The general definition of a proxy is someone who has authority to act on behalf of another, such as when a stockholder submits a proxy ballot in lieu of attending a stockholders’ meeting. A proxy browser acts on behalf of the requesting computer. The server hosting the proxy browser opens the URLs so the requester can have a safer browsing experience.

Using a proxy web browser allows a web surfer to visit web sites anonymously. The proxy server intercepts the customer’s request, removes his or her internet protocol address, or IP, and then routes it. The web site that is being called is sent back to the proxy server, which then relays it to the customer’s browser.

Proxy servers that provide proxy browser service often guarantee to delete all of the logs in order to further secure a user’s privacy. Employees of companies with strict internet usage policies may subscribe to proxy browser services in order to access data that would not pass the company filtering criteria.

There are free as well as fee-based proxy browser services. When the proxy web browser serves the website to the customer, options may be presented to determine the level of data security for the proxy to forward. Options include remove all cookies, remove all scripts, remove ads, text only, show URL form, remove page titles, hide user agent, minimize caching, hide referrer information, and hex encode URLs. Additionally, a proxy browser can encrypt the customer’s data when using a secure socket layer, or SSL, connection.

Features that are available from one fee-based company, as an example, include blocking advertising banners, Flash, and Active X, encoding the URL request when accessing the proxy web browser through SSL, cookie and script blocking and filtering, and shielding the operating system and browser from the end website.

There is an acknowledged increase in criminal efforts to obtain private data during internet transactions. A proxy browser can offer a layer of security software and safety that in turn return the pleasure of shopping and researching on line.