When we surf the Internet, we leave footprints not only on the website we visit, but on all the network nodes we pass through. These refer to both the router and the computers on our local network, but also our Internet service provider (ISP) and any other intermediary between us and the destination site. These nodes can see our IP address, DNS queries domains that we request and even the data packets (for example, those of the HTTP protocol) that we receive or send.
So, if you want to surf the web in complete confidentiality, whether on your private network or a public network, the use of cybersecurity tools is essential. What is the difference between a proxy and a VPN? Which one to choose ? Find out the answers in this article.
What is a proxy?
A proxy is a server that acts as an intermediary between your computer and the website you want to visit. Its main function is to hide your IP address so that all traffic arriving at the website you are visiting appears to come from somewhere else. In other words, when you visit a website through a proxy, the public IP address that the site receives is that of the proxy and not yours. However, the proxy does not provide any layer of security because it does not encrypt the data you send or receive.
When to use a proxy?
Mainly when the network or region you are in has some form of network censorship. Also when the service you want to connect to only accepts connections from certain IP addresses, filtered by region or country.
The use of proxies is very common to consume online services that are only enabled for certain regions (like gaming or video streaming), as well as to escape certain content restrictions. The main advantage of a proxy is that it is very easy to use.
It is important to remember that the proxy does not provide any encryption or protection of your personal data, and although it offers some level of anonymity by hiding your IP address, the truth is that websites collect a lot of other information that could be used to track you and identify yourself.
What is a VPN and how is it different from a proxy?
The main difference between a VPN and a proxy is encryption. As the definition of VPN states, a VPN server is also an intermediary between your computer and the site or service you are connecting to, but in this case, an encrypted connection (called a VPN tunnel) is created between your computer and the server VPN, so all activity that is routed through this tunnel will remain unreadable by network nodes, your ISP, or any other intermediary device. For those who want to test these benefits for themselves, a free VPN trial is often available from many suppliers.
So, in addition to hiding your IP address, a VPN will also add a layer of protection by encrypting all outgoing traffic from your computer to the VPN server.
When to use a VPN?
Whenever you need to add an extra layer of security, a VPN will come in handy. VPNs are especially effective if you’re shopping online or want to send or receive sensitive data, like logins, credit card details, and all sorts of other confidential information. On the other hand, by creating an encrypted tunnel from the device, VPNs are extremely useful in cases where you need to browse insecure networks, like public or open networks. They are also often used in censored networks where network surveillance is suspected, because sending encrypted data prevents third parties from seeing any information about our browsing.
In conclusion, if you just need to hide your IP address or make a website believe that you are connecting from another location, a Proxy is sufficient and easy to use. However, if you want to browse safely and prevent your activity from being monitored by third parties, you need a VPN. In both cases, remember that proxies and VPNs use external services through which all information passes. In either case, these servers may be able to see every packet you send and receive, so it is very important that these services are trusted.
