Proxy VS. VPN: Which Is Better?
INDIA, January 12, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Internet world is undoubtedly a scary place. We’re under constant attack from hackers be it on our work computers, personal devices, or even smart home devices like televisions amongst others.
If you’re worried about your privacy when surfing through the Internet and if you keep on wondering if hackers, government agencies, or companies can track what sites you visit, files you download, or links you click, this is the sign that you have been waiting for.
Conscious about your security? Don’t think twice about setting up an extra layer of security and stop wondering when it is time to sign up for a virtual private network (VPN) or a proxy server because NOW is the perfect time.
Don’t be confused. Here’s a side by side comparison between a VPN and a Proxy, its differences, what it can do, and its benefits depending on your needs.
Proxy and VPN defined
Both VPNs and proxies enable a higher degree of privacy than you might otherwise have, allowing you to access the internet anonymously by hiding your IP in various ways. But how they do that is quite different.
PROXY
A Proxy acts as a gateway and it’s ideal for basic functions like anonymous web browsing and managing content restrictions. Proxy servers excel at IP masking and misdirection, making them good for viewing geographically limited content. They allow users to bypass content restrictions and monitoring, or enforce website content restrictions so that you can’t log into certain web pages on company time.
VPN
A VPN on the other hand, establishes a secure tunnel with the VPN server, replacing your local ISP routing. VPN connections encrypt and secure all of your network traffic, not just the HTTP or SOCKS calls from your browser like a proxy server.
VPNs are great when you need to use the WIFI at public places like that of a local coffee shop, the airport, or the library. Using a VPN instead of the potentially completely unencrypted local WIFI adds another layer of privacy because nobody knows who is lurking on that network, just sitting in the corner sipping coffee and waiting to steal your credit card digits.
Benefits
The biggest argument to use a VPN instead of a proxy is the total encryption for all traffic you get with the VPN. Price-wise, a VPN is more secure than a similarly priced proxy. VPN providers maintain their own networks and you use their IP addresses for your connections. Top VPN providers such as that of GoingVPN, have a logless policy, which means they don’t have data to provide to anyone about your browsing habits.
If you’re an IT business owner charged with the security of data and users, there are advantages to both, and you likely have both configured for your company. For users in the network, you might route traffic through a proxy server to log web traffic, protect the organization from malware or other attacks, and enforce a web content policy.
When users are operating out of the office, you will want to use a VPN to create a secure connection to access the company resources (email, internal shares, etc.).
Drawbacks
PROXY
If you’re using proxy servers to mask your internet activity, you might see performance issues that prevent you from streaming or downloading the thing you are trying to get. High ping times and other traffic on the proxy server can cause web pages to load slowly. For this reason, some users pay for a private proxy server which limits the number of users that access it, speeding up your connections.
Proxies are also vulnerable to security exploits. They can be open to attack, allowing the bad guys to infiltrate networks or steal private data. Some proxies can still track (and store) your browsing habits, as well as recording usernames and passwords – rendering that promise of anonymity null.
VPN
VPNs can also suffer from performance issues, depending on proximity to the VPN server you’re connecting with. VPNs use a local client to create the connection to the VPN server, so any local CPU or memory issues will slow down the connections. VPNs are typically more expensive to use and maintain as compared to a proxy server but there are providers who offer free services which are just as good as the paid ones.
Key takeaway
Privacy and security matter these days, regardless of if it’s your company data or your own personal data you need to protect. Make sure you’re investing time and money into the correct tools for your security goals. Both proxies and VPNs add an additional layer of security and privacy to your data.
To get the most bang for the buck and to protect your data as a security-aware citizen, sign up for a well-regarded VPN service. For the most part, VPN services allow you to use servers in different locations to work around content restrictions. If you need to use a free proxy server occasionally for that purpose as well, just be aware of the risks.
All that said, what we can suggest is for you to do your thorough research first and find which between a Proxy or a VPN will best suit you and your needs.
If you’re worried about your privacy when surfing through the Internet and if you keep on wondering if hackers, government agencies, or companies can track what sites you visit, files you download, or links you click, this is the sign that you have been waiting for.
Conscious about your security? Don’t think twice about setting up an extra layer of security and stop wondering when it is time to sign up for a virtual private network (VPN) or a proxy server because NOW is the perfect time.
Don’t be confused. Here’s a side by side comparison between a VPN and a Proxy, its differences, what it can do, and its benefits depending on your needs.
Proxy and VPN defined
Both VPNs and proxies enable a higher degree of privacy than you might otherwise have, allowing you to access the internet anonymously by hiding your IP in various ways. But how they do that is quite different.
PROXY
A Proxy acts as a gateway and it’s ideal for basic functions like anonymous web browsing and managing content restrictions. Proxy servers excel at IP masking and misdirection, making them good for viewing geographically limited content. They allow users to bypass content restrictions and monitoring, or enforce website content restrictions so that you can’t log into certain web pages on company time.
VPN
A VPN on the other hand, establishes a secure tunnel with the VPN server, replacing your local ISP routing. VPN connections encrypt and secure all of your network traffic, not just the HTTP or SOCKS calls from your browser like a proxy server.
VPNs are great when you need to use the WIFI at public places like that of a local coffee shop, the airport, or the library. Using a VPN instead of the potentially completely unencrypted local WIFI adds another layer of privacy because nobody knows who is lurking on that network, just sitting in the corner sipping coffee and waiting to steal your credit card digits.
Benefits
The biggest argument to use a VPN instead of a proxy is the total encryption for all traffic you get with the VPN. Price-wise, a VPN is more secure than a similarly priced proxy. VPN providers maintain their own networks and you use their IP addresses for your connections. Top VPN providers such as that of GoingVPN, have a logless policy, which means they don’t have data to provide to anyone about your browsing habits.
If you’re an IT business owner charged with the security of data and users, there are advantages to both, and you likely have both configured for your company. For users in the network, you might route traffic through a proxy server to log web traffic, protect the organization from malware or other attacks, and enforce a web content policy.
When users are operating out of the office, you will want to use a VPN to create a secure connection to access the company resources (email, internal shares, etc.).
Drawbacks
PROXY
If you’re using proxy servers to mask your internet activity, you might see performance issues that prevent you from streaming or downloading the thing you are trying to get. High ping times and other traffic on the proxy server can cause web pages to load slowly. For this reason, some users pay for a private proxy server which limits the number of users that access it, speeding up your connections.
Proxies are also vulnerable to security exploits. They can be open to attack, allowing the bad guys to infiltrate networks or steal private data. Some proxies can still track (and store) your browsing habits, as well as recording usernames and passwords – rendering that promise of anonymity null.
VPN
VPNs can also suffer from performance issues, depending on proximity to the VPN server you’re connecting with. VPNs use a local client to create the connection to the VPN server, so any local CPU or memory issues will slow down the connections. VPNs are typically more expensive to use and maintain as compared to a proxy server but there are providers who offer free services which are just as good as the paid ones.
Key takeaway
Privacy and security matter these days, regardless of if it’s your company data or your own personal data you need to protect. Make sure you’re investing time and money into the correct tools for your security goals. Both proxies and VPNs add an additional layer of security and privacy to your data.
To get the most bang for the buck and to protect your data as a security-aware citizen, sign up for a well-regarded VPN service. For the most part, VPN services allow you to use servers in different locations to work around content restrictions. If you need to use a free proxy server occasionally for that purpose as well, just be aware of the risks.
All that said, what we can suggest is for you to do your thorough research first and find which between a Proxy or a VPN will best suit you and your needs.
GoingVPN.com
GoingVPN.com
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