Think of it As a Safety Net
Unless you are an IT or MIS technician or manager, you may have never heard of proxy servers. Most non-technical employees don’t know the ins and outs of the technology systems they work with on a daily basis. In non-technical language, proxy servers are controllers or intermediaries, and can be thought of as “safety nets” or “distribution centers”. They are systems or software that sit between the user and the actual application for various purposes: to verify users and access, systems that cache data to increase access speed, a process with specific security objectives such as hiding IP addresses or verifying users upon access requests. They handle and secure incoming and outgoing traffic from local networks and the internet and secure the data and integrity of the system to which they are attached.
Proxy servers serve a dual purpose. They are used to improve efficiency and to filter data. They save time by caching info that has been requested so that the next time a user requests it, the server doesn’t have to go all the way out to the internet to retrieve it. They are also used as filters to control what kind of data is allowed and prevent harmful or dangerous data passing from users to servers.
It can be a vehicle to access an intranet externally, through the internet. A server is not intentionally left with open, unprotected, or unguarded connections to the internet – that would be like an open door. Typically the door is closed and locked, and requires a password to pass through as well. The proxy server is the closed door, lock and password between the user, the real server, and the internet, providing a variety of useful security and data access and processing purposes.
There are different kinds of proxy servers: web proxy or anonymous servers and reverse proxy servers to name a few. These web proxy or anonymous ones deal with web traffic and cache and filter web data for efficiency and security, and reverse proxy servers that sit between users on the internet, a firewall, and an internal server they are trying to access. A simple way to think of them is as the server in front of another one. They are workhorse programs and machines.
They are just one of a variety of network tools used to manage technology systems. They are different from routers, with better filtering. They have capabilities that firewalls don’t have, although they are frequently used with firewalls and managed through a gateway. They are used for caching, storing previously sourced data; sometimes multiple proxy servers are used for caching in high traffic user groups.
MIS and IT staff select, purchase or recommend purchase, install, configure, and maintain systems, including proxy servers, and other programs and hardware that make a company’s network run securely. Proxy servers are one utilitarian part of a coordinated information technology system.
For more information on proxy servers, visit http://proxy.tv
Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/security-articles/think-of-it-as-a-safety-net-1022424.html
Welcome back! You may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Related Posts - About Encryption and Making Your System Secure What does encryption do for me? Encryption and cryptographic software has been used in many different ways to make systems more secure. This article discusses only a few ways that such software can make your system more secure, including: 1) Encrypting your email 2) Encrypting your filesTo programs are mentioned......
- Identity Theft and What You Can Do About It - Part Two What Should I Do To Avoid Becoming A Victim Of Identity Theft? To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take. For starters, just remember the word "SCAM": “S” Be STINGY about giving out your......
- How does a Wi-Fi router work? What is it?A Wi-Fi router is a wireless gadget that connects two or more computers with each other or to a whole network. It may happen that a user has a wireless network at home or at office. One can find wireless network environment (Wi-Fi hotspot) in an international airport......
-
Which free anonymous proxy should I use? Image via Wikipedia Often people will want to know and will ask me, what would be the best free anonymous proxy to use? Honestly there is no clear cut answer to that question. Proxies that appear to be good may disappear from use on the internet within an hour. ...... - Virus: M. Jackson's Death And Threats: Interent Explorer What you need to know: Another major news story sparks the release of viruses. Hackers Are taken advantage of the highly publicized death of Michael Jackson and duping unsuspecting users into installing malware on their computers. What you need to Do: * Be Skeptical of links and sites that play......
Related Websites -
Stashing Your Cash If you want to access your money quickly, where do you put it? Where do you hide your emergency fund, in a cookie jar, a safe or in the bank? Knowing where to stash your cash is vitally important, and so here are some of the options that are available...... - Study More About Affiliate Marketing Partnerships: Benefits Of Maverick Money Makers Membership Online Club The first steps to a successful affiliate internet business on the web develops with a marketing plan that can incorporate several components to give you maximum exposure. If you are a new or struggling internet marketer, finding the keys to where to market, what to market and when to market......
- Carrier Ethernet/SIP Services Carrier Ethernet is used by telecommunication network providers to give personal users and businesses the fastest possible Ethernet connections. The more information you can pass through a network at one time the more valuable an Internet service provider becomes because it lowers your overall wait time for data.As the......
- Vishing, SPITING, Eavesdropping - Security Threats to VoIP Primer If your business uses or is considering deploying out VoIP, you should be aware of the many ways your systems could be compromised. Orthus offers an overview of the new and old threats which could harm your IP telephony service.After spending years being the nearly man of communications technology,......
-
Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more than 80 top products is just what you need. Everyone's got saving money on their minds these days. Some of us are always looking to......
« Some Might Say That Antivirus 2009 Is the Worst Rogue Application Around | Home | Protect your PC from Infection »
Leave a Comment