The SOCKS proxy system is a useful extension of the HTTP proxy system in that SOCKS is indifferent to the type of traffic that passes through it. RELATED: How To Anonymize and Encrypt Your BitTorrent Traffic As we noted above, proxies do not encrypt any traffic, so the only encryption you get when using them is the encryption you provide yourself. If you’re using an HTTP proxy to connect to any sort of sensitive service, like your email or bank, it is critical you use a browser with SSL enabled, and connect to a web site that supports SSL encryption. You plug the proxy server into your web browser’s configuration file (or use a browser extension if your browser doesn’t natively support proxies) and all your web traffic is routed through the remote proxy. The oldest type of proxy server, HTTP proxies are designed expressly for web-based traffic. How they accomplish this task and the degree to which they offer privacy, encryption, and other functions, however, varies wildly. How exactly do the proxy servers and VPN connections we keep hearing about actually work? If you’re going to invest the time and energy in improving security you want to be sure you’re selecting the right tool for the right job.Īlthough they are fundamentally different, VPNs and proxies have a single thing in common: they both allow you to appear as if you are connecting to the internet from another location. Many of these articles talk about the importance of beefing up the security of your Internet connection, like using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) when you’re on public coffee shop Wi-Fi, but they’re often light on the details. Practically every other week there’s a major news story about encryption, leaked data, snooping, or other digital privacy concerns. Let’s look at when might you want to use each, and why proxies are a poor substitute for VPNs. A proxy connects you to a remote computer and a VPN connects you to a remote computer so they must be, more or less, the same thing, right? Not exactly.

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