If you’re an individual with a non-technical background in networking or cybersecurity, you may relate proxy servers only to unblocking content banned in your country like that Netflix movie still not released in your country. Those who possess a bit more knowledge may relate it to safeguarding your IP from attacks on an open network.
In either case, this is not even a fraction of what proxy servers can accomplish. In reality, they’re incredibly crucial for a business regardless of the business domain. Proxy servers are used to reroute all web traffic to another server to protect your identity and save your IP address from attacks.
In simple terms, when you access a website, it detects your IP and sends that information to you. When you use a proxy server, this server sends the request and accepts the information on your behalf before passing it on to you.
This way, the website that sent the data will never realize your identity. Proxy servers have unique IP addresses of their own.
If you’re already convinced that you need a proxy, expand your browsing options with Proxyway – it will help you identify the ideal proxy for your company. If not, read on and find out the benefits of using one. You can always come back to browse for options later on.
Table of Contents
Layered Breach Protection
According to the latest news, the FBI reported a record 300% increase in cybercrimes during this pandemic phase. If that doesn’t urge you to consider extra security, nothing probably will. Proxy servers work as an added layer of IP address that masks your real identity.
It ensures that even if your employees open a spam mail or land upon a phishing page by mistake, the attacker has access only to the proxy server. It ensures that the confidential data on your servers will be as safe as ever.
Some of the best hackers may be able to track your IP through a proxy. Still, proxies wonderfully compliment your antivirus software and firewalls to add to your server’s overall security.
Confidentiality Through Anonymity
What do research and development officers, cybersecurity officers, white-hat hackers, whistleblowers, and reporters have in common? At times they all need to carry out sensitive tasks where anonymity is key.
A reporter may need to keep a source private; a cybersecurity officer might want to browse a potentially fraudulent website without alerting the server admins. The research and development officer might need to conduct their research anonymously, so they don’t give away what they’re up to, to the media, or spying competitors.
Proxies keep such tasks well hidden in your server as those trying to figure out what you’re up to will have a barricade in the form of a proxy address to block their spying attempts.
Seamless Adaptation of Cloud Through Proxies
Cloud technologies let you store your data all across the internet in a secure location.
It means your data could be stored anywhere, but you can’t ask your customers something like, “oh, you want this? Try this website. Use this ISP. Do you need another service? Oh, that’s stored in a cloud, and you’ll need to access it through a different URL. Use another ISP that can reroute you there.”
Proxy servers help you group your data into a common web address that you can share with your customers. Through this, they will directly interact with and request services from your proxy server. The proxy server will then redirect these requests to the specific data location on the cloud. Your customers will appreciate this a lot.
Network Admins Control Employee Access
Sometimes, employees use the work servers and internet connection to browse through social media platforms, insecure websites (websites without HTTPS), malicious websites, or inappropriate websites. A network admin can not only monitor employee browsing but also block access to such sites before-hand on proxy servers.
That is because proxy servers receive requests that you send them, and you can block these requests from going forward from the proxy servers to the intended recipient webpage.
Caching Increases Speed, Saves Bandwidth
Proxy servers use caching, which stores information on the web pages requested by customers within them. It ensures you do not receive repetitive requests, letting you serve new customers during that time.
Also, caching allows you to save bandwidth since you won’t be spending data packets again and again to entertain the same requests – they’re already stored in your proxy servers. So, this bandwidth is now free to welcome a higher number of customers. It avoids the problem of server crashes due to traffic overloading.
Wrapping Up
After seeing these benefits, it’s quite obvious why you need to opt for a proxy server. However, be warned that if you choose to avail of a free proxy service provider, the provider can access all your data as an intermediary between you and the webserver you request data from. It can lead to security problems such as identity thefts and data frauds.
