Artem Zmitrovich
Find out what anonymous proxy is. Learn about types of proxy anonymizers, their functioning principles, risks, and practical usage.
Various dropshippers choose to run stealth dropshipping accounts. One of many reasons they go for it is the danger to get their selling account suspended. Especially when you start your e-commerce business on marketplaces like eBay or Walmart. Another reason can be that dropshipping is not supported yet in their location. For example, you as a seller are in Europe but you want to do dropshipping in the USA.
No matter what reason such sellers may have, the fact is that using proxy becomes a part of their daily business activities.
Yet, the systems usually give us seeming anonymity, collecting facts about our devices and identities discreetly. One way of dealing with this anonymity challenge is using anonymizing proxies. Can an Internet anonymizer ensure you remain incognito? Here comes the answer for you.
eBay VeRo is one of the most common reasons for eBay suspensions.
What’s an Anonymous Proxy Tool?
Proxy anonymizer is a service that hides your IP address and provides an alternative one by redirecting your Internet through a remote server. This way, the original IP address will be concealed, making it more difficult to track online activity. Besides, by using a proxy server in another country, you can bypass geo-restrictions and access content that might be unavailable in your region.
Types of Proxy Anonymizers
There are different types of proxy anonymizers, each with features and purposes. The most popular ones are:
- Web proxies — the most common type of proxies, usually used to unblock websites or hide your real IP address when surfing the web.
- VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) — encrypt your traffic and route it through a remote server of your choice, providing a higher level of security than web proxies. However, they tend to be slower due to the encryption process.
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- SOCKS proxies — usually used for torrenting or other P2P activities. They can be configured in most applications that support proxies and provide a higher level of security than web proxies.
Learn about the 6 Benefits of Using VPN for eCommerce Business.
Internet Anonymizer Usage Purposes
The main purpose of using an anonymizer is to improve online privacy and security. However, there are other reasons why people use these tools, such as:
- Bypassing geo-restrictions — accessing content that’s not available in your country due to copyright limitations or government censorship.
- Ensuring you remain incognito — hiding your real IP address can protect you from hackers and other cyber threats.
- Speeding up web browsing — some proxies cache websites, which means that once a page is accessed through a proxy, it will load faster the next time you try to access it.
Anonymous Proxy Risks
There are certain risks associated with using anonymizing proxies, such as:
- The proxy owner could monitor your traffic. The server’s owner could monitor your traffic and sell your data to third-party companies if you’re not using a reputable proxy service like Proxy-Store.
- Info stealing. Some Internet inhabitants could use the proxy for malicious purposes — hackers set up some proxies to steal sensitive information.
- Access denied. The proxy could be denylisted — if a proxy is used to commit illegal activities, it could be denylisted, which means that you won’t be able to use it to access certain websites.
How to Choose a Safe Proxy Anonymizer?
When choosing a proxy anonymizer, there are certain factors you need to take into account, such as:
- Reputation — Do your research and only use reputable proxy services.
- Encryption — choose a proxy that uses SSL encryption to protect your traffic from being monitored.
- Speed — some proxies can slow down your internet connection, so test the proxy’s speed before using it.
- Pricing — free proxy services are usually not as reliable as paid ones, but they can be a practical and helpful option if you only use them for simple tasks.
Proxy Anonymizers are only one of the numerous tools dropshippers use. Check out this 40 Free Dropshipping Tools guide to learn more!
How to Use Proxy Anonymizers?
Using a proxy anonymizer is fairly simple and undemanding. Most proxies will require you to enter the URL of the website you want to access and then select the desired country or location. Once you do that, the proxy will route your traffic through a remote server, and you’ll be able to access the website with a new IP address.
Will an Anonymous Proxy Service Guarantee I Remain Undetected?
No online anonymizer can guarantee that you’ll remain undetected 100% of the time. However, using a reputable anonymous proxy service can greatly reduce the chances of being caught and improve your online privacy and security.
Still, please remember about digital fingerprinting — that one is the hardest to avoid. Deleting your search history log, disabling cookies, and trying all other shinanigans to minimize it might not suffice. Cybersecurity and anonymity are always more demanding and complex than using an Internet anonymizer. Hence, reading more materials about protecting yourself in the digital plane is wise.
Final Words
Anonymizing proxies are a great way to improve your online privacy and security. However, certain risks are associated with using them, such as the possibility of being monitored by the proxy owner or having your traffic intercepted by hackers.
When choosing an anonymous proxy service, select a reputable service that uses SSL encryption. Additionally, please be aware of the limitations of proxies and understand that they can’t guarantee 100% anonymity.
You can consider using a VPN if you want a more comprehensive solution to improve your online privacy. And please never neglect to research and learn more to ensure you never stake your informational safety!
