Using Proxy Servers

A proxy server is a server that takes the normal place of a server in the process of data transfer and query that happens between a server and an end user during most of the things that you do on the internet. Whether you are checking your e-mail, downloading a product, purchasing something or even using a social networking website like MySpace, Bebo or Facebook, servers are always going to be involved because all of the information that you need to get to make a purchase or read an e-mail is stored on the server. Proxy servers allow you to interact with that server through a middle man rather than interacting with the server directly.

This is very advantageous for someone that is interested in internet security and online anonymity. Internet security is increased because of the simple fact that you are not interacting with the server directly, but rather are doing it through a proxy and therefore you are harder to attack with a virus or someone that simply wants to see what you are doing. In this same vein, online privacy is also increased because all of the server requests that you do are send through a proxy and this ultimately helps you remain anonymous and forces other people to have a harder time finding out exactly who you are.

Lastly, proxy servers are very useful to people that would like to unblock websites that have been blocked. These could be the social networking websites listed above, e-mail websites, poker websites or any other website you can think of. When you block a website, what you are doing is preventing a specific server from entering information into your network. However, if the proxy server is the one your network is dealing with, it is very difficult for the network to associate that with the blocked website and that is why people at school and work can use proxy servers to bypass regulations concerning blocked websites.