What Are the Functions of a Proxy Server?
Proxy servers act as middle men between a web user and the web, and could be installed on the user's computer or the user's network, such as in a business office. Proxies were originally invented to speed up web browsing (in the case of caching proxies), but they can also be used for a number of functions including content-filtering, web anonymity or even spying.
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Caching
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A caching proxy server stores frequently-accessed resources (pictures, videos, or whole websites), which speeds up loading times and saves bandwidth.
Content Filtering
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A content filtering proxy, used in schools, businesses, and even countries, restricts access to certain web pages and sites by using a database of blacklisted sites or flagging websites containing certain keywords.
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Circumvention
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Circumventing proxies attempt to override the instructions of a content-filtering proxy in order to gain access to a blocked website.
Anonymity
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Web surfing can often be tracked by inspecting visitors' IP addresses and search histories. Some proxy servers enable the user to hide his IP address behind the proxy in order to browse the web anonymously.
Eavesdropping
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Just as anonymous web proxies allow for browsing anonymity, "hostile" proxies can eavesdrop on a user's web browsing.
Security
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Reverse proxy servers send Internet requests through a proxy before hitting a website. As the traffic passes through, the proxy can encrypt the information, such as a password, before passing it onto the website.
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