subject: Proxy - Finding A Reliable Proxy Server
[print this page] Online proxy servers are used for one or a combination of several reasons. Using this kind of server to browse the web provides you with anonymity. You might desire this for security reasons. Unknown to many people, you leave a digital trail of breadcrumbs behind you that hackers can trace back to your personal computer. This is possible because whenever you use the web to make purchases, check your bank account, or even conduct simple research, your computer's identification number, or IP address, is tracked when transferring data to and from your PC. Tech savvy people with low morals can use their talents to trace your activity to your computer and gain access to all kinds of information like passwords, home address, and even credit card numbers.
Another reason why people use proxy servers is if they want easy access to a specific online resource that they may otherwise be restricted from. Proxy servers allow you to fly under the radar and visit sites without worrying about being tracked. This is made possible because web servers transfer the data to the proxy server, meaning they only see the IP address of the proxy, not of your personal computer.
While standard web servers are restricted from seeing your IP address, the proxy itself still has access to your identification number. This means if your goal is to remain anonymous while browsing the web, you need to trust the proxy you use. Checking forums can be a great place to identify popular proxies being used today. Unfortunately, hacked proxies abound as unscrupulous individuals do everything they can to foil everyone's plans of staying anonymous when surfing the net. They might stoop to the level of tampering with posts in forums to entice innocent people seeking anonymity to begin using a hacked proxy. To prevent yourself from becoming an unknown victim of such a situation, there are other options you can seek other than finding proxy servers from Google searches.
While many people want to get proxy server access for free, this leads to overcrowded servers with limited bandwidth and a prowling zone for identity thieves to focus on. You have the option of purchasing personal software to install on your computer that allows you to surf anonymously via proxies. The small investment could save you a lot of headaches down the road. It is easy to install and gives you fast, anonymous internet browsing capabilities.
