Proxy

In short: A proxy is an intermediary: requests do not go straight to the target but first through an intermediate server that passes them on.

In more detail: One distinguishes which side the proxy is on. A forward proxy stands on the users’ side and makes requests on their behalf. A reverse proxy stands on the web server’s side and accepts requests for it.

In Depth

• Forward proxy: in companies and schools, to filter, log or cache accesses. The target sees only the proxy’s address, not the user’s. A VPN has a similar effect.
• Reverse proxy: distributes load across several servers (load balancing), terminates the encryption (HTTPS), caches answers and protects the server behind it. Services such as Cloudflare work this way.
• Transparent or configured: some proxies intervene unnoticed, others must be entered in the browser.
• Security: a proxy can see the traffic if it is not encrypted. Unknown public proxies should not be trusted.

See also: VPN, firewall, HTTPS