With the rise of online education and the impact of the global epidemic, distance education and online learning platforms have become an indispensable part of the education field. As an important tool for network access, the application of proxy servers in these platforms has also received increasing attention. This paper aims to reveal new uses of proxy servers in distance education and online learning platforms and explore their related security considerations in depth.

1. New Uses of Proxy Servers in Distance Education and Online Learning Platforms

Improve Access Speed and Stability: For schools and students in remote locations, direct access to international online learning platforms may face speed and stability issues. By configuring proxy servers, network routing can be optimized, network latency can be reduced, access speed and stability can be improved, and students' learning experience can be improved.

Content Filtering and Customization: Proxy servers can filter and customize content on online learning platforms based on the school's teaching needs and students' learning levels. For example, blocking content that is not related to learning, or providing students with customized learning resources. This helps create a purer and more efficient learning environment.

Cross-platform compatibility support: Different online learning platforms may use different technical architectures and protocols. Proxy servers can provide cross-platform compatibility support, allowing schools and students to seamlessly access various online learning platforms without worrying about technical compatibility issues.

Data caching and acceleration: Proxy servers can cache frequently accessed online learning resources and content, reducing the need to download data from remote servers. This not only saves bandwidth and reduces network costs, but also increases the loading speed of learning resources and improves students' learning efficiency.

2. Security considerations of proxy servers in distance education and online learning platforms

Data leakage risk: When accessing online learning platforms through proxy servers, students' personal information and learning data may be transmitted through proxy servers. If the proxy server has security vulnerabilities or is controlled by malicious attackers, this data may be leaked or abused. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a trustworthy proxy server provider and take appropriate security measures.

Privacy protection issues: Proxy servers may record students' network activities and personal information, which may infringe on students' privacy rights. In order to protect students' privacy, schools should choose proxy servers with privacy protection functions and ensure that the use of proxy servers complies with relevant laws, regulations and ethical standards.

Malicious content filtering: Although proxy servers can be used to filter and customize content on online learning platforms, this may also bring some risks. For example, excessive filtering may prevent students from accessing some valuable learning resources; while inaccurate filtering may expose students to malicious content. Therefore, schools need to carefully evaluate the filtering capabilities of proxy servers and adjust and optimize them according to actual conditions.

Risk of network attacks: As a portal for network access, proxy servers may become targets of network attacks. If the proxy server is successfully hacked by an attacker, students' network activities and learning data will be at great risk. To prevent this from happening, schools need to take a series of security measures to protect the security of proxy servers, such as regularly updating patches, configuring firewalls and intrusion detection systems, etc.

In summary, proxy servers have broad application prospects and potential in distance education and online learning platforms. However, while enjoying the convenience and advantages they bring, we also need to pay attention to their potential security risks and take corresponding measures to protect students' information security and privacy. Only in this way can we better use proxy servers to contribute to the development of distance education and online learning platforms.