A Reverse Proxy is a network proxy server deployed in front of one or more web servers, acting as an intermediary between client devices (e.g. web browsers) and backend servers (e.g. web servers or application servers) to handle incoming requests, distribute traffic, and provide additional functionalities, such as load balancing, caching, SSL termination, or security enforcement. Unlike traditional forward proxies that protect clients by intercepting outgoing requests, reverse proxies protect servers by intercepting incoming requests, forwarding them to the appropriate backend servers, and returning responses to clients on behalf of the servers. Reverse proxies enhance performance, scalability, security, and reliability of web applications by offloading tasks from backend servers, optimizing content delivery, and mitigating common web security threats, such as DDoS attacks, SQL injection, or cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
