E-commerce businesses operate in challenging environments. Cyber security threats mar their every move. For every product they place for sale, it’s likely to expose them to criminals.
Because of this, online businesses need to be cautious of their security. They need tools that safeguard them from attacks. Even for activities like competitor research, eCommerce businesses need a shield.
It’s for this reason that proxies have great relevance in online marketplaces. Proxies work by hiding your IP address, so you aren’t exposed to cybercriminals.
They do much more by helping you stay ahead of competitors. On top of that, they manage internet access in workplaces.
In this article, we take a close look at different ways proxy servers benefit eCommerce businesses.
Masking Your Online Identity
An exposed public IP address is a risk to your business. It gives cybercriminals a chance to target and attack your system. To make sure you aren’t drawing attention to your activities, keep the IP address hidden.
To do this, use a proxy. A proxy masks your online identity, so you remain hidden. For example, if your IP address is 1.4.3.2, and a proxy server has the address of 3.2.1.8, it will send requests using the latter.
The benefit of this is that your browsing habits are anonymous. It also masks your location, so anyone targeting your device can’t determine your exact area. So, if your team is conducting any research, you are guaranteed that your work is protected.
More interesting is that proxies are of different kinds. The different types also have varying capabilities.
For instance, there is the residential proxy. A residential IP proxy is sourced from an Internet Service Provider. Because of this, the transmissions appear to be coming from individual users.
Due to the nature of residential proxy, there are fewer bans. There is also great efficiency since the IP addresses rotate. And thanks to the rotating factor, it’s difficult for a criminal to trace your steps.
A residential proxy also has stable connections. In addition, they have web caching capabilities. Because of this, you can maximize productivity since the speeds are impressive.
On the other hand, there’s the datacenter proxy. A datacenter proxy does not rely on an ISP. They are used by many at the same time. Due to the sharing concept, they are an easier target for cybercriminals.
But the datacenter proxies have another advantage; the speeds. They are faster and convenient for users more concerned with output. Again, this is because they don’t rely on resources from ISPs.
Support Competitor Research
Competition forms the basis of most eCommerce stores. Your position in search result pages determines the kind of traffic you attract. Because of this, competitor analysis is necessary for good conversions.
Competitor research involves heavy scraping in other websites. You need to collect insights and data over an extended period.
Normally, these high-ranking websites use advanced techniques to hide this information. For example, they can use tactics like CAPTCHA to limit access by bots.
This now brings out the importance of proxies. With proxies, you can bypass these restrictions. You can use an undetectable identity to collect all types of data.
The use of different identities means there are lesser chances of being banned. And thanks to rotating proxies, you can have varying IP addresses sending anonymous requests to the websites.
Apart from web scraping, viable rotating proxies give you access to geo-restricted content. The anonymity offers opportunities to gain insights that keep you ahead of competitors for longer.
Improves Security for eCommerce Businesses
Cybersecurity threats have been growing every year. And with more people shifting to eCommerce businesses, we expect the numbers to increase.
According to IBM, the cybersecurity market is expected to get to $248.26 billion in 2023, up from $184.19 billion in 2020.
With this much insecurity, you cannot underestimate the use of proxies. All traffic coming in and out of your system should pass through a proxy server. This will help with scanning and filtering the harmful content.
By doing this, you ensure that your content, advertisement, and payment systems are safe. In addition, the proxy server will prevent the injection of phishing links, malware, and other vulnerabilities in your store.
A proxy you should consider for the utmost security is the SOCKS5. SOCKS5 proxies are built primarily for secure network authentication. These proxies offer three types of authentication.
- Null authentication – You don’t need authentication to connect to the proxy.
- Password/username authentication – You need logins to connect to the proxy.
- GSI/API authentication – You and the server must input authentication details at the operating system to confirm identity.
The major benefit of SOCKS proxies is that it transfers smaller data packets. In addition, it does not rewrite data packets. Because of this, there is better performance and improved speed on your device. This further boosts the detectability of malicious requests and improves overall system security.
Internet Monitoring and Balancing Web Performance
Web caching proxies ensure the fast loading of requests. In addition, it monitors and collects common organization data and saves them for later use.
Whenever it encounters a similar search request, it retrieves this information from the saved pages.
These proxies are time savers since you don’t need to revisit the internet for similar requests. Additionally, it improves network speeds since there is reduced bandwidth.
Another aspect is load balancing. For example, when running promotions, there is a possibility of high traffic on your website. Without proper balancing, the site might crash because of a high volume of requests.
To avoid this from happening, use a proxy server. Specific proxies, especially the rotating kinds, have several servers at their disposal. This means that an overload on one server can quickly be fixed by redirecting the requests to another.
But keep in mind that not all proxies work for your good. For instance, free proxies come with greater risks since there is minimal support from providers. So, go for the paid proxies to ensure you aren’t exposing your eCommerce business to more trouble.
Also, check online reviews to determine reliable providers. In addition, get to know your proxies and the type that would be a perfect fit for your business.
Internet Use Control for Employees
Employees can be of significant risk to your business. The kind of websites they visit and links they access could pose irreversible cyber attacks.
Since you can’t supervise employees 24/7, consider having a proxy. With a proxy, you can set trigger words that block access to harmful websites.
In addition, you can use the proxy as a recording hub. From the data, you can determine employee productivity based on the sites they visit. This will give you management ideas on areas that cause time wastage.
Wrapping Up
Proxy servers help in masking your online identity. They allow access to data and insights for marketing, competitor analysis, and research. Also, proxies enable access to geo-restricted content. As a result, eCommerce businesses that use web proxies enjoy better web experiences.
