In modern reality, information is an extremely valuable resource. With the widespread introduction of the Internet, it has become more difficult to maintain privacy and anonymity and protect your data from intruders. Fortunately, there are modern and flexible solutions that will help you avoid becoming a hackers’ victim. In this article, you will learn how using a quality prox server in combination with other security methods will maximize your online privacy.
Proxy Servers
Data exchange is an integral part of surfing the Internet. As you open websites, they automatically ask for information about your device (such as its location). If disclosing such data is undesirable for you, you can use proxy servers. They serve as a kind of intermediary between you and the Internet. When they receive a request from you, they redirect it further, making sites think that it came from them. Such a scheme can be useful and even essential in some situations. Although an intermediary appears in your work, technically, it does not interfere with your use of the Internet.
The principle of operation of all proxies is approximately the same; however, it may have some features depending on the type you choose. At the moment, several main groups can be distinguished depending on certain technical parameters:
- used protocol: SOCKS (4 and 5), HTTP, or HTTPS (SSL);
- anonymity: transparent, anonymous, and elite.
- usage type: open, private, dedicated, shared, web, and CGI;
- location: data center or residential;
- IP-address: statistical and rotational;
- type of data change: forward and reverse;
- cost: free and paid.
The choice of a specific type depends on your needs. Check the capabilities of each with your provider to understand whether you need advanced options or the basic functionality will be enough for you.
The advantages of using a proxy for both business and personal affairs are clear. Properly configured servers provide:
- Privacy. For example, you can avoid annoying contextual advertising since your real IP is hidden.
- Safety. Certain proxy settings allow you to block the opening of malicious resources and automatic download of unwanted content.
- Access to blocked platforms. If a site does not work in your region or you would like to use the one available only to residents of a particular country, the servers will help you with it.
- Traffic filtering. Large companies prohibit the use of specific services on work devices with the help of a proxy.
- Increasing the speed of loading sites. It can be made by creating cached copies or by compressing the data.
As you can see, with the help of proxy servers, you can both expand the capabilities of users and reduce them. People use these services to avoid blocking and leave less information about themselves on the Internet in everyday life.
Proxy servers do an excellent job of solving most anonymity-related tasks. However, it is not superfluous to use other methods to bring your privacy to the highest possible level. Here are five additional tips to improve your online security.
VPNs and proxies for regular users are similar in many ways, but they still have differences. VPN encrypts the traffic passing through it, providing a high level of your security. That is, your personal information cannot be compromised. Now you can find such programs and applications for any device and operating system. That is, to use a VPN, you need to install additional software. Proxies can be used without installing anything. Subscribing to quality VPN services can cost a lot, and free versions might limit the amount or speed of traffic.
Two-factor authentication is a reliable way to secure your accounts on any service or platform. This method usually consists of two parts: your profile data and phone number, fingerprint, biometric data, email address, and so on. If possible, use two-factor authentication wherever there is such an option. Nowadays, a strong password alone is not enough to provide reliable protection. The introduction of an additional verification step significantly reduces (but does not eliminate) the possibility of your account being hacked.
Be extremely careful when creating and, most importantly, storing passwords. They should be not only difficult to guess but also different for each of your accounts. If you are not sure that you can remember them all, use reliable password managers. With them, you have to memorize only one complex combination, but all the rest will be safe.
The same goes for using email agents. Choose trusted services that offer strong data encryption, as emails may contain sensitive information. It is advisable to use separate accounts for different tasks, such as business correspondence, communication with friends, and online shopping.
Many software developers implement protection against scammers and hackers in their products. New patches fix critical errors made earlier and close vulnerabilities. That is why cybersecurity professionals recommend regularly updating all programs and applications on your devices. It is especially true for antiviruses. Outdated software is almost powerless against the constantly updated methods and tricks of scammers and jeopardizes the safety of your sensitive data.
All of these methods remain effective as long as you stay attentive to the resources where you leave information about yourself. Always make sure that there is a closed padlock icon in front of a URL in a browser bar, which means that a site is secure. Be sure to check each network or platform’s privacy settings, do not use public cloud storage to keep personal data, choose messengers with encryption functionality, and avoid entering sensitive information when using public Wi-Fi networks.
Stay Safe on the Internet
Now you know what proxy servers are and how you can further strengthen their protection. All existing methods have both pluses and some minuses. It is recommended to opt for an integrated approach and combine several techniques at once to reduce the disadvantages to zero. Only in this case can you be sure of the safety of your data.
