With this tool, your company can guarantee a safer browsing and even better control of Internet access for its users. Your computers are better protected and malicious content can still be blocked.
The main advantages of a proxy are in the following table
Item Advantage Description
1 Security Working with a proxy, you will be sure that your data will not get to scammers.
2 Services and Sites You can visit sites that are prohibited in your country.
3 Anonymity You can surf the Internet anonymously.
After all, how can a proxy help with security?
A proxy server is an intermediary between a computer and a remote server, usually located on the Internet. When a user requests, for example, a web page or file, he will not directly connect to the server. The request will be sent to the proxy server, which in turn will send the request to the server where the desired information is stored.
What you need to know about proxies:
The proxy server helps in information security, because, performing this intermediary function, it hides the IP address of the computer from which the request came. The only IP address that will be recorded on the servers will be the IP address of the proxy itself, not the company's devices. This makes it difficult to hack into your endpoints.
At the same time, a proxy server increases control over the pages accessed by computers on your network. Using a proxy server, you can control and restrict devices that will have access to the Internet, as well as block the use of websites by categories or microapplications that contain threats (ransomware, viruses, etc.) or are not suitable for corporate use. Wednesday.
Another advantage of using a proxy is saving on Internet consumption and speeding up the connection. Every time a web page is opened, the proxy server can cache it. If another user requests the same content, he checks to see if there have been any changes.
If the page hasn't changed, the proxy will forward the working copy without having to reload all the content. Thus, it reduces the company's internet consumption and speeds up the download process for the next user who requests the resource.
What are the most common ways to implement proxies?
The most common ways to implement a proxy to control user access to the Internet are an explicit proxy or a transparent proxy.
Regular proxy
In this case, the client is explicitly configured to use a proxy, meaning it knows that all connections will go through the tool. Each client, which can be, for example, a browser or a program, is given a hostname or IP address and the port that it should use. Upon receiving the user's request, it uses these settings to use the proxy server.
In an explicit proxy, each client must be properly configured to use a proxy, which can result in end users being able to bypass the security of the proxy if the implementation is not done properly.
Transparent proxy
In a transparent proxy, the client does not know that traffic will be processed by the proxy. The proxy server is usually built into the internet gateway and the service is configured to listen on specific ports. Thus, the client does not know that the traffic is being regulated by the proxy.
This makes the security of the proxy server more effective, and you can configure the default settings on the network so that all requests are intercepted by the proxy server regardless of the actions of clients and end users.
Which proxy to use?
There are several free proxy services that are commonly used by home users and even businesses. In a quick Google search, you can find lists of available proxy servers. However, you should be aware of the security of this type of solution, as your data will pass through locations that may be unsafe or unreliable.
Many professional security solutions such as CASB, Symantec or McAfee rely on a proxy service. Explore investing in a comprehensive web security solution to keep your data safe.
As you've seen, a proxy server helps mask your IP addresses and makes it harder for attackers to access computers on your network. The proxy also provides more control over user access and faster and cheaper browsing.