What is a Proxy Server?
Proxy servers sit between the client and the server. They can act as a proxy for either the client or the server, protecting its privacy and security. A proxy server also allows an organization to filter malicious traffic and effectively enforce corporate security policies for Internet traffic.
How Does it Work?
Users of a proxy server configure their computers to send their web traffic to a proxy server en route to the Internet. The proxy server may then inspect the request for potential threats, compliance with corporate policies, etc. before sending it on to its intended destination.
In most cases, responses from the server will be directed to the proxy server. This allows the proxy to inspect the traffic for potential malicious content before sending it on to the user.
Why Should You Use a Proxy Server?
Some of the benefits of using a proxy server include:
- Content Filtering: Traffic between a client and a server passes through the proxy server. This allows the server to inspect the traffic for malicious content before it reaches the endpoint.
- Privacy: From the perspective of the web server, the proxy server is the one requesting web pages. The use of a proxy server helps to protect user privacy and conceal the internal structure of the corporate network.
- Performance: A proxy server can perform caching of commonly visited web content. This allows a user to more quickly access cached content and reduces the load on web servers.
- Policy Enforcement: A proxy server can filter traffic entering and leaving the organization. This allows it to block traffic to unapproved sites or remove inappropriate content from web pages before they reach the user.
Types of Proxy Servers
Some of the most common forms of proxy servers that a company may use include the following:
- Forward Proxy: A forward proxy is deployed to protect user privacy and security. All Internet-bound traffic from clients within the organization is routed through the proxy server.
- Reverse Proxy: A reverse proxy is intended to protect a web server, not an end user. Traffic to the protected servers from any source passes through the proxy server, which can filter traffic and perform caching.
- Anonymous Proxy: Anonymous proxies conceal the identity of the client requesting a webpage. A distorting proxy may not admit to being a proxy and may change its IP address to avoid geolocation.
- Transparent Proxy: A transparent proxy conceals no information about the user. It sends traffic to the server while making it appear to come directly from the user.
- Data Center Proxy: A data center proxy is a proxy deployed within a data center. All user requests are routed through the data center en route to their destination.
Proxy Server vs. VPN
Both proxy servers and virtual private networks (VPNs) will route traffic through a server — either a proxy server or a VPN endpoint — on its way to its destination. This permits traffic filtering, policy enforcement, and similar benefits.
A VPN will always encrypt the traffic between the user and the client, and the client’s traffic is simply forwarded to its destination (i.e., the source IP address is still that of the client). In contrast, a proxy server may not encrypt traffic en route to the server and may offer anonymity to the client.
Proxy Server Risks
Proxy servers can provide various benefits to users. However, they can also have their downsides, such as:
- Performance Impacts: While a proxy server can enhance traffic performance through caching, it can also harm it. Without optimized hardware, the inefficient routing associated with proxy servers can increase network latency.
- Traffic Logs: All of a user’s web traffic flows through the proxy server. This could allow the server operator to log this traffic and use or sell these logs.
- Unencrypted Traffic: Traffic to a proxy server may not be protected by encryption. This could allow an eavesdropper to collect information about a user’s web traffic.
Proxy Server Security with Check Point
A proxy server can provide significant benefits to an organization and its users. However, these protections and more are available in network security solutions. Check Point next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) provide the web security capabilities that companies need to protect their employees. Learn more about improving your corporate Internet security with Check Point by signing up for a free demo today.
