Editing Proxy server (section)

===Security===
A proxy can keep the internal network structure of a company secret by using [[network address translation]], which can help the [[computer security|security]] of the internal network.<ref>{{cite web |quote=The proxy server is, above all, a security device. |url=http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Firewall-HOWTO-11.html |publisher=tldp.org |title=Firewall and Proxy Server HOWTO |access-date=4 September 2011 |archive-date=23 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823224815/http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Firewall-HOWTO-11.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This makes requests from machines and users on the local network anonymous. Proxies can also be combined with [[firewall (computing)|firewall]]s.

An incorrectly configured proxy can provide access to a network otherwise isolated from the Internet.<ref name="nmap">{{cite book |title=Nmap network scanning |last=Lyon |first=Gordon |author-link=Gordon Lyon |year=2008 |publisher=Insecure |location=US |isbn=978-0-9799587-1-7 |page=270 }}</ref>

====Cross-domain resources====
Proxies allow web sites to make web requests to externally hosted resources (e.g. images, music files, etc.) when [[Same-origin policy|cross-domain restrictions]] prohibit the web site from linking directly to the outside domains. Proxies also allow the browser to make web requests to externally hosted content on behalf of a website when cross-domain restrictions (in place to protect websites from the likes of data theft) prohibit the browser from directly accessing the outside domains.