If you’re new to the whole idea of proxy servers, we’ll get into them now. Proxies, or proxy servers, act as a middleman between your device and the websites you’re on. When you are browsing websites and doing various actions on them, the requests flow from your computer directly to the website. That means the website has a direct connection to the IP (Internet Protocol) address that represents your connection. The proxy server has a distinct, separate IP address which effectively sets up a barrier between your IP address and a website that might want to collect that data. If you’re using your device on any kind of public Wi-Fi, using proxies is a great way to make sure your information isn’t susceptible to a hacker.

If you’re still wondering what a proxy is used for outside of simple internet security, there are still so many reasons to use proxies. First and foremost, we wanted to highlight the security guard nature of a proxy server because it is so important to keep yourself safe on the internet. Proxies can also help you bypass restrictions such as geo-blocked content. Many countries and governments have geo-restrictions in place to control the nature of the content viewable to the public. Another key reason to use proxies is the added speed they can provide to your network.

While the above list includes only some of the reasons why using proxies is a great idea, regardless of your reason, it’s never too early to start taking advantage of the benefits of using proxies. You should use proxies both as an individual and for your business.