What is a Proxy Server and how does it work?

 Rarely do people pay attention to the details of how the Internet works. The problem with this behavior is the inherent danger of data breaches and identity theft that accompanies the enjoyment of viewing beautiful images, accessing 24-hour news, or bargains in line.

But what really happens when you surf the web? You may be using a proxy server at your job, on a VPN (Virtual Private Network), or you may be one of the tech-savvy users who always use some type of proxy server.

What is a proxy server?

A proxy server acts as a gateway between you and the Internet. It is an intermediary server that separates users from the websites they are browsing. Proxy servers provide different levels of functionality, security, and privacy, depending on your type of use, your needs, or your company policy.

If you use a proxy server, Internet traffic passes through that server before reaching the address you requested. The returned response goes through this same proxy server (there are exceptions to this rule), then it forwards you the data received from the website.

If that's all a proxy server does, why bother with it? Why not contact the website directly?

To ensure data security and network performance, modern proxy servers do much more than forward web requests. They act as firewalls and filter the web, provide shared network connections, and cache data to speed up processing of common requests. A good proxy server protects users and the internal network from threats on the Internet. Finally, proxy servers guarantee a high level of confidentiality.