An
anonymous proxy, also referred to as an anonymous proxy server,
allows a client to access a file, web page, or some other resources through a
server which services the requests of the client through another remote server.
For example, when a client accesses a web page through an anonymous proxy, the
client talks to the proxy and the proxy talks to the web page, maintaining the
privacy of the client, such as his/her IP address. The purpose of such a proxy,
or a server, is to protect the privacy of the client from the service and from
other individuals who may be logging and inspecting the client’s connection.
Such
proxies are commonly used in schools and work spaces, to pass-by
potential firewalls and monitoring services in place. Students will often
utilize anonymous proxies to access social networking websites deemed and
blocked by the school as harming the productivity of the students. Employees of
a company may try to circumvent forms of monitoring within a company that may try
to track or control which websites its employees are visiting.
Anonymous
proxies serve as a wall between the client and the service being accessed.
These servers can be used to bypass the restrictions and access these services
possibly blocked by the country or some other organization providing the
Internet connection, while others may use it solely for the privacy that is
possibly guaranteed.
Risks
Behind Anonymous Proxies
Because of
how anonymous proxies, especially those running on web pages, are designed, all
data sent to the proxy servers are encrypted. Therefore, it is possible that
confidential information such as lo-gin and passwords can be recorded by a
malicious proxy server. Also, through proxy chaining, some clients could
potentially fall as victims to a web page displaying a false security measures,
allowing all proxies within these chains to trace the client’s activities.
Thus, only trusted anonymous proxies with a clear privacy policy should be used
for security sake.
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