server and exchanges data on their behalf. Proxies have the advantage of improving anonymity and increasing security. However, if you are unaware of the types of proxy servers and the precautions you need to take, there is a risk of security compromise. Before implementing a proxy, it’s important to get some basic knowledge and choose a suitable proxy.

For example, there is iProxy.online, which provides advanced threat protection such as web filtering, DNS filtering, data leakage prevention, and anti-virus features.