Windows XP Hacks

Use a Proxy Server to Protect Your PC

Many private businesses protect their networks with proxy servers. But you can get the same kind of protection at home—for free—without buying any new hardware.

Proxy servers protect your PC by offering a kind of relay protection. When you use a proxy server, Internet Explorer contacts the proxy instead of the Web site. The proxy delivers the page to you if the page is in its cache. If the page is not in its cache, it contacts the site, grabs the page, and then delivers the page to you. In this way, you never directly contact a web site or other Internet location; instead, the proxy server does, so it, rather than you, will be the target of attack or privacy invasion by the site. Proxy servers can be configured for any kind of Internet access, not just web browsing.

Some businesses use proxy servers as part of corporate-wide security precautions, and if you work at such a business your work PC has been specifically set up to use those servers. But even if you are not at a business with a proxy server you can still use one to protect your PC. You won’t have to set up and run the proxy server yourself; instead, you can use one of the many free ones available on the Internet.

Setting up a proxy server in this way is a two-step process. First, find a free, public proxy server. Then, set up your PC to use it. To find a free, public proxy server, go to Stay Invisible (http://www.stayinvisible.com) and click on View Proxies. The site lists hundreds ...