When browsing online, your device usually connects directly to a website’s server. However, in certain cases, especially for privacy, security, or access control — a proxy server acts as a go-between. It stands between your device and the internet, forwarding your web requests and returning responses while showing its own public IP address instead of yours.
According to the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a proxy server is essentially a system that handles requests from clients and forwards them to other servers. In simple terms, it’s a digital middleman that manages the communication between you and the websites you visit.
How a Proxy Server Operates
Here’s how the process works:
1. Your computer or device sends a request to the proxy server instead of directly contacting a website.
2. The proxy then forwards that request to the destination site.
3. The site responds to the proxy.
4. The proxy returns the data to your device.
From your perspective, it looks like a normal browsing session, but from the website’s end, the request appears to come from the proxy’s IP address. Proxies can exist as physical network devices or as cloud-based services that users configure through system or browser settings.
Companies often use “reverse proxies” to manage and
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