The exchange of data and information is crucial in today’s time. With that, network security becomes responsible for safeguarding data integrity during transmission.
Here comes the proxy server. It serves as an intermediary or middleman between users and the websites they visit. It can function as a firewall or web filter, including a crucial layer of cybersecurity. They shield private networks from cyber attackers and defend computers against malware and other digital threats.
This article is all about learning the definition of a proxy server, its working mechanics, its various benefits, and practical applications.
What is a Proxy Server?
In simple terms, a proxy server serves as an intermediate between a user’s device and the internet. It intercepts and manages web traffic requests. In the absence of a proxy, devices communicate directly with web servers. However, by adding a proxy server, requests are routed through an intermediary server before reaching the intended destination.
Let’s take an example, where a user seeks to access Google. In a non-proxied connection, the device communicates directly with Google’s servers. On the other hand, with a proxy server, the request is channelled through an external server before reaching Google.
Overall, it enhances privacy and security.
How Does a Proxy Server Work?
Every device connected to the internet requires a unique Internet Protocol (IP) Address, similar to a street address for your computer. Just as the post office delivers mail to your street address, the internet routes data to the correct computer using its IP address.
It operates as an intermediary computer on the internet with its own unique IP address, known to your computer. When you initiate a web request, it first reaches the proxy server. Subsequently, it acts on your behalf, submitting your web request, retrieving the response from the web server, and then transmitting the webpage data back to you for viewing in your browser.
As this server forwards your web requests, it can modify the data you send while ensuring you receive the expected information. It can alter your IP address, concealing your exact geographic location from the web server. Additionally, it can encrypt your data, rendering it unreadable during transit. Lastly, a proxy server can restrict access to specific web pages based on IP addresses.
Types of Proxy Servers
It shows diverse functionalities, categorized into different types made to varying user requirements:
- Transparent Proxy: Reveals itself as a proxy server and discloses the user’s IP address to web servers. Often employed for content filtering in institutional settings.
- Anonymous Proxy: Conceals the user’s IP address, strengthening privacy and restricting identity theft and targeted marketing efforts.
- Distorting Proxy: Masks the user’s IP address with false information, facilitating circumvention of content restrictions based on geographic location.
- High Anonymity Proxy: Routinely changes IP addresses, enhancing privacy and complicating tracking attempts, as exemplified by the TOR Network.
Which Protocols Are Used by Proxy Servers?
Proxy server uses a diverse range of protocols to facilitate their functions. This extensive list encompasses various options. It ranges from specialized protocols like session initiation protocols (SIP), predominantly utilized for telephone routing in large enterprises, to the universal Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) proxies, which operate discreetly within email servers to shield against phishing and spam attacks.
To maintain conciseness, we’ll focus on some of the key protocols commonly employed by consumer-level proxies.
HTTP:
HTTP proxies utilize the unsecured HTTP protocol to manage the routing of user traffic requests and downloads. Typically, these proxies are configured either by the browser itself or through a web-based interface.
While they offer speed and cost-effectiveness, HTTP proxies cannot often connect to HTTPS-protected destinations, which constitute a significant portion of web content as of 2023.
HTTPS:
Referred to as SSL proxies, these proxies work similarly to HTTP proxies but use the HTTPS protocol to encrypt user traffic. This encryption lets users connect to HTTPS web domains safeguarded by SSL certificates.
SOCKS:
SOCKS proxies, abbreviated from SOCKets Secure, facilitate the transfer of data and traffic compatible with the SOCKS5 protocol. By using SOCKS5 protocols, these proxies route user traffic through a designated third-party server via TCP connections.
DNS:
DNS proxies are prevalent in online environments, operating by forwarding user DNS requests to DNS-based web domains or servers. These proxies often autonomously select a proxy server to forward the user’s request, thereby granting access to web-based content that might otherwise be restricted on the network, as exemplified by the constraints imposed by the Great Firewall of China.
Smart DNS:
Smart DNS proxies enable geolocation spoofing by selectively diverting only DNS requests within your internet traffic. They prove beneficial when attempting to alter your location to access content restricted to specific regions.
For instance, if you reside in the US and are immersed in a favourite show’s season, travelling to another country might restrict access to the series in that region. Smart DNS proxies ensure uninterrupted streaming of preferred content, regardless of your physical location.
CGI:
CGI-based proxies (Common Gateway Interface) are integrated into web-based proxy servers. It allows access to proxy features directly through web browsers or internet clients. While some proxies are embedded within applications, CGI proxies function exclusively within the web browser environment.
They offer utility in scenarios where network constraints or organizational policies prevent proxy configurations, such as public computers at libraries or corporate machines with limited software installation privileges.
Isn’t that similar to a VPN?
Proxies and VPNs function by connecting you to the internet through an intermediary server, but their operations diverge from there. Unlike a proxy, which merely relays your traffic to its destination, a VPN encrypts all data exchanged between your device and the VPN server.
Proxies, VPNs, and Tor Browser represent the three main choices for establishing a barrier between you and the internet, each offering unique benefits and possible drawbacks.
Conclusion
That’s it, proxy servers serve as essential tools in the world of network security and data management. By acting as intermediaries between users and the internet, they offer a range of benefits including enhanced security, privacy, access to location-specific content, and bandwidth savings. Understanding the different types of proxy servers, such as transparent, anonymous, distorting, and high anonymity proxies, along with the various protocols they employ, highlights their versatility in multiple user needs.
At last, whether we use it for personal browsing, organizational security, or accessing geo-restricted content, proxies play a crucial role in safeguarding data integrity and optimizing network performance.