CEH

Using Proxies 121

Proxy servers are typically used to maintain anonymity, which helps scanners. A vigilant
network administrator who is checking logs and systems will see the agent or proxy, but
not the actual scanning party behind the proxy.
Setting up a proxy is easy and can be accomplished a number of ways, depending on the
situation itself.

Setting a Web Browser to Use a Proxy

Use the following steps to set your browser to use a proxy:

1. Log on to http://www.whatismyip.com and write down your current IP address. Or you can
   use ipconfig to gain this information.


2. Enter proxies in your favorite search engine to find a site providing a list of publicly
   available proxies. Each proxy in the list consists of an IP address and a port.


3. Randomly select a proxy from the list and write down its IP address and port number.


4. In your browser, find the proxy settings and manually configure the browser to use the
   information from step 3.


5. Check out http://www.whatismyip.com again to see how the proxy now hides your actual IP
   address.

You can configure proxies in other web browsers the same way.

Choose a proxy based outside the United States to best simulate what an

advanced attacker would do. Proxies based in the United States can have

their records subpoenaed, which is why a malicious party typically would

refrain from using them.

Other proxy options are available to you as well, that may be useful in certain
situations. One important one is the Onion Router (Tor). Tor is an older technology,
but it is still effective and widely used. To better understand this technology, read the
following description from the Tor Project’s website (https://www.torproject.org/about/
overview.html.en):

Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to

improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables

software developers to create new communication tools with built-in

privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications

that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public

networks without compromising their privacy.