What is a proxy server, and how does it work?

People rarely think about the nuts and bolts of how the internet operates. The issue is that cute dog images, 24-hour news updates, and wonderful internet offers can all be accompanied with data security breaches and identity theft.

What happens, however, when you go online? You might use a proxy server at work, on a Virtual Private Network (VPN), or you're one of those tech-savvy people that uses a proxy server all the time.

What is a Proxy Server, and how does it work?

Any system that converts traffic between networks or protocols is referred to as a proxy server. It's an intermediary server that sits between end-user clients and the destinations they visit. Depending on your use case, demands, or company policy, proxy servers provide varied levels of functionality, security, and privacy.

If you're using a proxy server, traffic will pass via it on its way to the location you requested. The request is then routed through the same proxy server (with some exceptions), and the proxy server relays the data obtained from the website to you.

Why bother having a proxy server if that's all it does? Why not just visit the website and then return?


In the name of data security and network performance, modern proxy servers do much more than forward web requests. Proxy servers operate as a firewall and web filter, as well as providing shared network connections and caching data in order to speed up common requests. Users and the internal network are safeguarded by a good proxy server from the evil things that lives out in the wild internet. Finally, proxy servers can give you a lot of privacy.

What is the Function of a Proxy Server?

A unique Internet Protocol (IP) Address is required for each machine connected to the internet. Consider this IP address to be the address of your machine. The internet knows how to transmit the correct data to the correct machine based on the IP address, much like the post office knows how to deliver your mail to your street address.

A proxy server is a machine connected to the internet that has its own IP address, which your computer recognizes. When you make a web request, it first goes through the proxy server. After that, the proxy server makes your web request on your behalf, gets the answer from the web server, and transmits the web page data to you so you can view it in your browser.

When the proxy server forwards your web requests, it can alter the data you submit while still delivering the results you expect. Your IP address can be changed using a proxy server, so the web server doesn't know where you are in the world. It has the ability to encrypt your data, making it unreadable while in transit. Finally, a proxy server can restrict access to specific web pages based on the user's IP address.

What are Forward Proxies and How Do They Work?

Between the client and the external network is a forward proxy server. Before transmitting the request to the external resource, it assesses and acts on the outbound requests.

The majority of proxy services you'll come across are forward proxies. Forward proxies include things like virtual private networks and web content filters.

What are Reverse Proxies
A reverse proxy server lies in the middle of a network, connecting it to a variety of internal resources. Hundreds of servers may be used to handle requests from a single domain on a huge website. Client requests would be resolved to a machine that would operate as a load balancer to accomplish this. The traffic would then be proxied back to the individual servers via the load balancer.

The following are some of the most prominent open source reverse proxies:

What Are the Benefits of Using a Proxy Server?

A proxy server is used for a variety of reasons by businesses and people:
  • Organizations and parents set up proxy servers to regulate and monitor how their employees or children use the internet. Most companies don't want you to visit certain websites on company time, so they can set the proxy server to block access to certain sites, redirecting you with a friendly message requesting you to avoid visiting those sites on company time. They can also monitor and log all web requests, so they know how much time you spend cyberloafing even if they don't ban the site.
  • A good proxy server can also help organizations enhance overall network performance by saving bandwidth and increasing speeds. Popular websites can be cached (a copy of the website is saved locally) by proxy servers, so if you request www.programmersblog.com, the proxy server will check to see if it has the most recent copy of the site and then provide you the cached copy. This implies that when hundreds of individuals use the same proxy server to access www.programmersblog.com at the same time, the proxy server only sends one request to varonis.com. This saves the organization bandwidth and enhances network performance.
  • Improved security: In addition to providing privacy, proxy servers can give security benefits. To prevent prying eyes from seeing your transactions, enable your proxy server to encrypt your web requests. You can also use the proxy server to block access to known malware sites. Additionally, corporations can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to connect their proxy server to the internet, allowing remote users to access the internet through the company proxy. A virtual private network (VPN) is a direct access to a company's network that is provided to external or remote users. The organization can control and verify that their users have access to the resources (email, internal data) they require by employing a VPN, as well as provide a secure connection for the user to protect company data.
  • Get access to resources that are blocked: Proxy servers enable users to bypass content restrictions imposed by businesses or governments. Is the game of the local sportsball team blacked down on the internet? Connect to a proxy server on the opposite side of the country and keep an eye on what's going on. You appear to be in California, but you are actually in North Carolina, thanks to the proxy server. Several governments throughout the world tightly monitor and limit internet access, and proxy servers provide unfettered internet access to their citizens.


Take a look at the hazards below now that you know why corporations and individuals utilize a proxy server.

Risks of Using a Proxy Server

When selecting a proxy server, you must take precautions: Any of the potential benefits can be negated by a few frequent risks:
  • Risks of using a free proxy server
    • "You get what you pay for," as the cliché goes. Using one of the many free proxy server services, even those with ad-based business structures, might be rather dangerous.
    • Free usually entails a lack of investment in backend hardware or encryption. There will almost certainly be performance concerns as well as potential data security risks. If you ever come across a truly "free" proxy server, proceed with caution. Some of them are only interested in stealing your credit card information.
  • Log of browsing history
    • The proxy server may have your original IP address and web request information saved locally, maybe unencrypted. Check to see if your proxy server logs and preserves that information, as well as what policies they have in place for data retention and law enforcement cooperation.
    • If you intend to utilize a proxy server for privacy, but the vendor only logs and sells your data, you may not be getting the full value for your money.
  • There is no encryption.
    • If you use a proxy server without encryption, it's as if you're not using one as all. If you don't use encryption, your requests will be sent in plain text. Anyone listening in will be able to readily extract usernames, passwords, and account information. Make sure the proxy server you're using supports complete encryption.

Proxy Servers Come in a Variety of Shapes and Sizes

Not all proxy servers are created equal. It's critical to understand exactly what functionality the proxy server provides and to ensure that the proxy server fulfills your needs.
  • Proxy with Transparency
    • A transparent proxy informs websites that it is a proxy server, but it will still give your IP address to the web server, allowing it to identify you. Transparent proxies are commonly used for content filtering by businesses, public libraries, and schools since they are simple to set up on both the client and server sides.
  • Proxies that are anonymous
    • An anonymous proxy will identify itself as such, but it will not reveal your IP address to the website, preventing identity theft and keeping your surfing history private. They can also prohibit a website from delivering you location-based targeted marketing information. If CNN.com knows you live in Raleigh, NC, for example, they will offer you news stories that they believe are relevant to Raleigh. Browsing anonymously will prevent some ad targeting tactics from being used on a website, but it is not a 100% guarantee.
  • Using a sham proxy
    • While representing itself as a proxy, a distorting proxy server sends you a bogus IP address. This accomplishes the same goals as the anonymous proxy, but by using a phony IP address, you can appear to be from another area and circumvent content restrictions.
  • Proxy with High Anonymity
    • High-anonymity proxy servers change the IP address they display to the web server on a regular basis, making it difficult to track down whose traffic belongs to whom. Proxies with high anonymity, such as the TOR Network, are the most private and safe way to browse the internet.
With the debates over Net Neutrality and censorship, proxy servers are a hot topic in the headlines these days. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can now manage your bandwidth and internet traffic in the United States, thanks to the repeal of net neutrality laws. ISPs may be able to inform you which websites you are allowed to access and which you are not. While there is a great deal of ambiguity about what will happen with Net Neutrality, proxy servers may provide some opportunity to work around an ISP's restrictions.

Varonis analyzes proxy server data in order to defend you from data breaches and cyber assaults. The addition of proxy data provides extra context for detecting irregularities in user activity trends. You can receive an alert on that suspicious activity, along with actionable intelligence, so you can investigate and respond to the situation.

A user accessing GDPR data, for example, may not be noteworthy in and of itself. However, if they gain access to GDPR data and then attempt to upload it to an external website, this might be considered an effort at data exfiltration and a potential data breach. You might not understand you need to avoid a data breach if you don't have the context supplied by file system monitoring, proxy monitoring, and Varonis threat models.

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