Web proxies
Proxy servers are becoming increasingly popular amongst people who have concerns about what data is stored both on their computer and the access logs on the websites they visit. By surfing the Internet or accessing files and other resources via a proxy server, you can potentially eliminate these footprints and make it impossible for someone to track where you have visited.
A proxy server acts as an intermediary between your computer and the resources such as web pages that you are trying to access. When you request data via a proxy server, the proxy visits the corresponding site or file and downloads it on your behalf. They generally scan the item to ensure it passes all of their internal filters. If everything checks out, the proxy server relays the data back to you.
While there are several types of proxy servers, the two most common and popular by far are the web proxy server and the anonymizing proxy server.
A web proxy server focuses on web page traffic and is generally used to serve as a "web cache" to speed up access times. When you request a certain web page, the server checks to see if it already has the data you are looking for. If it doesn't, it accesses the corresponding page and stores it on its server before sending it back to you. Most web proxy services provide some sort of content filtering system to ensure that nothing is transferred back that goes against the companies policy. For instance, businesses, places of education and libraries may have a blacklist of URLS or content that they block as they do not want their resources used to access this type of material. This type of proxy server generally tracks your IP address but does not transmit it to the site that you've requested the information from.
An anonymizing proxy server is commonly referred to as a web proxy as well. This server attempts to completely anonymize the user's web surfing activities. These servers commonly use something called an "open proxy," allowing the user to conceal their IP address while they surf the Internet or use other services. This type of service has not only been used by people wishing to protect their privacy but also political opponents in repressive regimes such as China, as well as computer criminals. As a result, the operation of an anonymizing proxy server creates some possible legal ramifications to the person or company operating it.
One disadvantage of an anonymizing web proxy is the speed in which data is accessed and delivered back to the user. These services tend to be very slow, operating speeds far below what people find acceptable in this high-speed era. Another disadvantage is that a large number of website owners and hosting companies use software to detect anonymizing proxy server traffic and deny them access to their resources.