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If you‘re interested in boosting your online security, you might want to try out a proxy. In general, these servers can keep your data safe from cyber attacks, enhance your privacy and much more while you’re browsing the web, so it isn’t hard to see why so many people across the globe are using a proxy.
One of the most important things you can do when choosing the best proxy for your needs is to do your research and learn more about the different options available – and if you’re not too familiar with them, it might be worth starting with the differences between web proxies and proxy servers.
How does a proxy work?
For the most part, a proxy can be described as a sort of bridge that connects you to a website, acting as a middleman and protecting your data from any websites that will store your IP address. If you didn’t know, your IP can often contain personal data, which could be left in the hands of a hacker if you’re unlucky. When you visit a site, they might log your IP address, which could then be found by a hacker.
Proxies work by allowing you to connect to them and use their IP instead, allowing you to browse without having to share your own IP with anyone. This is perfect for boosting your security, especially when you consider just how many unsecured websites there are out there.
What’s the difference between these proxy services?
Before you start searching for a proxy, we’d recommend you take just a little time to find out which type of service would best suit your needs. The two options are proxy networks and proxy servers; so what’s the difference?
Proxy servers
A proxy server will intercept any request to the real server and check through it. If it can’t fulfil all the requests itself, it’ll pass it on to the real server. They forward web requests and act as a firewall, web filter and more, generally helping to cache data to improve performance while surfing the web.
For the most part, a proxy server can be used in many ways, from controlling internet usage (ideal for parents or employers), boosting your network performance and of course, enhanced security and privacy.
Usually, proxy servers can be used for several different services, such as Gmail, as well as general web browsing, which helps to make it incredibly useful in a variety of settings.
Web proxy
As you might guess from the name, web proxies are generally limited to use on the web. These servers will act as an interface between you and the websites, providing their own data whenever information is requested, allowing you to stay completely out of it.
One of the main reasons why a proxy can be so beneficial is because of how they allow you to keep your personal information safe. Web servers can also be used for both hardware and software, which could be worth consideration.
While there are others out there, like a reverse proxy, these two services are some of the main ones that you’ll be checking out when looking through some of the different options on the market.
Which one is the best?
While you might have a better understanding of how each of these proxies works, you might still be unsure of which one is the ideal choice. After all, there are often several factors to take into consideration.
For the most part, the best one for you will often be determined by what it is that you need from it. For a business, a proxy server will often be an ideal choice, but those who only need a proxy for one device might be more interested in using a web proxy. Either way, it’s up to you to decide on which one will suit your requirements.
From here, we’d suggest that you take the time to do a little more research on the individual proxies that are on the market. There are so many different proxy services available and for the most part, the best way to pick out the perfect one is to carefully consider what’s available to you. Once you know what kind of proxy you’re after, it should be a simple enough task to look around online for the most worthwhile possible options.
