P R O X Y Benefits and Uses for the Internet

Proxies can be a game-changer for your online experience, especially when it comes to accessing the internet safely and efficiently.

By using a proxy server, you can mask your IP address and location, making it harder for websites to track your online activities. This is especially useful for browsing the internet in areas with strict online censorship.

A proxy server can also speed up your internet connection by caching frequently accessed websites and reducing the amount of data transferred between your device and the website.

Proxies can also help protect your device from malware and cyber threats by acting as a barrier between your device and the internet.

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A proxy server is basically a computer on the internet with its own IP address that your computer knows.

Your web requests go to the proxy server first, which then makes your web request on your behalf, collects the response from the web server, and forwards you the web page data so you can see the page in your browser.

A proxy server can change your IP address, so the web server doesn’t know exactly where you are in the world.

Proxy servers can also encrypt your data, making it unreadable in transit.

Some proxy servers can block access to certain web pages, based on IP address.

An anonymous proxy server attempts to anonymize web surfing, making it harder for the destination server to know your IP address.

Anonymizers can be funded through advertising links to the user, which can raise some trust concerns.

Some proxy servers implement a logon requirement, allowing organizations to track usage to individuals.

High-anonymity proxies make it appear that the proxy server is the client, but a website could still suspect a proxy is being used if the client sends packets with a cookie from a previous visit.

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Proxy servers can be a double-edged sword, offering benefits but also introducing risks. Free proxy server risks can negate any potential benefits, so it's essential to be cautious when choosing a proxy server.

An incorrectly configured proxy can provide access to a network otherwise isolated from the Internet, making it a potential entry point for cyber attackers. This is a significant concern, especially for companies that rely on proxy servers for security.

Proxy servers can also be used to eavesdrop on data-flow between client machines and the web, capturing and analyzing sensitive information like passwords and cookies. This highlights the importance of using a cryptographically secured connection, such as SSL, when exchanging sensitive information online.

Some proxy servers may be configured to block or limit access to certain websites, which can be inconvenient for users who rely on these services. However, this can also be a risk for users who are unaware of the proxy's limitations and may find themselves blocked from certain online resources.

Proxy risks include:

Proxy servers can be a double-edged sword, providing benefits like improved security and performance, but also introducing risks that can compromise your online safety.

Free proxy servers, for instance, can be a recipe for disaster. They often come with risks that can negate any potential benefits.

Varonis analyzes data from proxy servers to protect you from data breaches and cyber-attacks. They add more context to analyze user behavior trends for abnormalities, and you can get an alert on suspicious activity with actionable intelligence to investigate and deal with the incident.

A poorly configured proxy can provide access to a network otherwise isolated from the Internet. This can be a serious security risk, allowing unauthorized access to your internal network.

Some proxy risks include:

Proxy eavesdropping can capture and analyze all content sent or accessed, including passwords submitted and cookies used. This can be a serious security risk, compromising your online safety.

A transparent proxy, also known as an intercepting proxy, is a type of proxy that operates without the client's knowledge or configuration.

It's located between the client and the Internet, performing some of the functions of a gateway or router.

Transparent proxies don't modify the request or response beyond what's required for proxy authentication and identification, as stated in RFC2616 (Hypertext Transfer Protocol—HTTP/1.1).

However, a security flaw in the way transparent proxies operate was published in 2009 by Robert Auger, which affected dozens of proxy servers.

Intercepting proxies are also used by ISPs in some countries to save upstream bandwidth and improve customer response times by caching, which is more common in countries with limited bandwidth.

Proxy servers have a simple mechanism but add a lot of value to an IT company or other corporate entity.

They can be used to block undesirable content, such as certain social media sites, to prevent employees from getting distracted from their work.

Proxies also let network administrators monitor requests sent to the internet to ensure no illegal or improper activities are being carried out.

A proxy server can mask an IP and allow employees to access geo-restricted websites.

This is useful for businesses that need to access websites not available in their location.

Proxy servers can cache frequently visited sites, eliminating the need to send requests to internet servers.

This makes the internet faster than usual, especially for popular websites.

Proxy servers also compress traffic and remove ads from websites, further improving speed.

This is a key difference between proxy servers and VPNs, which don't use caching to speed up internet access.

Proxy implementation and detection is a crucial aspect of understanding how proxies work. Several methods can be used to detect the presence of an intercepting proxy server.

One way to detect a proxy is by comparing the client's external IP address to the address seen by an external web server. This can be done by examining the HTTP headers received by a server, or by using online IP checkers that report the user's IP address as seen by the site.

Another method is by attempting to make a connection to an IP address at which there is known to be no server. The proxy will accept the connection and then attempt to proxy it on, but when it finds no server to accept the connection, it may return an error message or simply close the connection to the client.

Here are some key differences in behavior to look out for:

Proxy implementation can be a complex process, but understanding the different methods can make it more manageable.

In some cases, implementing a proxy server is as simple as using a product like Microsoft TMG or WinGate, which allows for communication of original destination information.

Cisco's WCCP (Web Cache Control Protocol) is another option, which resides on the router and is configured from the cache. This allows the cache to determine what ports and traffic are sent to it via transparent redirection from the router.

Traffic can be redirected using either GRE tunneling (OSI Layer 3) or MAC rewrites (OSI Layer 2).

Once traffic reaches the proxy machine, interception is commonly performed with NAT (Network Address Translation). This setup is invisible to the client browser, but leaves the proxy visible to the web server and other devices on the internet side of the proxy.

Recent Linux and some BSD releases provide TPROXY (transparent proxy), which performs IP-level (OSI Layer 3) transparent interception and spoofing of outbound traffic, hiding the proxy IP address from other network devices.

Here are some common implementation methods:

Detection methods can be used to identify the presence of an intercepting proxy server.

A common method is by comparing the client's external IP address to the address seen by an external web server. Some websites have been created to report the user's IP address as seen by the site back to the user on a web page. Google also returns the IP address as seen by the page if the user searches for "IP".

Another method is by comparing the results of online IP checkers when accessed using HTTPS vs. HTTP. Most intercepting proxies do not intercept SSL, so if there is suspicion of SSL being intercepted, one can examine the certificate associated with any secure web site.

To further detect a proxy server, you can compare the sequence of network hops reported by a tool such as traceroute for a proxied protocol like HTTP (port 80) with that for a non-proxied protocol like SMTP (port 25).

A proxy server can also be detected by attempting to make a connection to an IP address at which there is known to be no server. The proxy will accept the connection and then attempt to proxy it on, resulting in a different error message or connection closure.

Here are some methods to detect a proxy server:

A SOCKS proxy is a type of proxy that forwards arbitrary data after a connection phase, much like HTTP CONNECT in web proxies.

This means that SOCKS proxies can handle a wide range of data types, including but not limited to, HTTP requests.

One key characteristic of SOCKS proxies is that they establish a connection between the client and the server, but then forward arbitrary data through that connection.

SOCKS proxies are often used to bypass network restrictions or to add an extra layer of security to online connections.

A proxy is a layer-7 application in the OSI reference model, operating at a higher level than network address translation (NAT), which is similar but operates in layer 3.

NAT is less resource-intensive than a layer-7 proxy, but also less flexible. It requires the client to configure the gateway, whereas a layer-7 proxy requires the client to direct packets to the proxy server, which then reads each packet to find the true destination.

The client has no knowledge of the packet's contents in a NAT setup, but can still be configured to use a transparent firewall, which sends layer-3 packets to a layer-7 proxy for investigation without the client's awareness.

In a transparent firewall setup, the client thinks the gateway is a NAT in layer 3, unaware of the layer-7 proxy's investigation of the packets.

Proxies can be used to block undesirable content, such as social media sites, to prevent employees from getting distracted from their work.

A proxy server sits outside the firewall and protects the servers, but companies can install proxy network software on each individual computer if necessary.

Proxy servers can also be a standalone computer or a router installed between two separate devices on the company's network, accepting requests, sending them to the required destination, gathering responses, and forwarding them to the requesting device.

Web proxy servers forward HTTP requests, making the request specified and returning the response, and some allow the HTTP CONNECT method to set up forwarding of arbitrary data through the connection.

Examples of web proxy servers include Apache, HAProxy, and Nginx, which can be configured to forward traffic and protect the network.

Companies can use proxies to block social media sites, keeping employees focused on their work. This is a common practice to prevent distractions.

A proxy server can monitor requests sent to the internet, ensuring no illegal or improper activities are being carried out. This level of control is crucial for maintaining a secure online environment.

Proxies can be installed on individual computers or as a standalone device, giving network administrators flexibility in managing internet access. This setup allows for tailored control over internet usage.

By sitting between devices, a proxy can accept requests, send them to the required destination, and forward responses, making it a crucial component of internet infrastructure. This process happens seamlessly in the background.

A DNS proxy server takes DNS queries from a network and forwards them to an Internet Domain Name Server. This helps manage internet traffic and can improve overall network performance.

Web proxy servers are a type of proxy server that forward HTTP requests.

They send the full URL of the request to the proxy server, which then makes the request specified and returns the response.

Some web proxies allow the HTTP CONNECT method to set up forwarding of arbitrary data through the connection, typically only for port 443 to allow HTTPS traffic.

Examples of web proxy servers include Apache, HAProxy, and Nginx.

These servers can be configured to forward traffic in various ways, making them useful for managing complex or multiple proxy-servers.

A client-server Proxy auto-config protocol (PAC file) can help solve the problem of complex or multiple proxy-servers for clients.

CGI proxies are a type of proxy that can be used on devices or networks that don't allow "true" proxy settings to be changed. They accept target URLs through a web form in the user's browser window and return the results to the user's browser.

The first recorded CGI proxy, named "rover" but later renamed to "CGIProxy", was developed by James Marshall in early 1996. It was featured in an article in "Unix Review" by Rich Morin.

CGIProxy, Glype, and PHProxy are the most popular CGI proxy software, with CGIProxy receiving about two million downloads as of April 2016. Glype has received almost a million downloads, while PHProxy still receives hundreds of downloads per week.

Despite their popularity, CGI proxies have waned in popularity due to VPNs and other privacy methods. As of September 2021, there are still a few hundred CGI proxies online.

Some CGI proxies were set up to make websites more accessible to disabled people, but have since been shut down due to excessive traffic.

Proxy servers can anonymize web surfing by hiding the user's IP address, making it difficult for the destination server to identify the end user's address.

A proxy server can be funded through advertising links to the user, and some may implement a logon requirement for authorized users in large organizations.

Elite or high-anonymity proxies make it appear that the proxy server is the client, but a website could still suspect a proxy is being used if the client sends packets with a cookie from a previous visit.

I2P, an anonymous network, implements garlic routing, an enhancement of Tor's onion routing, and encrypts all communications in various layers, relaying them through a network of routers run by volunteers.

I2P offers censorship resistance and protects users' personal freedom, privacy, and ability to conduct confidential business.

Proxies sit between company networks and internet servers, protecting sensitive company data from being stolen by hiding the company IP that generated the request.

Anonymity is a vital aspect of online security, and proxies play a significant role in protecting it. Proxies sit between company networks and internet servers, preventing the internet from knowing the company IP that generated the request.

This additional layer of security protects sensitive company data from being stolen, such as research and development processes that are crucial for a company's success. Proxies can prevent spies from monitoring the network and finding out what employees are searching for online.

Using an anonymizing proxy server, like those that forward data packets with header lines such as HTTP_VIA, HTTP_X_FORWARDED_FOR, or HTTP_FORWARDED, can reveal the IP address of the client. However, elite or high-anonymity proxies make it appear that the proxy server is the client, providing a higher level of anonymity.

I2P, a proxy network aiming at online anonymity, implements garlic routing, an enhancement of Tor's onion routing, to encrypt all communications in various layers and relay them through a network of routers run by volunteers in various locations. This provides censorship resistance and protects users' personal freedom, privacy, and ability to conduct confidential business.

A proxy server can change your IP address, so the web server doesn’t know exactly where you are in the world, or encrypt your data, making it unreadable in transit. This can be especially useful when using public Wi-Fi networks or accessing sensitive information online.

You can vote by proxy if you're unable to vote in person, and it's a great option if you're away on polling day, registered as an overseas voter, or have a medical issue or disability.

To apply for a proxy vote, you can do so online, by post in England, Scotland, or Wales, or by post in Northern Ireland.

You can ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf, and they'll need to know which candidate or referendum outcome you want to vote for.

You can apply to vote by proxy for a single election or referendum, for a specific period, or permanently, and you can choose anyone to act as your proxy as long as they're willing and able to vote on your behalf.

If you're unable to vote in person because of a medical emergency, disability, or employment, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote.

You can apply for an emergency proxy vote in England, Scotland, and Wales until 5pm on the day of the election, and in Northern Ireland up to 6 days before the election.

To apply for an emergency proxy vote, you'll need to get your application form signed by an 'appropriate person', such as an employer or doctor.

Here are some ways to apply for an emergency proxy vote: