A proxy server is a great way to control the access of information going from and to a computer. Proxy servers are used in many scenarios, including citizens of autocratic regimes where internet censorship and filtering is high. Other uses include remotely gaining access to a private network, such as a company intranet, where important files and documents can be stored onsite.

Alternative uses for proxy servers include anonymity because many web proxies allow you to surf the web in relative anonymity. However, using a proxy server can reduce the security of your machine, since it opens it up to eavesdropping and keylogging. A proxy server establishes a trusted connection with a distant network, and this can open your machine up to myriad malware attacks. Here are a few types of proxy servers and ways to protect yourself when using them.

A web proxy is a way to preserve anonymity online. Once accessed, you send http requests through the web proxy, which then supplies the requested content through a host server. Since there are many web proxies available, many of which utilize different ports, anti-virus applications are restricted in their abilities to protect against incoming threats. Webroot Anti-Virus is fully capable in defending against the weaknesses inherent in a web proxy; it allows you to import proxy information directly from Internet Explorer with the click of a button.

The Tor onion proxy is a network of proxy servers that allow users to gain anonymity and bypass many forms of internet censorship. The Tor onion proxy utilizes what it calls onion routing, in which encrypted packets of information are passed along each network node, with each node peeling back a level of encryption. By the time the packet arrives, it is unencrypted. Since the Tor onion proxy requires downloading software to gain access to the network, users' levels of security are lower.

Like Webroot, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, our 2012 TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award winner, has proxy settings that can defend against attacks from a Tor onion proxy, with real-time scanning of incoming packets and detection and deletion of harmful software.

The I2P anonymous proxy utilizes so-called garlic routing, which is an enhanced version of Tor's onion routing. With garlic routing, the I2P anonymous proxy encrypts multiple messages at once, potentially confusing snoopers and other network attacks. Like Tor, the I2P anonymous proxy's vulnerabilities lie in the fact that it opens up certain ports to insecure incoming traffic. Our 2012 TopTenREVIEWS Gold Award winner BitDefender Antivirus Plus protects against threats hidden in I2P anonymous proxy traffic. Your machine is virtually invincible against spyware, Trojans and other malware with BitDefender's anti-virus technology protecting it.

When using a proxy, it's important to remember that your information is sometimes sent to unknown servers. Credible proxy servers can assure protection and anonymity, but crafty hackers can use proxy information to bypass firewalls and other defenses and gain access to your data. It is important to maintain the most up-to-date protection against all types of attacks because some proxy servers may reduce your computer's security.

Check out our other anti-virus reviews to see why we chose BitDefender as the number one anti-virus software product and read our reviews of other security software suites to learn which anti-virus application is best for you.

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