Overview

• Proxy servers forward client requests to web servers while hiding original IP addresses to enable anonymity, content filtering and firewall bypass.
• Reverse proxies sit before back-end servers to distribute incoming traffic across multiple nodes, conceal server addresses and defend against DDoS attacks.
• Both forward and reverse proxies cache frequently accessed content locally to reduce load times and enhance overall performance.
• Careful setup is crucial since proxies can introduce latency and expose networks to misconfiguration exploits, making regular software updates and strict access controls vital.
• Proxy offerings range from transparent and SOCKS proxies to residential and datacenter IPs, and unlike VPNs they route specific traffic without full encryption, suiting tasks like automation and geo-restriction bypass.