What is a Proxy Server

A proxy server, better known as a proxy, is a neutral computer that serves as a filter/mask
between local computer networks and larger networks like the internet. In general terms, a proxy
server works as the middle man between your computer and the internet. By default, most home
computers are not set to use a proxy. However, one can be configured easily using one of the many
free proxy softwares and browser add ons.

Technically, a proxy server computer uses ports to filter connections between your computer
and other networks (the internet). When you set your internet to use a proxy, your computer’s data is
sent to the proxy to be filtered, rather than directly to the internet. In turn, the proxy server receives
the data, filters it for you (masking/changing certain variables), and then sends it to the internet using
a different port.

There are several different types of proxy servers, designed for different purposes. Some proxy
servers are as simple as an application (on a proxy computer) that is made to block common internet
services. For example, a specialized http proxy is used to limit web access vs. a SMTP proxy, which
is used to limit and filter email.

How Does a Proxy Server Work

Proxy servers use network addressing schemes to show one general (organization) IP address to
the filter-out network (the internet). The proxy server acts like a funnel, which takes a lot of
information from various sources, and filters it all into one specific address. Proxy servers can also be
used backwards, as a way to restrict your computer from reaching certain places on the internet
(certain web sites). Base proxies, meaning a lightweight, simple proxy, are often times components of
computer firewall software.

Proxys have the ability to cache webpages, which means, store server requests. For example, if a
computer is using a proxy to access the internet, the proxy may cache a request for a certain website
in order to cut down on access time. By storing a cached copy of the request directly on the proxy, the
proxy can operate faster and load web pages more efficiently for the base requesting computer.

Why Use a Proxy Server

Proxy servers are capable of performing many complex tasks; but for the general computer user,
a proxy is used for one thing -masking an IP address. What is an IP address? Basically, an IP address
is a unique number (variable) that every computer is assigned, if it uses the internet. IP addresses are
used by the internet to route data specifically for your computer. Every computer is assigned a unique
IP address. IP addresses basically hold two types of information. Where your computer is at, and who
your internet provider is. For example, if you are using Comcast cable internet in New York, your IP
address may be something like: c-99-99-99-99.hsd1.nj.comcast.net.

Proxy servers allow you to go through them in order to mask your computer info. Once you are
connected to a proxy, it filters your IP address and masks it as a different IP address (whatever
address the proxy is set to use).

Can you use proxy servers? Of course. The main downfall of most proxies is that they slow
down your internet connection. Web pages will not load as fast due to the fact that the data is being
filtered each time you request a web page. Proxy servers are actually quite simple to use. All that is
required is that you find a proxy, enter the information about the proxy, and activate it. There are
proxies all over the world that are free to use. You can even have your IP address show up as a
computer from a different country.

History of Proxy
Proxy severs have been around for quite a while now. There is not a lot of information about the
actual history of proxy servers. Most likely, the history of proxy servers dates back to the beginnings
of networking and the internet itself. However, Bright Hub has several other great articles that you
can check out to learn more about proxy servers.

Proxy Technical overview

A proxy server acts as a gateway between you and the Internet. It is an intermediate server that
separates end users from the websites they browse. Proxy servers provide different levels of
functionality, security, and privacy based on use cases, needs, or company policy.
When you use a proxy server, Internet traffic flows through the proxy server to the requested
address. The request is then returned through the same proxy server (with exceptions to this rule),
which then forwards the data received from the website to you.
Modern proxy servers do more than forward web requests, all in the name of data security and
network performance. Proxy servers act as firewalls and web filters, provide shared network
connections, and cache data to speed up general requests. A good proxy server protects users and the
internal network from bad things on the wild internet. Finally, proxy servers can provide a high level
of privacy.
How Does a Proxy Server Operate?
Every computer on the Internet requires a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. Think of this IP
address as your computer's address. Just as the post office knows where to deliver mail to you, the
Internet knows how to use an IP address to send the right data to the right computer.
A proxy server is basically a computer on the Internet with its own IP address that your
computer knows. When you send a web request, your request is first sent to a proxy server. The proxy
server then makes web requests on your behalf, collects responses from the web server, and forwards
the web page data to you so you can view the page in your browser.
When a proxy server forwards your web request, it can make changes to the data you send and
still give you the information you expect. A proxy server can change your IP address, so the web
server doesn't know your exact location in the world. It encrypts your data, making your data
unreadable in transit. Finally, proxy servers can block access to specific websites based on IP
addresses.
Why Should You Use a Proxy Server?
There are several reasons organizations and individuals use a proxy server.

Proxy Server Risks

You do need to be cautious when you choose a proxy server: a few common risks can negate
any of the potential benefits:
Virus Attacks And Spam
Security Hack
Broken Internet
  Identity Theft
Types of Proxy Servers
Not all proxy servers work the same way. It’s important to understand exactly what
functionality you’re getting from the proxy server and ensure that the proxy server meets your use
case.
Transparent Proxy

● A transparent proxy tells websites that it is a proxy server and it will still pass along your IP
address, identifying you to the webserver. Businesses, public libraries, and schools often use
transparent proxies for content filtering: they’re easy to set up both client and server-side.

Anonymous Proxy

● An anonymous proxy will identify itself as a proxy, but it won’t pass your IP address to the
website – this helps prevent identity theft and keep your browsing habits private. They can
also prevent a website from serving you targeted marketing content based on your location.
For example, if CNN.com knows you live in Raleigh, NC, they will show you news stories
they feel are relevant to Raleigh, NC. Browsing anonymously will prevent a website from
using some ad targeting techniques, but is not a 100% guarantee.

Distorting proxy
 ● A distorting proxy server passes along a false IP address for you while identifying itself as a
proxy. This serves similar purposes as the anonymous proxy, but by passing a false IP address,
you can appear to be from a different location to get around content restrictions.

High Anonymity proxy

● High Anonymity proxy servers periodically change the IP address they present to the web
server, making it very difficult to keep track of what traffic belongs to who. High anonymity
proxies, like the TOR Network, is the most private and secure way to read the internet.

Information about standards

Standards define best practice in many different areas. They’re put together by groups of experts
and come in a number of different kinds, from a set of definitions to a series of strict rules. 
What is a standard?
In essence, a standard is an agreed way of doing something. It could be about making a product,
managing a process, delivering a service or supplying materials – standards can cover a huge range of
activities undertaken by organizations and used by their customers.
Standards are the distilled wisdom of people with expertise in their subject matter and who
know the needs of the organizations they represent – people such as manufacturers, sellers, buyers,
customers, trade associations, users or regulators.
Our portfolio extends to more than 30,000 current standards. They are designed for voluntary
use so it’s up to you – you’re not forced to follow a set of rules that make life harder for you, you’re
offered ways to do your work better.
Standards are knowledge. They are powerful tools that can help drive innovation and increase
productivity. They can make organizations more successful and people’s everyday lives easier, safer
and healthier.

The kinds of things that standards do

Standards cover a wide range of subjects from construction to nanotechnology, from energy
management to health and safety, from cricket balls to goalposts. They can be very specific, such as
to a particular type of product, or general such as management practices.
The point of a standard is to provide a reliable basis for people to share the same expectations
about a product or service. This helps to:
● facilitate trade

● provide a framework for achieving economies, efficiencies and interoperability

● enhance consumer protection and confidence.
Organizations might use:
● a quality management standard to help them work more efficiently and reduce product failures

● an environmental management standard to help reduce environmental impacts, reduce waste

and be more sustainable
● a health and safety standard to help reduce accidents in the workplace
● an IT security standard to help keep sensitive information secure
● a construction standard to help build a house
● an energy management standard to help cut energy consumption
 ● a food safety standard to help prevent food from being contaminated
● an accessibility standard to help make buildings accessible to disabled users
● an interoperability standard to ensure that bank and credit cards fit into ATMs and can be used
throughout the world.
How are standards made?

Standards come from co-operation and agreement

A standard is a collective work. Representatives of organizations having an interest and

expertise in the subject matter are brought together by BSI to form a technical committee to draw up
the standard, with our staff facilitating their development and review.
Typically, our technical committees comprise representatives of industry bodies, research and
testing organizations, local and central government, consumers and standards users.
We have more than 100 years’ experience of shaping standards – leading and facilitating the
process of reaching consensus among experts. We ensure standards committees are representative,
inclusive and accessible and the process is rigorous and transparent.We apply specific principles for
drafting standards that help to ensure that our standards are authoritative and widely respected.
Most British Standards are developed at an international level, either through organizations that
work globally (i.e. ISO and IEC) or just within Europe (i.e. CEN, CENELEC and ETSI). BSI is
closely involved with these organizations at all levels and its technical committees almost always
nominate members to participate in the development of international standards.
BSI is obliged to adopt all European standards (ENs) developed by CEN, CENELEC and ETSI
and to withdraw any exiting British Standards that conflict with them. This obligation does not apply
to international standards, although there is a general presumption that we will adopt them unless
there are strong reasons for not doing so.
Adoption entails giving the special status of “British Standard” (BS) which indicates that the
standard has been developed according to the principles set out in BS 0.
We also develop British Standards entirely within the UK, covering subjects not covered by
international standardization.
The development time for a British Standard ranges between one and four years, depending on
the complexity of the subject and the range of stakeholders involved. For this reason, international
standards usually take longer to develop than those produced locally.
British Standards are not the only type of standard we produce. Some of these, particularly
PASs  can often be developed in much shorter timescales.
Different types of standards

What are the different types of standard?

Standards all have the same basic purpose of setting out agreed principles or criteria so that their
users can make reliable assumptions about a particular product, service or practice.
However, they can vary in two major respects:
● the type of agreement
● the number of people, organizations or countries who were involved in making the agreement.
 In some standards, the type of agreement essentially amounts to advice and guidance; others are
much more prescriptive and set out absolute requirements that have to be met if a user wishes to
make a claim of compliance with the standard.
Different subject areas and different user groups have needs for differing forms and levels of
standardization, and BSI tries to cater for all these needs.

British Standards

Most standards published by BSI carry the status of “British Standard”. This indicates that they
have been developed using the processes set out in BS 0, A standard for standards. The principal
characteristic of a British Standard is that it is produced by a process that involves:
● a committee – a widely-based group of experts nominated by organizations who have an
interest in the content and application of the standard
● consultation – making a draft available for scrutiny and comment to anyone who might be
interested in it
● consensus – the principle that the content of the standard is decided by general agreement of
as many as possible of the committee members, rather than by majority voting.
This process reinforces the authority of the standard and helps to ensure that it will be accepted
by a very wide range of people who might be interested in applying it.
British Standards may be developed entirely within the UK by BSI committees, or, in most
cases, are adoptions of international standards developed under very similar processes and, almost
always, involving strong UK participation.

PASs

A PAS is in many respects similar to a British Standard. However it is always developed in

response to a commission by an external sponsor who funds a resource-intensive process which
allows it to be developed and published quickly to satisfy an immediate business need.

Other standards

Some standards don’t need to be backed by the same degree of public consultation and
consensus. In many cases they are provisional, and subject to further development on the basis of
experience gained during the first year or two of their use.
These include standard-type documents that don’t have the same status as British Standards and
come under the catch-all category of Published Documents (PD).
We can also help design and implement private standards designed primarily for use within a
company or organization and with its suppliers, or by a group of organizations forming part of a
membership body.

Categories of standards

Most standards can be categorized according to the function they need to perform. The most
common is the Specification, which is a highly prescriptive standard setting out detailed absolute
requirements. It is commonly used for product safety purposes or for other applications where a high
degree of certainty and assurance is required by its user community.
Codes of practice recommend sound good practice as currently undertaken by competent and
conscientious practitioners. They are drafted to incorporate a degree of flexibility in application,
whilst offering reliable indicative benchmarks. They are commonly used in the construction and civil
engineering industries.
Methods are also highly prescriptive, setting out an agreed way of measuring, testing or
specifying what is reliably repeatable in different circumstances and places, wherever it needs to be
applied.
A Vocabulary is a set of terms and definitions to help harmonize the use of language in a particular
subject or discipline.
Guides are published to give less prescriptive advice which reflects the current thinking and
practice amongst experts in a particular subject.
Other categories of standard can be employed as necessary.
Unlocking business potential

How we can help unlock your business potential

Organizations need knowledge to succeed. And in business today, knowledge has never been
more important.
Knowledge is the most important tool businesses use to overtake their rivals. Better knowledge
means better products, better processes, better management tools, better values and better behaviours
– throughout a business. But perhaps most importantly, better knowledge can mean developing a
unique company, a key ingredient in outstanding success.
Too often, however, the unique knowledge that businesses possess goes to waste, while other
knowledge that could dramatically improve how they work is never imported from outside.

How standards can unlock the potential knowledge offers

In the early days of BSI at the start of the 20 th century, standards were about achieving
consistent product quality. Later standards helped build strong, reliable processes throughout an
organisation. Today standards continue to do all this, while at the same time helping you unlock and
develop new streams of knowledge through your organization.
Increasingly today the emphasis is on using knowledge to help organizations tap into their own
business potential. How? By looking at the values and principles they operate by and the best practice
knowledge they have amassed in the area in which they work. By making sure these unique values,
principles and specialist knowledge are utilized to their full potential. And by adopting tried and
tested principles from outside in specific areas of their business, often gaining huge improvements in
productivity.
We help organizations realize what valuable knowledge they have, often overlooked, which
gives them certain unique advantages over others. This is an exciting new area for standards, which
includes issues such as corporate behaviours, business ethics, diversity and innovation capability. It
can encourage and provide linkages between many different technical domains to solve an emerging
issue.
These growing streams of knowledge within an organization accelerate the innovation cycle,
spread key expertise business-wide, and establish firm value-based principles to deepen the company
culture which is a key ingredient in unlocking your potential. 
Standards and regulation
If you comply with a British Standard then it’s pretty clear that you take your responsibilities
seriously as an organization, and indeed compliance is often taken as evidence of due diligence. It
certainly speaks volumes about your attitudes to doing things properly.
However, standards aren’t the same as regulations and following a standard doesn’t guarantee
that you’re within the relevant laws. In fact standards rarely cite the law as legislation could change
within the lifetime of the standard.

How standards are used in law

The government often draws on standards when putting together legislation or guidance
documents. Standards are used to establish the technical detail, allowing the legislation to concentrate
on long term policy objectives – for example product safety, or environmental protection.
In a case like this, compliance with the standard will often mean you’re compliant with the
relevant legislation, although there are usually ways of being compliant with legislation without using
a standard.
It’s also worth noting that BSI is not empowered to check and police every organization’s claim
to be compliant with British Standards – that would usually be a matter for a trading standards unit at
a local authority. A false claim of compliance is likely to put you on the wrong side of the law.
How standards support emerging technologies
business ‘ecosystem’, and the stronger they can exploit the networks within the ecosystem
Businesses looking to commercialise emerging technologies are part of a developing, the faster the
market for their products will grow.  However, these complex ecosystems can give rise to obstacles
that get in the way of successful innovation.
Standards are key to removing these obstacles as they can help an emerging technology
ecosystem rally round the issues to promote successful commercialisation of new products. They can
lay down the ‘rules of the game’ for markets looking to develop and adopt emerging technologies: for
example they can help define interoperability so that one product or service can work with another
made by a different organization, or they can put down rules which reassure consumers about safety
and reliability, particularly for technologies which are perceived to be risky.
Standards can also streamline the development of new technologies and related products, though
processes and systems which are known to work.
By doing this, standards can reduce the time taken to commercialize new technologies and
accelerate the speed at which innovations become more than mere ideas.
The use proxy of this technology today
 

Anonymity and protection

The intermediary function allow enhance the security of your smartphone or computer. They
provide encryption of traffic and protect data from cyberattacks.
There are many ways to hack your device. Attackers can gain access to your PC and files on
your hard drive with malicious software: viruses, computer worms, Trojan horse software. Such cases
are not by no means uncommon, and they often occur when running an online game, downloading a
movie, or installing seemingly harmless software. Hackers gain control over your computer or phone
to organize DDoS-attacks, gain access to social networks pages to spread spam and viruses, steal your
accounts promoted in games for their subsequent resale. By enabling a proxy, you increase the
protection of your device and prevent unauthorized access to your account.
 In addition, proxies will help you avoid eavesdropping, which is especially important when you
share the Internet in cafes, airports, hotels. They will make you 100% anonymous on the Web.

Maintaining high speeds for convenience in online games and when watching movies
One of the purposes of proxies is to increase the speed of request processing. Proxies save
traffic by storing a copy of the data in local storage so that you can download that information faster
the next time.

With increased efficiency and performance, you can play online games without worrying about
slowdowns and high pings. Proxies also help you watch YouTube videos and movies on media
resources without buffering obstacles or annoying disconnections from your ISP.

Hiding your real location

Proxies are useful if you are away and don’t want your relatives, colleagues, bosses, or potential
thieves to know about them. All you need to do is to select and connect proxies located in your
country.

Restrictions and controls for company executives

Quality proxies are a must-have for businessmen. The use of this tool opens a lot of new
possibilities:

Access control. You can always block access to social networks and messengers if you want to
increase the efficiency of your employees.

Traffic balancing. With a proxy, you have the ability to rebalance requests to the server to
eliminate restarts and ensure the uninterrupted functioning of the site on the client side. This way,
you’ll not only increase conversion rates but also improve your site’s ranking through behavioral
factors.

Test new features and performance. Once the proxy is connected, the manager of the company
will be able to view the performance of the features through the eyes of the customers. In addition,
you can check the loading speed of the official site for users from different countries, to test the
performance of the Internet resource in conditions of high load.

Competitive intelligence. Thanks to the proxy, data collection will not raise suspicions, which
will allow you to avoid blocking your IP address. Besides, you can easily send requests from the
addresses of needed countries or regions.

Brand protection. Proxies can help you in the fight against counterfeiting. All you need is a
proxy of the same country as the counterfeit site. Once you’ve identified the fraudsters, you can make
a legal claim against them.

Free to watch TV in other countries

 Modern users are able to watch most of the world’s TV channels on the Internet, including the
BBC, Discovery Channel. However, there are restrictions, according to which the viewer must be in
the same country as the TV channel. You’ll need proxies to get around this convention.

Saving money on VOIP and Skype calls

Many people consider IP telephony to be a more convenient and profitable option in comparison
with usual long-distance phone calls. If you choose a paid service, the cost of this type of
communication may depend on your location. Thus, using a proxy will give you instant access to
cheaper local calls.

SMM and SEO-promotion

Professional promotion of a business or a blog in social networks usually involves the use of
additional software and mass actions that contradict the established limits. Do you wish to actively
promote your accounts without fear of being pessimized or blocked by the system? Then make sure
you enable the proxy. This way, you’ll have access to a lot of activities in social networks, a safe
setup of delayed posting, and maintenance of multiple pages simultaneously without the need to enter
captchas.

Proxies are also useful for SEO monitoring, such as website traffic analysis, SEO text
monitoring, external link auditing, technical analysis, and semantic analysis. The benefits of using
proxies for search engine optimization:

● guarantee of anonymity;
● high-speed thanks to caching;
● parsing without the risk of blocking;
● rapid detection of errors in the delivery of content in different regions;
● bypassing restrictions associated with massive requests.
 

Access to restricted resources

Messengers, social networks, and some sites are subject to regional restrictions. If you want to
fully use your favorite sites and applications, we advise you to activate a proxy without delay. It is
relevant in different situations, including when visiting another country, where the platforms that
were launched in Russia do not work.

How not to make a mistake when choosing a proxy

First of all, let’s understand the classification of proxies. They can be public (free) or private
(paid). When you connect a public proxy there is a great risk that your personal data will be
compromised, besides, free proxies can be on the black list of many sites. You do not want to use
them because of their instability, frequent crashes as a result of reboots, and possible IP blocking.
Public proxies are only good for short-term use, for example, testing.
 Private proxies are strictly private. They are authenticated so that other people cannot get access
to your proxy and your personal data. The advantages of private proxies include high anonymity,
protection of accounts from blocking, speed, and the possibility of detailed setup.

It is better to buy quality private proxies from a direct proxy provider you are guaranteed to get
the best conditions here.