When a group of servers provides resources to external clients, we can use another type of proxy server called reverse proxy server to ensure the security of the group of servers providing services. In the case of a Reverse Proxy Server, when an external client makes a request to one of the servers in the internal network, the request passes through the Reverse Proxy Server. If the connection should be allowed, the internal server sends the response through the reverse proxy server. The external client cannot see the IP address of the internal server. It would view the connection is coming from the Reverse Proxy Server. So, while a forward proxy server hides the IP addresses of the internal clients requesting services, a reverse proxy server helps hide the IP addresses of the internal servers providing services.

Why is a reverse proxy server used?

There are a number of reasons for using a reverse proxy server:

• As a reverse proxy server hides the IP addresses of the internal servers, it creates much inconvenience for the attackers to make an attack on the internal servers for the purpose of stealing data or making even more attacks.
• A reverse proxy server also works along with a firewall. As it works as a single point of access and control to the internal servers, it can have administrative control over the contents being relayed and enforce the security to the internal servers.
• A reverse proxy server can also act as a load balancer to the group of internal servers behind it. When a Reverse Proxy Server receives a large volume of incoming requests, it can perform load balancing and distribute the incoming traffic to the cluster of servers that provide the same kind of service. For example, a Reverse Proxy Server can perform load balancing for a cluster of FTP servers behind it.
• If more than one server in the internal network provides SSL encryption, a Reverse Proxy Server can be used to do the SSL encryption using SSL acceleration hardware. The internal servers can use a single SSL proxy to provide SSL encryption, thus eliminating the need for using separate SSL certificates for the internal servers.
• A reverse proxy server can cache the static contents of the internal web servers behind it, reducing the load on the web servers.
• A reverse proxy server can also optimize and compress content to reduce the service’s load time.
• If the external clients requesting the proxy are very slow, a reverse proxy server can cache the contents from the internal servers behind it and slowly feed them to the slow external clients.

So, to summarize, for a forward proxy server, connection requests come from a group of internal clients behind the proxy server and pass through the proxy server, hiding the IP address of the requesting internal client. For a reverse proxy server, connection requests come from external clients to a group of internal servers behind the proxy server, and the connections pass through the proxy server, hiding the IP addresses of the internal servers.

What is an open proxy server?

An open proxy server is a proxy server accessible by any internet user. If an internet user uses an open proxy server, all the connection requests and responses will pass through the open proxy server, hiding the user’s IP address. So, using an open proxy server, a user can hide his IP address against the requested web servers or internet content providers.

Why is an open proxy server used?

An open proxy server can help the user hide his IP address against the requested Internet …