Proxy sites enable the individual to access websites and servers through another server to keep the location and identity of the individual unknown. This helps to limit the amount of spam, cookies, and other information from being gleaned or placed on the computer. This in turn helps to keep the computer running fast and efficiently.
Cookies and other computer identification software that is placed on the computer by websites can drastically slow down the computer. These cookies and other identification softwares help to identify a computer upon reentry into the website so that items that the website thinks you want will be available. The computer can also "catch" a virus from such softwares because of the software's ability to be corrupted or otherwise altered. This is one of the major reasons that people use proxy sites.
In addition to the protection from cookies, proxy sites stop the gleaning of information from the computer through the website. This gleaning is often just information regarding what other websites that one is viewing, but can be much more invasive. The possibility of hackers and other individuals who might be using the gleaned information to steal one's identity or bank accounts is greatly reduced by using a proxy site.
These proxy sites can either be true internet sites that assist one in viewing additional websites while keeping the computer safe, or they can be servers that protect the computer. Proxy sites that are true websites tend to provide secured lines of communication between the website and the computer. This helps to defray any lost or gleaned information from the computer and limits the cookies that may be placed on the computer.
Servers that are used as proxy sites are often in addition to the server that allows for the computer to access a website. This server acts a surrogate computer and takes all of the cookies, spy ware, and other computer harming components for it to be trashed and destroyed before damage can be done. This server could be part of the computer itself, or it could be part of the ISP server units. Either way, proxy sites can be extremely useful and helpful for all those who use them.