There’s no exact definition of what constitutes a Secure anonymous proxy or indeed a place you can find one for free on the internet.  But I’d like to add some general points and things to watch out for if you are searching for such a proxy server.

An important fact to remember that simply adding the tag - ninja, elite or high anonymity to the description of a proxy server does in fact have no effect whatsoever on how secure that server actually is.  This might sound an obvious point but I have personally checked a huge list of supposedly ‘Elite proxy servers’ and to be honest my gran could have configured them more securely.

Lets for instance take one of the very basic premises of running a secure, anonymous proxy server - what context is the proxy service running in.  Is this something you know about on proxy servers you have used?

Let me tell you why - the absolute worse thing you can do is run the proxy service as root, yet I see many that are configured in just this way.   The problem is that any flaw, bug or vulnerability with your proxy server could lead to the compromise of the whole machine.  The root account gives complete control of the server, and with it all your browsing, all your logs and any traffic you send through that proxy.  This sounds pretty stupid but you will find that many ‘free anonymous proxies’ that appear in the net are configured exactly like this.

There is a common alternative which runs in the context of the user ‘nobody’, now this is much better as the account has no special privileges which could put the server at risk.    But neither is it a suitable configuration for a high anonymous proxy and the reason for this is that the account will still have some read and write privileges over public areas and directories.  It will also have some rights over all logs created in the context of the ‘nobody’ user meaning potentially all users of the proxy  have potential access to all the proxy logs and files created by this user.

The most secure alternative is what I would expect to see on any highly anonymous proxy and that is that each user has a specific user ID for using the proxy server.  This user account should have no other access rights whatsoever, each proxy session would run in the context of this individual user.   This protects the security, anonymity of every user of the proxy and secures their files and logs from other surfers using the proxy service.

Configuring an anonymous proxy is extremely important, a badly configured and insecure proxy server puts all of it’s users and their information at risk.   Remember whenever you use a proxy server, you are creating a single log of all your browsing in addition to your ISP logs - if it is not secure you will be putting your security at great risk, in fact much more than not using a proxy at all.  If you want a high anonymous proxy make sure you get one.

 

n IP address? A string of numbers assigned to you by your Internet Service Provider whenever you connect online. Can I be traced through my IP address? Your IP address reveals only the location and name of your ISP. Your ISP itself may have records of your computer using their service at such and such a time, but an ISP will usually not disclose this information without a search warrant / court order. How long does an ISP keep logs of user IP addresses? No one knows, but it could be anywhere from months to a few years. This is necessary to monitor bandwidth usage. Someone online has threatened they can find me through my IP address. Can they do this? Most likely they’re bluffing. Unless you run your own server or live in the same building as your ISP’s office, a stranger can’t find you using just your IP address. Can someone find out my username or password based in my IP address? No. Your ISP is the only one that knows these details. Do my emails display my IP address? Yes. To send email anonymously, you’ll want to use an anonymous remailer or an anonymous proxy. What is a proxy server? A third party server used as a go-between by a client computer that doesn’t want to connect directly to the Internet. Can a proxy server give me internet privacy? Not if it’s just a proxy server. A mere proxy server will announce to cyberspace that it’s acting as a proxy for such and such IP address user (your computer), so you can still be traced through it. What type of proxy server should I use to be able to surf anonymously? You need an anonymous proxy server that’s secure, reputable and reliable. You will most likely have to pay a fee. How can an anonymous proxy server protect me? Mainly by hiding your real IP address and blocking malicious scripts and programs from entering your system. You may get a different IP address each time you use the proxy. Additionally, some anonymous proxies claim they can’t disclose your data even if subpoenaed (court ordered) since they don’t store user logs. How much does it cost to get an anonymous proxy server? Could be $19.95, or $29.95 or $99.95. It all depends on the server and the service features. Go check out the anonymous proxy server’s website and compare their product services. Are free proxy servers safe to use? Not if you’re serious about your security and privacy. Many free proxies are either incorrectly set up, or owned by malicious people who want to use your data for their own ends. Beware of using free proxies and anonymous proxy servers that don’t allow secure connections. And no matter what server you use, always encrypt private data.

e leading information technology companies in the world, Microsoft offers different computer programs that can improve network response and security. For the sake of computer users who have difficulties accessing web pages using different Web browsers, the company launched Microsoft Proxy Server. This special computer application aims to enhance access to numerous websites and electronic resources. In order to maximize the uses of this computer application, they need to know its features. It is also important to determine the advantages of the program over proxy servers launched by other computer service providers. A Quick Overview of Proxy Servers Technically speaking, proxy servers are used by people to maintain their anonymity while enhancing their access to electronic resources. There are different types of proxy servers that people can use such as anonymous proxy server, public proxy server and caching proxy server. These computer programs have various features so clients should know their differences to use them appropriately. For those who are after the response and performance of proxy servers, it is best that they try Microsoft Proxy Server. Services Microsoft Proxy Server is able to support three sophisticated computer programs, namely Secure Sockets Layer, SOCKS, and Windows Sockets. In this regard, there are three services that the server offers, which are Web Proxy, SOCKS Proxy, as well as WinSock Proxy. Web Proxy can enhance access to several types of communication services including Web publishing, Gopher, and FTP. In addition, this service is very suitable for several Web browsers like Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer. Because of this service, the server is not dependent on operating systems, which means that even clients using Macintosh or Linux can use the proxy given that they use suitable Web browsers. Meanwhile, Socks Proxy service is suitable for clients that use computer applications associated with SOCKS version 4.3a such as Telnet, Gopher, and FTP. However, this service is not suitable for User Datagram Protocols. Finally, WinSock Proxy service is helpful to clients who use Windows Sockets. With this service, clients can use several applications like those that are suitable for Internetwork Packet Exchange protocols. Advantages Clients who will use Microsoft Proxy Server will not be disappointed because it has numerous advantages over other proxies. This server was created by Microsoft so that computer users can connect to the Internet and at the same time establish connection to an internal network. Because of this, the server can be a gateway to connect to the Internet with the use of only one network connection. The server is very useful for passive caching and active caching. In addition, this server has packet-filtering feature, which protects computer users from outsiders. Moreover, Microsoft Proxy Server can also block connection to some electronic resources or web pages, which is why many corporations prefer to use this computer program in their networks to limit the connectivity of computer systems. Other special features or advantages of this server that clients should know to maximize its use are logging, web publishing, as well as restrict access by service or by protocol.