There are times when using a tool, in this case, private proxies, can’t achieve their purpose and their usage results in faulty behavior or risky outcomes. For example, using private proxies in the wrong way can cause both failures in their intended purpose and at the same time create a risk of data leak. And to better understand how to use private proxies you must learn how not to use them and to recognize when they are used in the wrong way by your company or by your partners. So here there are a few things that can cause your private proxies to not function as they are intended.
Connecting to private proxies from a public location
The main reason for using private proxies is to connect to a proxy server and hide your IP and real location. And the goal is to enhance both privacy and anonymity.
But, one thing neglected by many is the network they are using for connecting to the Internet. Some will use the worst connection type, a public wi-fi connection. Because even if your Internet requests and connections to third-party websites and web platforms is performed through private proxies. By using a public wi-fi, your PC is vulnerable at a system level.
So regardless if you are using private proxies for your work, the general rule is to avoid shared working environments and coffee shops. Try to work and use private proxies for a secure network, such as an office network or a home one. And avoid using proxies and even virtual private networks when using public connections.
Using a VPS from an untrusted provider
Your project or business requires building a software or app that needs to run permanently in order to be efficient. If you can’t run it from your own servers or office the only solution is renting a virtual private server from a VPS provider.
Basically, you’ll be renting computer hardware and a virtual machine that you can access from your own PC. And if your software involves scraping, it will require private proxies to connect and make queries to a third-party website through them. However, even if you use private proxies for such a task and you might be protected from the outside, the issue here can be the VPS provider.
Because an untrusted VPS provider can simply access your virtual machine at any time. So using private proxies to enhance your anonymity and privacy will be pointless because an untrusted actor can access all your data.
Hiring remote workers
Another instance when private proxies will not be able to protect your privacy and anonymity is when hiring remote workers. They, the remote workers, depending on their positions, they might be able to access sensitive data within your company. And they could even use your private proxies on your behalf.
However, remote workers pause a risk because you do not have any information regarding the Internet network connection they are using. So they could simply do the same mistake as above and connect from a public wifi such as a shared working environment or coffee shop. And with all the layers of privacy you are enforcing for your business, a remote worker can be a vulnerability placed right inside your business.
Poor private proxy management
This is one of the most common causes for which people get their private proxies blocked and blacklisted. They manage poorly the private proxy connections and everything that goes through them.
Subsequently, this will cause also accounts blocks as everything that logs in through a flagged proxy IP is at risk of potential bans.
Using shared proxies instead of private, dedicated proxies
Using the wrong private proxies is an issue that not many are aware. However, this issue can cause many business and projects to generate weak returns because their software or app will not be able to connect to the Internet.
Therefore, before using private proxies, perform an assessment of your business and project’s needs. And check if your business really needs proxies. And if it does, then choose the right kind of proxies. Because by using the wrong private proxies, your business will not be protected in the right way. And this could eventually lead to data leakage.
Is your company vulnerable
When using an online tool, or a privacy tool, it means that your privacy and anonymity are very important. Thus, perform an assessment and consider only the best tools for the business. And if you need private proxies for your business and privacy, then take the necessary measures to use proxies in the right way.
Saturday, November 18, 2017
