A good way to reduce the risks associated with websites or other online activities is to use a proxy server. A proxy server is essentially an "intermediary" between the people looking for information ("end users") and the information they are looking for ("target data").

 

If you have ever accessed the Internet from a school, company, or other organization higher, you've probably already used a proxy server. A proxy server is a bridge between you and the rest of the Internet. Normally, when you use your browser to browse the Internet, you are connecting directly to the website you are visiting. Proxies communicate with websites on your behalf.

A proxy server has its own IP address, which is made public. Although a seemingly insignificant change, the IP proxy address can be used for a number of vital business functions related to everything from security to the visitor experience.

Proxies provide a valuable level of security. Coupled with a secure web gateway or other email security products, they allow web traffic to be filtered based on your accepted security level or how much traffic your business network or individual computers can handle.

What do proxy servers do?

Because a proxy server has its own IP address, it acts as an intermediary between a computer and the Internet. Your computer knows this address, and when you send a request over the Internet, it is directed to the proxy, which then receives the response from the webserver and sends the data on the page to the browser, such as Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

 

Caching: Proxy servers can download and save local copies of any web pages you visit frequently. This is known as caching. It also monitors pages continuously and automatically updates the cached version when the live form of the page changes, keeping the cached version always up to date. Cached versions of web pages can be accessed at any time without being online; and as such, caching is a valuable way to improve your internet speed and reduce your bandwidth usage.

Content filtering: In some cases, you may need more control over the websites that employees access on the Internet (perhaps too much time on social media when they should be involved in company activities). In these cases, a proxy server can be used to determine the content that users can access on the network.

Monitoring: In addition to monitoring your browsing content, you may want to monitor your employees' online behavior, such as the emails they send, the websites they connect to, and the chat messages they exchange. A proxy server can be used to track incoming and outgoing network information from a single location.

Privacy: Local network users can connect to an external webpage through the proxy server, instead of creating a direct connection. As such, any request that is filtered through the proxy server appears to come from that server and not from your internal network. This allows network users to connect to the Internet anonymously, which enhances business security.

Every modern business should use proxy servers to protect business assets and maximize productivity. NSHOST can help you explore the option of adding a proxy server to your network. Contact us and our experts will help you secure your business as soon as possible.