What is a Proxy Server and How to use it for Security

Hi Everyone,

Today we are going to see What Is A Proxy Server And How To Use It for Security ?

Lets start, Proxies are store-and-forward caches. When you configure your web browser to use a proxy, it never connects to the URL. Instead, it always connects to the proxy server, and asks it to get the URL for you.

Proxies can be used as a sort of firewall, because it isolates you from connecting to the Internet. When you use a proxy server, your computer will send a request to the proxy
server, then the proxy server will send it to the destination (for example a website), the destination will answer the request the proxy has sent and finally the proxy will return the data to you computer. For example when you visit www.google.com via proxy, it looks like this:

Why should you use proxy servers ?

> Using proxy server you can bypass security/ parental controls.

> To scan transmitted content before delivery for malware.

> Proxy server ( but only anonymous) can hide your IP address (the resource you visit will  

   retrieve the IP of the proxy, and not your.

> Proxy server is able to increase or decrease the speed of your connection to the 

   Internet depending on the location of the prox.

> Proxy servers can help in case some owner of an Internet resource impose restrictions 

   for users from certain countries.

How to use a proxy server ?

It is simple, just follow these instructions:

For Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer.

2. In the Menu bar, select Tools, then Internet Options.

3. After that click the Connection tab.

4. In the Connection tab, on the bottom , you will find LAN 

    settings.

5. In LAN tab, check "Use a proxy server for your LAN", in 

    Address add the IP Addresses of the proxy you would like 

    to use, and add Port, and finally click OK.

It looks like this.

for example, let's take an anonymous proxy server from United States with this IP address: 107.22.199.240 and port 80.

The same is for Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.

2. In Menu bar, select Tools, then Options.

3. After this will appear Options window, click Advanced 

    tab.

4. In Advanced tab, you will find Settings, click it.

5. In Settings tab, check Manually proxy configuration, in 

    HTTP Proxy add IP addresses from proxy server, and add 

    Port, you can also set sites where you wont't use proxy 

    server. For Example if you are from UK, no sense to use a 

    proxy server for UK sites.

6. In the end click Ok;

Hope this article will help you to clear the concept of Proxy.

Happy Surfing,