As you likely know by now, a proxy server is basically an online security barrier that reroutes your data, queries, responses, et cetera made online before retrieving the information you need from your network. This obfuscation of the origins and destinations of the data you request, send, and download every day can be protected from hackers, malware, and other prying eyes. Proxy server configuration, provided that you are either the system administrator for your home or office network or have the passwords from someone who can act in that capacity, is a relatively easy endeavor on most operating systems with a few clicks of a mouse.
Most graphically based user interfaces, which include most of the major operating systems available today, have made proxy server configuration a snap. Typically, you need only to click on your connections tab or similar setting for your particular system, and look for the option to connect to the internet via proxy server. Yes, the major software players have realized the value of having many layers of cyber security to any and all of their customers, and have made proxy server configuration no more difficult, for the most part, than setting up a typical home wireless router.
The realm of proxy server configuration has not been the exclusive provenance of die hard web geeks and techies for quite some time, and the minimal time and financial investment it takes on the part of the average user to connect to the web via proxy is usually well worth it. While anti virus and anti spyware software do much to protect your machine from cyber threats, a proxy server can help to confuse would be wrongdoers before their malicious requests even make it to that part of your cyber defense system. However, it should be noted that even if you are so good at proxy server configuration that you could do it in your sleep, anti malware programs are still a vital part of cyber defense. Think of your proxy server as the fortress wall, and your anti malware programs as the gatekeepers. Learn the art of proxy server configuration in less than an hour, and your fortress should be as well defended as any in the land!
