A friend of mine has asked me to invest in a proxy server to protect myself because I have no idea about security. But be4 i even think about doing this I need to know what a "proxy server" is, how they work, are they safe and is it legal?

Some descripitions of what proxy servers are and do (and yes- they're perfectly legal):

http://www.publicproxyservers.com/index.html
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/p/proxy_server.html
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definit...212840,00.html


However, if you're just looking to protect one or a few computers on a home or small office network, a proxy server is probably overkill.

Additionally- if you aren't very familiar with computer/network security, you'll probably find the task of setting up and properly configuring a proxy server to be a bit over your head. There's also the cost factor: a true proxy server is a separate dedicated computer which stands between the existing computers on your internal network and your connection to "the outside world"; you'll need to shell out some $$ for the extra hardware and software.


What are your specific "security" concerns and what sort of computer/network setup are you trying to protect?
If you give us some details, we can give you some alternatives that will be less complicated (and less expensive) than setting up a proxy machine.

Your friend has no idea about "security" either.

Let me give you a rundown here about the biggest misconception about proxy servers. There is but one simple truth about proxies: they are not anonymous. If you care to test this truth, go ahead and do something stupid using an "anonymous" proxy. The term is as rediculous as the idea if you truly understand what a proxy is used for.

You may be able to duck and hide from those who don't understand how networking operates, but in the end, you will be pwn3d by those who do and by those who you will meet behind bars.

here is some info on proxy servers :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy
http://www.hidemyip.net/Faq.php

I am at a total loss for words. I am devastated. I work in helpdesk and our company was heaven until they installed this thing called 'Websense' well for sometime we were working with the anonymous surfing sites in IE then they blocked it so we configured proxy settings until they disabled the feature in IE so we installed mozilla firefox and again used anonymous surfing sites and configuring proxies but now all hell has broken loose and nothing works. Is there a way we can bypass websense ?

Real men make there own cgi proxies.

www.peacefire.org

thanx dude

just use anonmizyer

Real men don't have time to make everything themselvs so they..... get it from people that do!

I guess you could trade 5 minutes for security, what you are viewing, and information. But you could just make your own and know that you are surfing with only one person looking at it. YOU! So I guess computer illiterate people use other peoples proxies.:cheesy: