The Biggest Dangers and Risk of Using Low-Quality, Free Proxy Solutions

You can find free proxy services everywhere. They are used by millions of people every day for many reasons. Some of the reasons these sites are used include accessing sites not available in a certain country and making it past censorship filters.

Unfortunately, what seems like a great deal may come at an unexpected cost and put your security at risk. According to one study, just 21% of free proxy sites offer HTTPS traffic. HTTPS is what is used to encrypt your sensitive information, such as personal information, credit card numbers, and passwords. If you use free proxies for surfing the internet, you are an easy target for hackers looking to steal data. Some other reasons to avoid using these free proxy sites can be found here.

They Are Malware Central

Not all free proxy sites are free from malicious malware. Since the service is free, the proxy site depends on people to use it to remain in business. As a result, they utilize advertisements along with content to get you to click certain sites. The bad news is that malware may be present behind those sites. You may not know it is there until your computer is already infected.

Free Proxy Sites Will Steal Cookies

Did you know that some free proxy sites are designed to steal cookies? The person or entity operating the proxy may gain access to your cookies when you use it. While this may not seem like a big deal, if the proxy sites steal your cookies, they may also steal your personal information. After they have your login information, they can get into your private accounts and cause many issues and damage.

Free Proxies Offer Subpar Services

Since free proxy sites don’t have much financial backing, the service provided is low-quality. The sites are often overused, and they are subject to lower levels of connectivity. You won’t find 24-hour support, and there is little help when it is needed. There are individual proxies that could be blocked or fail to work at all. You will find there are much better, low-cost, and safer options out there that you should consider using.

There Are Better Alternatives Available

When it comes to proxy services, there is no reason you should settle for low-quality options. In fact, there are more than a few quality service providers out there. Being informed and knowing where to look for these services is essential.

If you want to use a quality proxy that will not put your sensitive information at risk, be sure to do your research. You can also reach out to the professionals to learn more about the services available and why they may be the best available options. Keep in mind that not all proxies are created equal. This means it is up to you to do your research and find the top service providers available. This is going to help ensure you get the quality services and solutions you want and expect.

Three Most Common Types of Proxies and Their Uses

Chances are you’ve probably used a proxy server at some point, even if you didn’t know it. Proxy servers are quite common, acting as intermediaries between internet users and the sites they visit. These servers provide varying levels of security and performance based on the provider and the server itself. They can be used to restrict access, control bandwidth, beef up security, and even prevent crashes.

Believe it or not, proxy servers are not just for businesses. While they are more common in corporate America, proxies are often utilized for personal use as well. Familiarizing yourself with the three most common types of proxies and their uses is the best way to protect your personal information and get more bang for your buck. Here’s what you need to know.

Free Proxies

Free proxies are commonly used by kids to get around parental controls. They get to visit restricted sites without record and parents are none the wiser. There are several problems with free proxies, though. Many of them do not allow HTTPS, meaning the information exchanged is not encrypted and you are easily monitored. Furthermore, the connection is often slow, and the risk of encountering malware is high. Free proxy servers can also steal your cookies giving them access to all the sensitive information necessary to steal your identity or impersonate you online.

Transparent Proxies

Transparent proxies are often encountered at libraries, schools, and even some businesses. They are also called intercepting proxies because they ‘intercept’ connection traffic without allowing request modifications. Transparent proxies are often used to filter content and restrict access to certain sites. For instance, a school may use this type of proxy to restrict access to websites with mature or obscene content. They are also considered the easiest to implement.

SOCKs5 Proxies

This is the latest proxy with an enhanced security protocol. It supports multiple authentication methods and relays traffic through Secure Shell (SSH) encryption. SOCKs5 proxies do not require special set up or the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN), although they can be used together. Data packets are exchanged without being rewritten, thereby reducing errors and increasing performance. These attributes make SOCKs5 proxies a favorite among corporate administrators. They are ideal for secure browsing, transferring files, email, and cloud-based services.  

While proxies are not foolproof, choosing the right one can enhance your internet experience by leaps and bounds while securing the exchange of information. Understanding proxy uses and limitations helps ensure you choose the best option for your purpose without overpaying. At EZ Proxies, we customize each order to ensure security and anonymity with round the clock customer support. When you are ready for a secure worry-free internet experience, contact EZ Proxies for fast courteous service.

How to Protect Your Company from Cyber Attacks

In the age of the internet, with computer viruses and cyberattacks and everything that comes with it, it can be not easy to protect your online security. Cybersecurity can help ordinary consumers as well as business owners. These include using proxy sites, utilizing best employee practices for security measures, and educating and training your staff. Here are some steps to take to minimize your risk of being hacked.  

Use a Proxy Site

For the everyday internet user, you may or may not be aware of Proxy sites. They are best known as a way to stay anonymous while surfing the internet. It’s common for professionals in the security field and reporters and whistleblowers to protect their identity by utilizing proxy sites. Why not use one yourself? Someone trying to infiltrate your files and business will have a much harder time hacking your server if concealed behind a proxy site. A proxy site is also suitable for protecting business development and trade secrets. Overall, your website and activities will be more secure when utilizing a proxy site. 

Safeguard your Hardware

Securing your computers and software is a must for all business owners. Only share passwords with necessary employees with a complicated combination. When creating these passwords, pick something hard to guess and commit to memory instead of writing it down. Don’t overlook the effectiveness of fastening computers to desks. WOuld be intruders will have difficulty moving equipment tied down to a desk to steal pertinent and valuable information. Make sure to install “find my device” software on all company technological items. If an item comes up stolen, it will be easier for the authorities to find the missing equipment.  

Make your Staff Aware of the Possibility of Cyber Crime

Although you may be up to date on the latest cybercrime news and policies, if you don’t educate your employees on the risk of cybercrime happening, you have in a way canceled all of your reasonable measures out and are starting from square one. You could be using the newest security software, but you won’t be fully protected if you don’t make your employees aware of how falling victim to cybercrime happens. Companies end up becoming hacked not because they infiltrated the security system but because an employee unwittingly gave them access. Often this occurs through an easy to guess password or becoming easy prey through a phishing email. Don’t let your team fall victim to these circumstances. Educate and empower your employees to use sound technology practices whenever possible.  

Use Common Sense

As with most things in life, if something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Use common sense and contact the professionals when dealing with cybersecurity measures. For more information, please contact EZProxies for all of your internet proxy needs.  

Reasons not to Use Free Proxy Sites

Free proxy services are used every day all over the world by internet users for a variety of reasons. Some of these include the ability to access sites that aren’t available in their home countries and sneak past censorship filters. These free proxy sites come at an unexpected cost, however, the security of the users.  According to a recent study done by an internet security researcher, only twenty-one percent of free proxy sites provided HTTPS traffic. HTTPS is used to encrypt sensitive information, like passwords, credit cards, and personal information. When you surf the internet via free proxy sites, you’re essentially a sitting duck for hackers to steal your data. These are some additional reasons not to use free proxy sites. 

A Hotbed of Malware

The proxy site might not be free of malicious malware. Because the service is free, proxy websites depend on you using their site to stay in business. They will intersperse advertisements in-between content to get you to click on those sites. Unfortunately, malware might be lurking behind those sites. Unfortunately, you may not know until it’s too late that your computer is infected. 

Proxy Sites Can Steal cookies

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Who me? Couldn’t be, then who? The cookie monster? No, something much more sinister. The proxy sites stole the cookies. Whoever is operating the proxy site can have access to your cookies. Accessing your cookies may not mean anything to you other than that; these sites can again steal your personal information. Once they steal your login information, they can log in to your accounts and do a lot of damage. 

The Offer Poor Service

Because the free proxy sites run with little financial backing, the service itself is subpar. The sites themselves are overused and subject to low connectivity. There is no twenty-four-hour support and inadequate access to help when or if needed. Individual proxies in other countries may be blocked or not working at all. There are much better alternatives to losing your information on identity theft and other black-market dealings. 

There is a Better Alternative

While free proxy sites might be enticing, it’s much better to know what you are getting. Why take a chance and lose sensitive information? EZ Proxies are here to help and can offer consumer support. Shared proxies, as well as individual proxies, are available in many locations in the United States and worldwide. Please choose EZ Proxies for all your online privacy needs.  

3 Massive Benefits of Proxy Servers

Why use proxies?

This is a service that a lot of people just aren’t very familiar with. But when you look into why people are using proxies, you see some very distinct benefits.

Here are some of the reasons that so many people are signing up for subscriptions to use our proxy servers as a gateway between them and the World Wide Web.

Your Sentinel: Firewall Operations

In a very basic sense, a proxy is a firewall between yourself and the open web. Information coming in has to be vetted through this gateway. Without it, you’re just getting the free flow of information, without this type of perimeter security.

Most of us have heard of the Trojan horse, which was an early mechanism for hackers to bring malware into a private network. But the Trojan horse doesn’t really work if you have a gateway that’s designed to act as an effective firewall. That’s one of the prime reasons that proxies are so useful in modern networking.

Cloaking and Your Privacy

VPNs are popular in business, because of the second word in their name – virtual private network tunnels make sure that encrypted information doesn’t get into the hands of the wrong people.

It’s the same way with proxies. The privacy benefits are significant. Whether you’re using hotspots, or just paranoid about your own local system’s exposure, you can shield your activity through a proxy gateway and get peace of mind.

Bandwidth and Efficiency

This is one of the benefits of proxies that you don’t hear as much about.

How do proxy servers increase bandwidth and efficiency?

They do this with a process called caching that is rather like what web browsers do for end users.

The idea works like this – by keeping common requests in a cache, the system can deliver iterations to different demands, without recalling the source material every single time. That frees up bandwidth, and it increases the speed of responses, so that the system gets a kind of turbocharge in terms of its performance.

For example, if you are on a proxy requesting a specific landing page, let’s say for kitchen supplies, you might be one of 100 people who are coming online that day and requesting the exact same page. Instead of doing all the work every single time, the cache system can have a cached result that it sends to you in a portion of the time, with a portion of the energy conventionally needed to do a discrete delivery.

This is just the beginning of what proxies can do for web users. Look into your own network and infrastructure and how IP addresses are handled to understand more about how our services work.

Why Use a Proxy for Your eCommerce Site?

You may wonder why you need a proxy for your eCommerce site. You know you can use proxies and other tools to scrape eCommerce websites, but what benefits does this offer?

A surprise for many eCommerce site owners is that these proxies offer several benefits. When used, you can get ahead in your industry. Remember, though, getting the information that you need will be mixed in with a large amount of other data. As a result, you need quality scraping and proxy tools to get what you really need.

Keep Up with the Latest Trends

When it comes to giving your business the best chance of success, you have to have a handle on the latest trends. This may include getting to know how your competition is performing. What is receiving the most activity, or what is selling? With this information, you can figure out what trends you should focus on.

Compare SEO Strategies

Scraping eCommerce websites with proxies is a good way to learn how your competition is using SEO. It is possible to set up the scraper to provide results related to what keywords your competition is using, how they are using them, and more. The information you gather is invaluable because you can then compare it to the best SEO practices. If you notice anything in your efforts that fall short, you can make adjustments to improve your site’s SEO.

Listen to Consumers

Sometimes, it is not as much about the competition as it is about your customers. A good way to find out about this is by scraping user reviews. With this information, you can discover if there is an ongoing problem with your competition’s service or product. It will also provide you with helpful information on how you can better operate or even market your own ideas.

Features of a Quality Proxy

You must find proxies that have the necessary features. It should have speeds that do not fall lower than 1 Gbps and provide unlimited bandwidth. They should also provide ongoing customer support and authentication. When it comes to a proxy for your eCommerce site, you should also remember that you need rotating IPs. You should also pick one with a vast selection of locations to choose from. It is these features that work together to make a good proxy.

Finding the Right Proxy for an eCommerce Site

When searching for the right proxy for your eCommerce website, there are many factors to consider. As you can see from the information here, a proxy offers many benefits for eCommerce sites. To see these benefits for your own site, and to ensure you get the desired results, look into the right proxy service today.

For more information about proxies and finding the right one for your eCommerce website, contact us. Our team is available to help you with your proxy related needs and ensure you get all the benefits mentioned here, among others. We can also answer any questions you have about the service.

Signs Your Online Privacy Isn’t Fully Protected

Ever since the incident involving Edward Snowden, people have started paying more attention to their online security and privacy. Unfortunately, issues like security are more challenging to straighten out than most people think. Many individuals have already sent a lot of private information to Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Google, and other companies. Here are some of the top signs that you are giving away much more information than you need to, along with a few tools to help protect online privacy.

You Have Not Disabled the Location Services on Your Mobile Devices

Both iOS and Android have systems built in that ping your location when needed. You may have noticed this when posting to Facebook, and it reads “near there” where “there” is your city’s name. Almost any device on a mobile network can ping your location – at any time. This means that most of your apps, and the companies that own them, know where you are located.

You can fix this in iOS, but the way you fix it depends on the version of iOS you are using. For Android, you can go to the Location tab in settings and turn off all options.

All Your Status Updates are Public

When posting something on Twitter, Google+, and Facebook, you do so publicly, which means everyone can see it. This means everyone – friends, friends of friends, people in other countries, your boss, and anyone else can see what you are posting on your personal social media accounts.

You can fix this on Twitter by making your entire profile private. For Google+ and Facebook, just change the post a status box that reads “public” to “private.”

You Use an Easy to Guess Password

You would be surprised how many people have horrible passwords. There are still some people who use “password” as their password. If you are using passwords under 10 characters, with no numbers, symbols, or capital letters, you are in trouble.

This is a pretty easy fix. You just need to create a stronger password. Use a mix of symbols, capital letters, numbers, and letters. It does not have to be ridiculous, but it should be strong.

You Connect to Public WiFi without a VPN

VPNs are virtual private networks. They let you connect to the internet on private networks even if you are connected to local WiFi. This is important because when connected to a public WiFi source, people can access the digital packets that are going through the connections. The packets often contain things like private information and passwords.

If you use a VPNs or private proxies, it is much harder for others to access these packets, which means your data is more secure. Today, setting up a VPN or a private proxy is easy and there are several service providers to choose from.

Are You Protecting Your Privacy?

When it comes to protecting your privacy, there are several steps you can take. In some cases, working with professionals to develop a quality plan is best. This will ensure you get the privacy that you want and need and eliminate your worry about stolen data and private information.

Are You Really Protecting Your Privacy Online Common Privacy Myths and the Truth Behind Them

Have you ever really thought about how much data you are sharing online each day? If so, you know that maintaining your online privacy isn’t easy. Governments, corporations, and cybercriminals are working to eliminate the small amount of privacy that internet users have left.

Today, this concern is more prevalent than before. From allegations of surveillance to election interference in the past and even unauthorized data access, there are all sorts of infringements on your right to privacy that appear daily.

While there is a lot of information about digital security and privacy out there, it isn’t all good. Get to know some of the most common online privacy myths – and the truth about them below.

Myth: Hackers Will Only Target the Wealthy and VIPs

While high-value targets appeal to hackers, most prefer casting a much wider net and taking advantage of anyone they can find. To understand why you may be a target, you should know that scammers and hackers aren’t always trying to get the largest bank account out there. If they can access a mid-level employee’s files where there are sensitive trade secrets, they can then blackmail the company or even sell the documents to your competition.

They can also infect thousands of users with bots that can be used to harness and then launch DDoS and hold websites for ransom. It is even possible to manipulate social media accounts. They do this to sell fake likes to unscrupulous marketers or give fake social media accounts to a group of friends to make them seem legitimate.

This means anyone is and can be a target. When hackers try to hit as many users as they can, everyone is a target.

Myth: Private or Incognito Mode will Help You Stay Anonymous

Some of the most popular internet browsers offer private browsing mode; however, the level of privacy provided is low. While this is true, these browsers are usually upfront about the limitations and capabilities of the private modes – but who really reads this information?

Put simply, these modes are designed to keep your browser from collecting cookies. This is what sites use to track you. While that is a good start, it isn’t enough if you want to remain anonymous. Websites may still fingerprint users, identify visitors’ IP addresses, and send tracking pixels to their cache.

Myth: If You Use the Private Setting on Facebook, Only Friends Can Access Your Data

Facebook offers a lot of privacy and different security settings. However, they don’t all provide the security you think you are getting. You need to make sure you fully understand these privacy settings’ capabilities since they aren’t all as comprehensive as they may seem at first.

Are You Really Keeping Your Information Private?

As you can see from the myths here, there are many situations where you may think your information is private and protected, but it really isn’t. Be sure you fully understand privacy settings and make sure you work with the professionals when necessary to ensure a higher level of security.

4 Things Parents Need to Make Distance Learning Easy and Safe

There are over 50 million school-age children in the United States. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the way these children learn has changed significantly. While a number of schools are planning to reopen, many parents are hesitant to send their children back to the classroom. If you are planning on using distance learning for your child in the coming months, you need to adequately prepare.

Having the right tools and technology in place is vital when trying to have success with distance learning. The following are some things parents need to make distance learning easy and safe.

1. Private Proxies Are a Great Investment

During your child’s distance learning experience, they will have to do a lot of online research. Making sure your child isn’t tracked by online advertisers or foreign governments is important. One of the best ways to protect your child’s digital identity is with the help of private proxies.

These private proxies are designed to mask your IP address. This means you will no longer have to worry about your child getting held back by geographical barriers or ad networks. The investment you make in these private proxies will be worth it considering the increased online security they provide.

2. Getting the Right Laptop

If your child is taking advantage of distance learning during the school year, they will need a reliable and fast laptop. Luckily, there are tons of different affordable laptop options on the market. Before you choose a computer for your child to use, be sure to consider things like the amount of storage and the online reviews it has. Ideally, you want to choose a laptop that has tons of storage space.

3. Your Child Will Need Good Headphones

Keeping children focused and motivated is one of the main hurdles parents will face when taking advantage of distance learning. Providing your child with a quiet area to study and do their online assignments is imperative. Making sure your child can hear online lectures and classroom interactions is vital, which is why investing in a pair of high-quality headphones is a wise move. If at all possible, you need to select headphones that offer noise-cancelling.

4. Protect Your Electronics with a Surge Protector

Most parents will spend lots of money getting their children the electronic equipment they need to take advantage of distance learning. Plugging a computer straight into a wall plug can result in it getting fried if a power surge happens. This is why investing in a surge protector is so important. The protection these surge protectors offer makes them well worth the money. Finding a surge protector with USB ports built into it is a great option if your child has tablets and phones they need to charge.

Protect Your Online Identity

If you want to invest in a private proxy, contact the team at EZ Proxies. Our goal is to provide consumers with private proxies at a reasonable price.

What You Need to Know About Private Proxies

Proxies serve several significant purposes, whether you want to go through SEO rankings in bulk, as a social media marketer, an online business owner, or a torrent user. And since proxies allow users to perform several tasks that are otherwise impossible, they are becoming quite popular these days. When you use proxies, you can bypass some restrictions like those on censorship and the geographical ones. Nevertheless, it may be quite challenging to choose one exactly for your needs with the plethora of private proxies providers available on the web.

If you want a great value, 24/7 support, and highly anonymous for your money, choose EzProxies as you will have the chance to use the company’s servers as an intermediary. It will be highly impossible for a website to tell you are using a proxy because Ezproxies utilizes its advanced technology.

What is a Private Proxy?

The type of proxy server that one person can exclusively use at a time is a private proxy. As it makes it untraceable, this proxy server will hide your IP address. Thus, your IP address will become masked if you are using a private proxy. Your local ISP will mask your IP address.

How the Private Proxy Works

You will figure out that you’re the only one using the proxy through authentication. A private proxy provider that will provide you with the authentication system as part of their services for their private proxies is essential before you buy a private proxy. Two ways of private proxy authentication include:

Whitelist IP Authentication

Whitelist IP authentication is an essential part of IP authentication. There is an IP address assigned to you when you purchase a proxy from a private proxy provider. You can use this IP for authentication as you have authorized access to proxies through this process.

Password and Username Authentication

Username and password is another method of authentication. As most internet users use this method, it is quite common. And because all that is required is to provide your login details, which are username and password, the process is quite easy.

Compared to the username and password method, the proxy is indeed the simplest, even though you can’t call it less secured. There are benefits and challenges with this method. You can only have access to the proxy from the Whitelist IP alone since you will have to use your private proxy provider to whitelist your IP address.

Types of Private Proxies

Private proxies are the type of proxy server that one person uses at a time. There are several types of private proxies, and you will have mobile IP proxies, private residential IP proxies, and private dedicated IP proxies. Because of their lesser chances of being tracked, these proxies are the best to use. It is quite essential to determine the type that you will apply according to your needs before you buy a private proxy.