Innovations are on the rise, all of which aim at bringing about efficiency and security. One of these innovations is proxy servers.
A proxy is something that represents another; in this case, it’s a server that represents another server. Therefore, what’s a proxy server? A proxy server is a system that acts as an intermediary between you and the Internet. This way, you won’t access the Internet directly.
There are many types of proxy servers you can use for your business. Some of them are:
- Forward proxy server – It receives your requests and forwards them to the Internet.
- Reverse proxy server – It delivers information based on your requests from the Internet to you.
- Shared proxy server- It allows several users at once, but with the utilization of one IP address.
- HTTP proxy server – It stores data in its cache for future retrieval.
- Public proxy server – It’s accessible to all and sundry; you’re not required to make any payment.
- Datacenter proxy server – This server differs from the others since you don’t need to have an Internet service provider (ISP.) Corporations with data centers will do the supporting instead.
- Transparent proxy server – This system hides its existence from where it’s utilized. Users won’t know of its existence, apart from the one in control.
With the basics aside, as a business owner, are you wondering how a proxy server will benefit your operations? You’re in the right place because this article will highlight such benefits.
By utilizing a proxy server, you’ll benefit through the following ways:
1. Control Of Internet Usage
The Internet can be a good or bad investment for your company, depending on how your workers utilize it. In some cases, you might find your team browsing through social media platforms during company time. This reduces productivity, in turn, lowering your returns. In other cases, some workers might use your network to access inappropriate content and visit sites that could expose your business to hackers.
That being said, there needs to be controlled Internet use in the workplace, which proxy servers can provide. When you seek the services of a proxy provider, such as Proxy Seller, you can easily restrict access to some sites, such as Facebook. With the restriction, your team won’t deviate from their tasks, increasing productivity levels in your workplace. They’ll only visit relevant sites related to them, fulfilling their responsibilities.
2. Monitor Internet Use
As a business, it’s essential to know what your team is doing on the Internet. Besides ensuring productivity, it’s a way to prevent security breaches within your network. A worker might be doing illegal activities on their computer, such as selling company data. On a day-to-day basis, it might be challenging to constantly monitor your team physically, of which some workers might take advantage.
By adopting a proxy server, you need not worry about monitoring. The server allows you to monitor the sites your team visits during the day, including the time spent on each site. You can assess these records at the end of the day, allowing you to take appropriate action. It’s good to note that 5g mobile proxies also exist, which you can utilize on your company work phones.
Your security and IT team can also use proxy servers to identify any worker involved in malicious activities that are potential sources of breaches. If a worker is selling company information, they can identify this and deal with the situation before it gets out of hand.
3. High Internet Speed
Searching for information on the Internet can take time, as the search engine looks for specific data on many sites. The waiting time can be frustrating, especially if you need the information urgently.
A proxy server utilizes a cache system that’s good enough to store thousands of data. Once several Web users browse common data, it’ll store this information in its cache. Should you use the proxy server to search for information in the future, the system will first search for this data in its storage system before proceeding to the Internet. Accessing data from the proxy’s cache increases the speed at which you get your data, reducing waiting time.
It’s good to note that if the proxy doesn’t find what you’re looking for in its systems, it’ll have to seek the data from the Internet, which might take time.
4. Access To Blocked Sites
In the course of running your company, your workers might require to get some information from the Internet. Some of these sources might have restricted access for various reasons, such as locations. If your business is in one of the areas you can’t access the site, your team won’t manage to get the data. However, a proxy server can help you get access. How?
As previously stated, the server will do the search itself, using its IP address on your behalf. The IP address they’ll use will be from a location where access isn’t blocked. This enables your team to get the data they require.
5. Enhanced Business Security
In running your business, you handle a lot of data, both your organization’s and customers’. Most of this data contains sensitive information, such that should it get into the wrong hands, it’d be catastrophic. Besides losing the data, you could also lose clients in the process due to a lack of trust. With the adoption of online business transactions, your network and its data are susceptible to malware attacks.
However, a proxy server reduces the susceptibility by acting as you and requests for the information from the Internet. Here, they’ll use their IP address, keeping yours hidden. With the hidden visibility, no one will be aware of your presence on the Internet; a hacker can’t attack what they can’t see, safeguarding your business.
6. Prevent Traffic Overload
You might be searching for information on a given site only for errors to show up. This type of situation arises when several people are trying to access the site at the same time. What happens is that the system will overload, leading to a server crash. A server crash would be a great disadvantage to your team, especially if they have urgent matters requiring the said information. You can counter such occurrences by utilizing a proxy server.
The proxy servers can hold several requests and users at once. It’ll do this by balancing out the requests. If a lot of users are seeking the same information, it’ll send out the results at one go to all the users instead of sending them one by one. One-by-one sending would create traffic that would lead to the server crashing. With the proxy, your team will get the information they require as soon as they request for it.
7. Available Cloud Storage
As a business, you have a lot of data and information on your website that your clients require to meet their needs. Most of this data is stored under different URLs and sources that might be inconvenient to your customers. It’d be derailing for your clients if they visited a site, only to be redirected to another site, then another. Some clients might abandon the process and decide to seek services from your competitors, which is disadvantageous to you. Cloud storage have many benefits.
Utilizing a proxy server will make things easier for your clients. The server will allow you to store your data in the cloud under one group. When your client requires certain information, they’ll click on what they need, after which the proxy will direct them to the exact location of the information they’re seeking. This system eliminates too many redirects, enhancing the customer experience for your clients.
8. Sensitive Tasks Handling
Some businesses deal with sensitive information, such as journalism, research, and security. A breach in the data of such businesses can render sensitive operations futile, which is undesirable. Imagine a situation where you’re pursuing a suspect that’s a danger to national security, and then your network is breached. This will lead to data leaks that might lead to the suspect getting wind that authorities are after them, and they flee. This would take the agents back to the drawing board, leading to several losses, including a waste of your invested resources.
A proxy server will hide your identity and your operations such that hackers won’t get access to your data. Hackers will think the user of the data is the proxy servers, only for them to find out they aren’t. This will help safeguard your business operations.
Conclusion
This article has shown you that adopting a proxy server for your business won’t make your investment go to waste due to the many ways you’ll benefit. With this information, you’re better positioned to decide whether to adopt a proxy server or not. Make the right decision to prevent you from regretting it a few years down the line.
Should you decide to utilize a proxy server in your business, it’d be best to let your business needs guide your choice. Proxy vendors can guide you appropriately with your choice if you’re stuck in the middle of a crossroads.