socket secure server (SOCKS)

Socket Secure Server (SOCKS) belongs to the IP-based forwarding services. It is a protocol for proxy servers with which they can access external computers without an explicit connection.

Socks uses the TCP protocol and the UDP protocol and their services, such as file transfer and Telnet, to forward data packets for the workstation computer to other systems. The desired communication partner is not addressed directly, but via a Socks server. This works as an intermediary server, it establishes the connection to the proxy server and forwards the data between the external computer and the proxy.

Socks version 5 allows authentication of the user via the user name and password. Socks was specified by the Internet Engineering Task Force( IETF) and is described in RFC 1928.