Findproxy

A proxy server is one that is present in between a real server and a client application. It is an interceding application where all the requests that are sent to the real server are checked by the proxy server to see if it can fulfill the request by itself. If not, it forwards the request to the real server.

A proxy server stores all the data in an unencrypted form. As it records everything including logins and passwords, it can be put to malicious use. But there are many ways to maintain privacy and anonymity. One way is to chain the proxies so that the data about the requester is not revealed. This will still not be secure because there are hops on the way where traces of data get stored. The best method is to use a secure proxy server which has a high level of integrity.

One of the well-known filtering proxies for the HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is Privoxy. It is used along with Squid and TOR. Squid is a web caching daemon and a proxy server that is released as free software. It essentially speeds up a web server by caching all the requests. Used by itself, it creates concerns because it stores a large amount of data like the URLs and logins and passwords. TOR is free software that enables people to communicate anonymously on the Internet. Privoxy features advance filtering abilities that help maintain privacy, filter content of web pages, manage cookies, controls access, and removes banners, ads and pop-up windows. It can be used in stand-alone as well as a large network. It is based on the Internet Junkbuster. It can run on Windows, Linus, Mac OS X, BeOS and AmigaOS. But it best runs on UNIX.

TOR is used with Privoxy to make the system less vulnerable to attack through the Internet. TOR stands for The Onion Router. "Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet," according to the TOR homepage. TOR contains many layers of security that are removed one-by-one as a message is sent through TOR. Using TOR information can be shared on public networks with good privacy. Better communication tools are designed that contain privacy features that are in-built.

Proxy servers when used with good filters do help in maintaining privacy. It automatically helps filter all the unwanted stuff from the Internet by acting as a secure check-post.