Skip to main content
All glossary terms

Credentials & security

Proxy authentication

Proxy authentication is the process by which a client proves its identity or presents an access credential to a proxy. It governs access to the proxy itself and is distinct from the upstream credential that the proxy may send to a destination API.

Also known as proxy auth.

Why it matters in practice

HTTP proxy authentication commonly uses a proxy-specific challenge and the Proxy-Authorization header. Deployments should protect credentials in transit and avoid treating successful proxy login as authorization for every destination or action. Proxy authentication and upstream API authorization are separate trust decisions.

Example

A client authenticates to its proxy with a proxy credential, then the proxy uses a different configured secret when contacting api.example.com.

Educational note

This definition is general information, not legal advice. It may omit facts that matter to a specific situation and does not establish or guarantee compliance.