When it became apparent that some proxies were porous and hackers could easily bypass them, it became necessary to develop proxies that not only mediated traffic but did so with the best security features.
HTTP(S) proxies are the type of proxies that provide end-to-end security by creating an encrypted tunnel where traffic is moved between users and the internet.
This way, internet users can enjoy more protection, security, and anonymity. The system also protects the user’s data and guards against unscrupulous elements.
In this short article, we will define what a proxy is, how HTTP(S) proxies differ from other types of proxies and how exactly businesses can use and benefit from them.
What Is A Proxy?
Proxies can be defined as gateways to mediate the connection between the internet user and the web. They can serve as middlemen or intermediaries that accept requests from users, create a channel, and transfer those requests using that channel. Check out this “What Is a Proxy?” article if you’re curious to learn more.
They also return results through the same route and are well known for concealing the user’s identity during the entire process.
Without proxies, users send requests to targeted servers and directly interact with them. However, this leaves the user exposed and susceptible to various internet harms, including the breach of very sensitive data.
But with proxies, users can retrieve any internet content without necessarily dealing directly with the content sources.
There are different proxy servers with different uses. Still, the most common uses of proxies include providing high-level security for users and their data, facilitating anonymity during browsing, overcoming geo-restrictions, managing web requests, redistributing traffic amongst servers and helping to prevent server crashes.
How Do Proxies Work?
Different proxies function differently, but the general process by which all proxies work can be explained like this:
- The user sends a request to a target URL using any available browser
- The request is received by the proxy, which modifies to ensure it is correct
- The request is sent to the target server using the proxy’s details, such as IP and location
- The request reaches the server, which treats it as coming from the proxy and not the user and the information demanded is extracted and sent back
- The proxy again receives this information and screens it to be sure it doesn’t contain any harmful substance
- Finally, the results are returned to the user who views it as a web page
Main Proxy Types Commonly Used By Businesses
The following are some common types of proxies used by businesses around the world:
Transparent Proxies
These types of proxies are used for the most basic internet operations. They are simple to use and only help provide access to specific data sources.
However, they do not modify requests and leave all your details exposed. Anyone can see your IP and location, so they are called transparent proxies.
They are a type of HTTP proxy used by certain businesses, schools, and governments to restrict access to inappropriate websites and content.
Anonymous Proxies
Anonymous proxies are another group of HTTP proxies with limited security measures. Depending on its anonymity level, this group can hide your IP to various degrees and conceal your identity from the web.
However, they also have to always identify themselves to target servers as proxies which may prompt their blocking when trying to access content only meant for human users.
HTTP(S) Proxies
HTTP(S) proxies are one of the safest types of proxies. They accept requests from users and create a secure channel where the requests and results can be transferred between users and the internet.
The connection is usually a TCP connection, and the IP is often the one you are using at any given time.
To this end, they are more secure while also maintaining your “Humanness” and ensuring you do not get blocked.
HTTP(S) Proxy and Their Common Use Cases
There are several ways HTTP(S) proxies can be sued, and the examples below are some of the most common uses:
Web Scraping
Web scraping is gathering large quantities of data from various sources on the web. The process uses sophisticated tools such as scrapers and HTTP(S) proxies to interact with websites and automatically extract their content.
For Secure and Anonymous Browsing
HTTP(S) proxies are also used to guarantee safety and anonymity during different online operations.
The benefits of this are enormous when we consider how quickly people fall prey to internet hackers when they are not hiding behind some form of defense.
Monitoring e-Commerce Websites
All e-Commerce brands, especially those that are new, constantly need to monitor the bigger and more established ones to learn the ropes in the industry.
This is important because this is where your brand can learn the best prices and generate the best leads.
And this proxy can help you achieve these without inspiring a quick block or ban by the website.
Conducting Market Research
Finally, HTTP(S) proxies are generally used to perform different market research. Market research is important when deciding on the next product to manufacture or the next market to break into.
And this proxy can help you gather all the data you need to get this done.
Conclusion
More companies used to depend on HTTP proxies to get the job done. But as technology has advanced and the need for more security has become apparent, businesses are learning to shift to a different type of proxy – HTTP(S) proxy.
