Should you use a proxy? Well, with all the restrictions on the web today it’s totally understandable to opt for a proxy server when accessing the internet.
I get it, most of us use proxies to bypass these restrictions placed by the government, your school, or organization, without knowing the consequences.
And according to a study by Researchgate, over 9% of the working proxies exhibit malicious behaviors. But, you still use them despite the vulnerabilities they come with.
Of course, it’s questionable why someone would spend a whole lifetime creating such a service only to provide it for free.
The simple answer to this is, most people behind these proxy servers can see what you do and can steal or use your information for illicit acts or worse, breach your system.
In this article, I have outlined 5 reasons why you shouldn’t use a free proxy in 2022.
Before we go any deeper, what’s a proxy server?
What is a proxy?
Maybe one of your friends recommended it to you.
After all, with data breaches reported almost daily, who wouldn’t want to stay safe on the internet?
A proxy server acts as an intermediary between you and the websites you visit daily. Let’s take an example where you want to access geo-restricted content.
Now, suppose you are in India and want to watch your favorite action movie in the US. Through a proxy, you will send your request to the web server, only that, the proxy will mask your IP address with one from its own servers in the United States. This in return, gives you access to the content.
It works pretty much in a similar way to VPNs.
But by nature, VPNs assign you a dynamic IP address, this means that everytime you surf, you are assigned a random, shared IP which comes with lots of risk. However, you always have the option of going with a dedicated IP VPN that will give you an IP address that is unique to you.
Most free proxy servers are shared, though, with no option to have your own server with your own IP address.
1. Most Proxies Abandon HTTPS
In all attributes, HTTPS protocols give you a secure encrypted connection to the internet.
Surprisingly, most of these free proxies restrict the use of HTTPS. How are you sure your data is safe on the internet?
Truth be told, your data is not safe, without an HTTPS protocol, you are an open book to anyone interested in monitoring your digital footprints. Practically, an HTTPS protocol ensures that your communications between different systems are encrypted and decrypted.
Now, not only can someone monitor your traffic, but they will also be able to see what it is you are sending exactly through the network.
This is why you shouldn’t use a free proxy because you will have no privacy on the web. Evidently, you can’t use these proxies to handle anything that requires a high level of anonymity.
Furthermore, most of these proxies monitor every activity you perform online.
2. Your Data is Monitored
Is free proxy safe?
I get it, you must do something about your privacy, after all according to Termly, also 76% of users believe companies must do more to protect their data online.
Free proxies make bypassing restrictions feel like a walk in the park, but remember, when the deal is too good, you must think twice.
Every time you use a proxy server to connect to the internet, you expect state-of-the-art services but for free. But there is nothing for free.
So what’s the owner’s intention?
That should be the question ringing in your mind. You definitely don’t know the owner’s intention or who they are. Worst case, they may be the government or hackers trying to get your information.
By the end of the day, any interested party can see:
- Your login information
- Credit card and cryptocurrency wallet
- Actions performed on every website you visit
As a matter of fact, it is believed that the only reason why proxies don’t use HTTPS is so that they can easily monitor.
I’ll leave it to you to decide whether using a free proxy is worth the risk.
3. Your Cookies Are Stollen
Cookies make it convenient for us to easily log in to different accounts.
Most definitely, they have simplified the logging process by storing our private data.
In case you are wondering what cookies are, picture this, every time you visit a website or a server, your computer creates a small file. In this file, your login details are stored so that anytime you visit the same site, the logging process is completed automatically.
But as much as cookies benefit us, you risk losing your sensitive information.
On the other hand, the proxy owner might steal your information. And worse, they can use this information to impersonate you on your social media pages or bank. And you will only realize when it’s too late.
Importantly, the amount of damage caused will depend on the site you visited. This means that if you are a fanatic of very sensitive pages, you might find yourself in a hot soup.
4. They Use Malicious Software
Malware and viruses can destroy your system.
In fact, not so long ago CPS admitted that hackers deployed a ransomware in their system which routinely takes copies of the students database and other information.
Sadly, with free proxy servers, your machine can be affected. Concurrently, the proxy owner might infect your machine with malware accidentally. This is because proxy owners depend on ad revenue to keep the proxy running.
So they incorporated adverts into content, and this is where the trouble begins. If they are not careful enough, there are scammers watching.
These scammers can take advantage of their lack of awareness and show you adverts in a process known as malvertising. This process will infect your system with malware.
In addition, nothing stops the proxy owner from also infecting your hardware intentionally.
Now, when using a proxy server, you obviously expect that your data won’t be misused, but that is not the case. Which is why you shouldn’t use a free proxy.
5. Provide Low-Quality Services
Admittedly, it’s not worth the gamble.
After all the blood, sweat, and tears. Free proxies don’t even match up the energy. Instead, they offer poor services.
Understandably, this might be because the owners don’t get enough funds.
On the other hand, it might be because of the high number of people using proxies today. But that’s not all. Some proxies are restricted in some countries and you won’t be able to bypass any restrictions with them.
Moreover, if you run into any problem with these free proxies, you will not have any help. Practically, these proxies can’t afford to provide 24/7 customer support.
If you must use a free proxy, ensure that you are not submitting any of your sensitive data across it. To stay safe with these free proxies, always stay paranoid and ask yourself “is free proxy safe?”
You need to remain protected on the web either way, so how can you accomplish this?
What’s The Other Option?
Of course, there are other ways to remain protected on the internet.
Fortunately, you can use a premium proxy to remain safe.
Unlike free proxies, premium proxies are fast, reliable, transparent, and safe to use. Plus, a big number of them present you with multiple choices like
- Datacenter
- Residential proxies
- Scraper API
What’s more, because you are paying for their services, they ensure that you enjoy quality services at high speed.
Conclusion
I get it, you have found solace using a web proxy to navigate the web.
But free proxies are faced with multiple drawbacks and plenty of time, we are forced to ask ourselves “is free proxy safe?”
This is why in this article, we have looked at 5 reasons why you shouldn’t use a free proxy in 2022. From these reasons, you can clearly see the underlying issues. Plus, with these free proxies, you are able to bypass geo-restricted content and even browse the web anonymously, but at a price.
The price is definitely your privacy. Stop using free proxies and if you must, use premium proxies.
