A proxy server acts as an intermediary between an end user and a website or other service’s server. It can be either software or hardware and is commonly used for efficiency, privacy, and security.

When web traffic is routed through a proxy, requests are sent to the proxy server first, which then handles the request and performs additional tasks such as filtering content, scanning for malware, masking the origin of the request, encrypting messages, and more.

Proxies are often used for information security against threats and for system optimization, such as load balancing and caching similar requests for added speed. They may also serve as a firewall and handle authentication requests, shielding an enterprise’s internal infrastructure from known threats found on the external web.

However, the use of proxy servers can also have unintended consequences for security. Since they can obfuscate the true origin of a request, they can also mask the legitimate parties to a dialogue, exchange, or transaction. Without knowing who the parties are, the masking of parties can result in the parties being spoofed or suffering a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack.

To use a proxy server, every computer connected to the internet has a unique Internet Protocol address (IP address). When routing internet traffic via a web proxy server, you are effectively using that proxy’s IP address, not your device’s, masking your address while still sending the same results you would get if you were visiting web servers on your own. A proxy web server can also hide your location from the websites you’re visiting, encrypt your data so the destination server can’t read it, and block access to specific websites based on their IP addresses.

The main benefits of a proxy server include hiding your public IP address and identity from websites, allowing you to surf the web anonymously, and improving speed by using caching to reduce network traffic and load.

If you want to browse privately and go incognito online, a VPN like F‑Secure’s MAXPROXY is the best choice. A VPN hides your real address from the websites you visit and blocks your internet service provider from seeing your internet traffic. MAXPROXY is easy to use

and offers a free trial with no credit card required.