Im not going to get into detail how a proxy works since you the reader already know what one does. but my question is can't it be traced on the back end? For example if someone goes to site A, and use a proxy. Their ip address will show up as 111.111.111.111. however, if that ip is static and is whois'd or trace routed I can see this person is using a proxy program and what program/company they are using. now, stating that lets say that i own a website, and i am assuming or has a theory that the user logging into my site or using it in a malicious way is from "townx" in "pheonix" couldnt I contact the host of the proxy and could the company state that yes, based on 1 or a few ip addresses someone is connecting thru 111.111.111.111 who has isp "MC-isp" who services "townX" Can this information be used to prosecute someone? or is it only circumstantial evidence that the person in question is using the same proxy that the person who is attacking the site is using and is serviced by the same isp. even if 99% of the other ip addresses connecting are from over seas, and the malicious user in question is from pheonix and there is only 1 ip connecting with an isp that services townx in pheonix. how easy is this backend information obtained. And can it be used as a case. side question: If someone is attacking a site, and using a proxy, but the owner has no clue or is in left field about where the user is from is there any way to back track it still if there are like 1000+ (assuming) people using the same proxy address. even with J and JS disabled browser wise? *Im the one having the issue, im not trying to cause one lol* Thanks
realize that you're never really anonymous, and that while a proxy may not record the ips of whos connecting and using it - you invariably still go through an ISP - who I can guarantee does record and log such ips. There's two ISPS - the proxy's isp and the user's ISP - the user's ISP will most likely have a record of the date and ip assigned to a client, and what addresses they connected to (the proxy forwards data back to your IP, so the users isp would see the user making requests to the proxy, and the proxy sending back the info). The proxy's ISP would see a user making requests to the their client, and their client transmitting back data to the user. These logs can and are sometimes used to track down abusers (mostly child pornography).