New technologies increase the number of opportunities for businesses. At the same time, the number of technology-related threats keeps growing as well. Cybersecurity is one of the biggest challenges that businesses have to deal with. Moreover, as the online world is constantly evolving and developing, there is no magic cure-all that you can use once and sleep well. However, there is a tool that can help you solve some of the important tasks regarding online safety: proxies.
How do proxies work?
A proxy is a physical device or piece of software that acts as an intermediary between you and the global web. When you search for something, you send requests. The global web then sends you responses. If you use proxies, all the traffic passes through a proxy. This way, you don’t contact the Internet directly. Having an additional layer between you and the web enhances your security in several ways. Moreover, you can further configure your proxy server to benefit your security even more.
Proxies to hide your identity and location
When you’re online, your device has an IP address. With every request you send, you reveal your IP to all the web sources you visit. You never know who may get a hold of it. Knowing as little as your IP, it’s possible to figure out your location, internet service provider, postal code, or whether you’re a company or a private user. Knowing this, it’s not hard to figure out your name and physical address. Aside from that, hackers often need your IP to launch an attack. For example, a malicious actor has to know your IP to start a DDoS attack. Or, a con artist may use testing apps such as Kali Linux to check your IP and find a way to get into your network or gadget via an open port. In other words, your IP opens several ways for someone to get dangerously close to you. So, if you care about your online security, hiding your IP is a basic necessity.
Proxies can do it.
When a proxy server receives your request, it forwards that request to the target server, replacing your IP. Your real IP remains hidden, and so do the important details about you, like your physical location. At the same time, using proxies doesn’t affect your online activity and bandwidth, as you can surf the web as usual. It’s like sitting inside a car with heavily tinted windows.
Proxies to control access
There are many web sources that come with cybersecurity risks. For example, sites with pirated content, or sites known for hosting and spreading malware, spyware, and viruses. Sometimes you don’t even have to do anything — strings of malicious code get executed the very moment you open a webpage. This is a so-called stored cross-site scripting (XSS) attack.
Using proxies, you can restrict access to such sources beforehand. Not only your requests, but the Internet’s responses too, will go through a proxy server. With this, you can set necessary rules while configuring proxies, and a server won’t allow responses from particular sources to your internal network. You may blacklist certain sites by URL, DNS name, type of source, or IP address. This way, a proxy server won’t allow anyone from your internal network to visit blocked sources.
Proxies to filter content
There are not only harmful sources but harmful content too: be it suspicious files, spyware-infected images, or pieces of embedded code. You can find it everywhere, even on the most trustworthy websites. To give you an example, con artists might infect trusted sources with malware. If a website has a comment section or any place where users can input some information, bad actors may leave a comment with strings of malicious code or a link to a phishing site. For example, if you scrape the web to collect reviews on your product, you may fall into such a trap. So, access control isn’t always enough. In this case, you can configure your proxy to filter content.
The process is similar to access control. You can block certain types of content based on strings of text, code, or objects within images. You can set your proxy server to use detection techniques such as signature-based detection as well. There are different patterns — for example, pieces of code — that are associated with harmful activities. Signature-based detection is the process of identifying those patterns. You can set up your proxy so that it finds and blocks everything that matches those patterns. Thus, you’ll be protected from content that may pose safety threats.
Proxies to prevent DDoS attacks
A distributed denial-of-service attack, also known as a DDoS attack, occurs when a server receives more requests than it can handle. Cybercriminals are aware of that. Knowing the IP of a target server, they start sending numerous requests within a short period of time. As a result, the server stops responding. All the sites that the server hosts become unavailable. For you, it means that neither your employees nor customers can access your site or internal network. You cannot work, and your clients cannot buy from you.
Proxies can help you prevent this.
The thing is that proxy servers can cache webpages. When attackers try and launch a DDoS attack, a proxy server won’t load pages per every request. It will show a page from a cache. This way, the target server won’t receive an abnormal number of requests and shut down. Your internal network will remain safe. Moreover, you can configure your proxy server so that it will notify you if something suspicious, like a sudden traffic spike, occurs. You’ll win more time to take the necessary measures and protect yourself.
Proxies to encrypt traffic
When you send or receive requests, your data travels between your browser and the target server. Even if you don’t visit suspicious sources and your proxy server filters all the content, information is still vulnerable while going from point A to point B. Attackers may intercept it and use it. This is called a man-in-the-middle attack.
To avoid this, you need to encrypt your data. Encryption means that your data is ciphered. In the process of encryption, special digital keys are created. It’s impossible to decipher the data without those keys. Even if somebody manages to intercept that data, it’s impossible to read it and use it since it looks like a set of senseless symbols. With encryption, you can protect your data, especially if you send sensitive information like credit card details.
Browsers encrypt the traffic. Many sites also encrypt data by default. You are protected on a basic level. But there are cases when additional encryption is necessary. For example, if you send documents or enter payment details like a card’s CVV code. In such a situation you can encrypt your data with the help of proxies. While setting up a proxy server, you can choose a protocol, for example, the HTTPS protocol, that encrypts data. With it, you will be protected in the process of transferring your data.
Proxies to set authorization
If you have sensitive data like documents or your employees’ data to store, you need to protect it. Even if you store it somewhere on a separate server, you should control who can access it. Proxies are a tool. You can set rules so that a proxy server will require authorization. Everybody who tries to see particular information will have to provide a login and a password for a proxy server to reach servers where sensitive details are stored. This way, only trusted people will be able to access private information.
What can you get with DataImpulse?
- Safe proxies
To enhance your security, proxies must not be associated with hosting malware, viruses, or other risks. We provide you with safe proxies. We obtain our IPs in a legal way. There is a special app, developed by our company, that people install on their gadgets and opt to sell us a part of their traffic. We pay them for it. Our partners have to meet some requirements for us to work with them. We don’t just resell the IPs of other providers. It means that we have control over what we sell you.
- Compatibility with numerous apps
There are a lot of apps and browsers out there that you can use for business needs. It’s necessary to secure all of them. DataImpulse’s proxies are compatible with a lot of software. You can stay safe no matter what you use. We have a lot of detailed tutorials about how to start using proxies with different apps, and more instructions are on the way.
- Human support 24/7
If you have questions or need help, we are always here. We work even at night, on weekends, and holidays. When you ask a question, you don’t have to wait for a response, as we answer within minutes. On the other hand, you don’t necessarily need our involvement to register an account and start using proxies, as we offer self-service.
- Pay-as-you-go pricing model
When you buy traffic, you don’t have to use it within a set time period. You can use your GBs in 1 month or in 3 months; there is no difference. As we have our own proxy pool and don’t resell IPs, we can offer you the lowest price on the market — $1 per 1 GB. There is a trial available too — $5 per 5 GB.
To wrap up
Online security is a tense quest, with many obstacles appearing out of nowhere. You have to constantly be on the lookout. There is something to help you stay safe while online — proxies. They hide your real identity and location, control access, and filter traffic to not allow anything suspicious to enter your internal network. Proxies are also able to encrypt your data in the process of transferring it and protect you by requiring authorization and caching web pages. At DataImpulse, you can find ethical, safe proxies that are compatible with numerous apps and software. If you need help, you’re not alone; our support team is on guard for your safety 24/7. You pay only for the traffic you use at a modest price of $1 per 1 GB. Click on the Try now button in the top-right corner or contact us at [email protected] to start.