Member Avatar for tori

Hi,

Sorry that I'm a lay person

I heard that if I use a free anonymous proxy server to connect the internet instead of a direct connection, it would be more safe against hackers.

Is that true, an do you recommend it?
Any specific proxy recommand?

The thing I do not understand is:
When I surf by this free anonymous server, and go for example to a site where I nedd to submite user name, passwars, credit card number etc',
don't they get those numbers and information, I mean those who run this free anonymous server?

Thanks

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by ireshagun

Dani AI

Generated

Free anonymous web proxies hide an IP address but do not automatically make a connection safer. Many public proxies log, inject, or alter traffic — exactly the risk warned about — so any non-encrypted form fields (usernames, passwords, credit card numbers) can be exposed to the proxy operator. The OP is correct to be concerned.

Encryption is the critical boundary. HTTPS (TLS) prevents a proxy from reading page contents and form data, though metadata such as destination host and TLS handshake bits remain visible. A malicious proxy can attempt TLS interception by presenting a forged certificate, so browser certificate warnings must never be ignored. All plain HTTP traffic is fully visible to any proxy.

Practical, safer alternatives and checks:

  • Sensitive credentials or payment data should not be submitted through an unknown public proxy.
  • Banking and shopping are best done over direct HTTPS from a trusted network; multi-factor authentication and disabled browser auto-fill add protection.
  • For private tunnels, a personal SSH dynamic (SOCKS) tunnel to a trusted host or a reputable paid VPN provides confidentiality without trusting a random operator.
  • Tor provides stronger anonymity (as noted) but has speed and exit-node tradeoffs and is not a drop-in replacement for secure transactions.
  • Avoid random proxy lists (as seen from posts by , and ); many entries are slow, unreliable, or malicious, which matches ’s experience.

Bottom line: public web proxies can offer simple IP masking and casual privacy, but they introduce a new trust and integrity risk. For anything sensitive, rely on end-to-end encryption and a trusted tunnel rather than routing traffic through an unknown middleman. The practical consensus from , , and correctly highlights these tradeoffs.

Recommended Answers

All 12 Replies

Member Avatar for Comatose

Yes They Can. I read an article about the proxy's, and a lot of them maintain a certain amount of information about your surfing habits and other internet based activities. It started as a great idea, and turned into something else.

Member Avatar for tori

so this is the worse way to be secure?

Member Avatar for Comatose

I wouldn't use it. People have different Idea's about it, but I can't see how channeling my information through someone else is more secure... unless I know and trust them with whatever I'm passing through them.

Member Avatar for ayk-retail

Hey,

I found an outstanding way to secure what you do online. Just recently, Google came out with Wifi in the San Fransisco area, and they distributed software to secure peoples connections. It also seems to work for non-wireless connections. You can download it at...

Good Luck,
Avrom

-------------------------------
Please visit my site

Member Avatar for reezin14

The google Wi-Fi security download is no longer available,to whom it may concern.

Member Avatar for roshank

here you go list of anonymous , elite proxy lists updated everyday
proxy list

:mrgreen:

Member Avatar for bernardz





Member Avatar for toseo

Using some unknown proxy server is going to be anything but secure!

Never send your passwords using an unknown proxy server.

But they are very good if you have privacy concerns. I always use anonymous proxy lists from that website. Some of the are high anonymous and fresh.

But remember, anonymous proxy servers are not for security, are for privacy.

Member Avatar for medog

Use TOR.

Member Avatar for ireshagun

The problem with all these free proxy lists is that if you try to use a proxy on one of these lists you will find that it's super slow, and even optimized sites such as google will take about 3 minutes to load!!

These lists are absolutely useless in my opinion

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