What Is the Difference Between a VPN and a Proxy | Free Antivirus

Virtual Private Networks ( VPNs ) and proxy servers have one thing in common: they both serve to connect you to remote computers. But there the similarities end since they are two different elements that carry out their task through different methods and that do not offer the same degree of privacy and encryption.

What is a VPN?

VPNs serve as an encrypted virtual tunnel between the host server and your device so that you can carry out your activities on the Internet in a protected way. VPNs are configured at the operating system level, on a network that captures every connection that leaves your computer. This means that unlike a proxy server (which simply acts as an intermediary for a single application) VPNs will capture the traffic of each of the applications on your device: from your web browser to your online games to system updates. running in the background.

Any activity cannot be seen by anyone other than the host VPN server, thanks to powerful encryption. This is especially important when using mobile equipment that is often connected to public WiFi, such as those in hotels and airports, which are not always secure. This is why many companies use these virtual networks so that employees have access to their own local intranet or corporate network when they are out of the office. A VPN can be used on any device that has the client installed, so the user's location doesn't matter.

What is a proxy server?

A proxy server is an intermediary in the requests for resources between your computer and the Internet. When you connect to a proxy, your activity will appear as if it came from their IP address, rather than yours. For this reason, proxies have been used to overcome geographic restrictions, a feature it shares with VPNs, although that is precisely where the similarities stop. Instead of the traffic between your device and the host server being hidden behind an encrypted tunnel, in proxies, it remains for the most part open, which means that anyone with the right tools could have access to your internet traffic.

There are two different protocols that proxy servers use to connect to the Internet: HTTP and SOCKS. HTTP proxies have been around for decades and are the easiest and fastest to use. This type is used exclusively for navigation since it can only be used to access websites. On the other hand, Socket Secure (SOCKS) proxies are more oriented to Internet traffic beyond the HTTP traffic of your browser. They are popularly used for torrent services or to connect to FTP and web servers.

Which is better?

Before working with any of these tools, remember that in this age of privacy threats, nothing is completely secure. That said, in most metrics, a VPN outperforms a proxy, both in terms of privacy and security. With them, you not only get solid encryption for all Internet traffic coming from your computer, but you can also bypass geo-restrictions and your exchanges are completely private. Generally speaking, a proxy is only suitable for superficial browsing actions, without the use of personal information.

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