How are Proxy Servers effective against Cybercrimes?


What is a Proxy Server?

Incoming client requests are verified and forwarded to other servers for further communication. A proxy server, such as a Web browser and a Web server, is positioned between a client and a server and functions as a middleman between the two. The most crucial function of a proxy server is to provide security.

Network intelligence has progressed with the introduction of improved tools and network services like the proxy server.

A client connects to a proxy server before sending a request, such as accessing a file or opening a Web page. Each IP address and a request are filtered and evaluated by the proxy server. The validated request is sent to the appropriate server, which requests the service on the client's behalf.

A proxy server serves various functions, including providing internal system security.

  • To make resource access more efficient.

  • To implement access policies to keep track of company Internet usage or evaluate employee achievement.

  • To get over certain restrictions, such as parental or security restrictions.

  • To do a virus and malware scan

  • To get around regional limitations

When cross-domain limitations prevent websites from linking to other domains, this feature allows them to request externally hosted resources.

Proxies Used in Cybersecurity Operations

You can pick between residential proxies and datacenter proxies to safeguard your house or business from cybercriminals. Proxies for datacenters are quick. They also provide unrivalled uptime, unlimited bandwidth, and exceptional performance.

On the other hand, residential proxies are great in instances where you want to remain entirely unnoticed by using someone else's IP address. Residential proxies allow you to access geo-restricted content and websites that would otherwise be unavailable if you didn't utilize a location-specific IP address. You can also employ reverse proxies and transparent proxies for cybersecurity operations, as we'll go into later.

How Does It Work?

Your computer's address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address. This address is specific to your computer and is used by the internet to decide which computer should receive data.

Proxy servers have their IP address that only your computer knows about. When you send an internet request (such as opening a web page), the request first goes to the proxy server. The proxy server then transmits this request across the internet, gets the response, and provides the information to you. Proxy servers can alter data as it goes through them (without affecting how you see the page yourself). Proxy servers, for example, can change your IP address, filter content, and encrypt data.

What is the Role of Proxies in Cybersecurity?

Proxies for cybersecurity can be used for the following tasks −

Email Anti-Phishing Protection

Email phishing is a type of cybercrime in which fraudsters mimic firms through emails or text messages. They do this to steal money or information from user accounts. Additionally, email phishing can lead to malware and ransomware attacks, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.

Businesses may use proxy servers to circumvent this. Email scraping, which scans emails for potentially harmful content or connections, is easier using email security proxies. As a result, potentially hazardous emails are kept out of inboxes.

Datacenter proxies are suggested for this purpose due to their great performance, speed, and uptime. In addition to proxies, businesses should invest in adequate ransomware security. Dedicated ransomware tabletop exercises should be conducted by serious organizations about their cybersecurity posture to test their incident response methods.

Protection Against Identity/Brand Theft

Counterfeiting is a significant issue that costs businesses billions of dollars each year in lost revenue. Theft of a person's brand or identity is a crime perpetrated by criminals. They begin by fabricating fake goods and then packaging them with registered trademarks of well-known companies and enterprises. Finally, the counterfeiters sell the items online or in traditional retail stores as genuine.

Fortunately, businesses may utilize proxy servers to monitor product listings. In actuality, proxy servers enable access to geo-restricted websites.

Preventing DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attacks

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is a hostile attempt to halt the operation of a website. An attacker often sends a massive number of requests far above the server's capacity, which overwhelms it.

To avoid DDoS assaults, businesses should deploy a content delivery network (CDN). A content delivery network (CDN) is a global network of proxy servers. The website's content is typically saved on each CDN's proxies. As a result, a visitor trying to access the site is redirected to the nearest proxy, where they may get the information they need. DDoS attacks can be mitigated by using reverse proxies.

A reverse proxy is implemented on the server's end of the internet connection. Caching frequently viewed web pages for rapid retrieval protects the server from attacks when needed. It's accomplished by properly configuring the server.

Defending Against Data Breach and Attacks

It's important to note that phishing isn't only about emails. Cybercriminals frequently set up full-fledged scam phishing websites with URLs that seem identical to legitimate businesses. There were 611,877 phishing sites in the first quarter of 2021, up 269 percent from the first quarter of 2020.

These websites are made to harvest information from unsuspecting visitors. Companies can utilize web scraping to find and block phishing sites using fast and robust datacenter proxies.

Defend against Malware

To avoid malware-infected websites, malware defense companies may use transparent proxies. This type of proxy allows users to connect to other secure websites. Transparent proxies get their name because users may be unaware of their presence in a network.

Proxy servers give an extra layer of protection against scams and online fraud. Significantly, proxies can be utilized for a variety of cybersecurity purposes. However, others, such as datacenter proxies, are recommended because of their speed, high uptime, and unmatched performance. On the other hand, reverse and transparent proxies can be used to protect your servers or network from DDoS and malware attacks, respectively.

Updated on: 30-May-2022

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