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How to Use a Proxy as a Content Filter for Your Business’ WiFi
Free Internet access via public WiFi has long been familiar to business owners. Public WiFi allows them to collect visitor data and improve the quality of service. But if a client in your establishment “catches” a virus on their device, their attitude towards the establishment may deteriorate sharply.
Risks of an Unprotected WiFi Access Point
Parents often connect to the Internet to communicate in cafes and restaurants with public WiFi while games or cartoons occupy the child’s attention. Guests do not think that a public network can be dangerous not only with computer “viruses” but also with content inappropriate for children. Here are the main dangers that users of an unprotected network face.
- Infection of a device connected to WiFi with malware. The public wireless network of an establishment is at risk of infection with malware from user devices. “Viruses” can easily penetrate the WiFi network from a guest’s phone or computer and then hide in the network for a long time, damaging other user devices. Visitors to the cafe may not notice this right away. Then, they face unpleasant consequences — infection of devices with malware and loss of personal or corporate information.
- Display of “adult” or prohibited content. Parents do not want their children to encounter adult content when using WiFi. Users can access any resources without content filtering — with age restrictions or prohibited content.
- Phishing sites. An Internet user may come across fake websites of stores, banks, or social networks that are visually indistinguishable from the real ones. An inattentive site visitor enters their data for authorization, after which they end up in the hands of scammers.
The most responsible people use mobile proxies on their devices. However, you shouldn’t expect all your customers to do so.
Why You Should Use a Proxy to Protect Your WiFi Security
Public WiFi networks are convenient and many people enjoy using them. However, they carry hidden threats. Of course, such an experience will not improve the user experience of your business. Here are some reasons to use a proxy on your network.
- Protection of personal information. Thanks to encryption, user data is not accessible to third parties during transmission. This provides additional privacy.
- Hides data of connected devices. Not all proxies have this feature. And it is not always necessary. However, if you care about your anonymity, you should think about this function.
- Protection from cross-network attacks. Proxy servers can filter unwanted traffic, including malware and device-specific attacks, providing additional security.
- Restrictions on prohibited or malicious sites. With a proxy, you can configure access parameters. This way, your users will not be able to access resources that threaten their security.
As you can see, leaving your network unprotected is definitely not worth it. Such savings can cost you dearly. Believe us, reputational losses are much worse than modest expenses on quality protection.
Transparent Proxy Features
Let’s define this type of proxy. This server acts as an intermediary between the user’s computer and the Internet, redirecting requests and responses through a router without making significant changes to the browser settings. You can also read the article about a proxy server. It provides detailed information about all existing types.
Your network browser won’t need special software or additional settings to set up the work. The desired effect can be achieved using a special firewall setting by redirecting the general traffic flow from port 80 to the coordinates of the desired proxy.
An interesting feature of this setting is that users may not even suspect they are solely visiting the desired portal, thanks to a proxy server. One of the main advantages of using such proxies is the lack of need to configure web clients manually. If there are problems with traffic redirection, you need IP firewall tables.
Reasons to Choose a Transparent Proxy
These types of proxy servers have deservedly gained immense popularity due to a number of advantages. In addition to the lack of need to set individual parameters, users have also appreciated other equally important points. If you want to understand why you need this protection, it is worth specifying its essential characteristics:
- Guaranteed anonymity — you can reliably hide your IP address if you get banned on the desired portal or, for various reasons, hide your presence on the network;
- Restricted access — if necessary, you can block an attempt to access specific sites, as well as the use of traffic for a particular group of users;
- Database compression — thanks to the information compression function, there are significant savings in network traffic.
- The only thing that should be done is to redirect traffic on the router correctly, and even then, the administrator of a particular network does this. Such simple manipulation allows all group members to use all the provided functions without the slightest restrictions.
This software allows you to use all the Internet possibilities with maximum efficiency. With this tool, you will reliably block unwanted resources and provide your visitors with a safe and comfortable environment. It will improve their experience and ultimately reflect positively on your image.
Conclusion
The benefits and convenience of using a proxy are beyond doubt. Various modifications of applications are offered that allow you to bypass any restrictions on activity on the network, but one of the most popular options is rightly considered a transparent proxy server. Internet security is an integral part of the modern digital world. Do not leave your data unprotected or expose yourself to cyber threats. Protect your customers with a reliable proxy asit is a simple and effective tool.
