What's That Term: Caching

person using a tablet

As the popular saying goes, we all want to make that cold hard cache. Although, today, we are not going to be talking about money; we will be discussing another technology term in our long-running series. Today's term is caching.

It can be an essential tool for businesses to ensure their networks are secure and running efficiently, but what exactly is it and what does it have to do with cybersecurity? In this article, we'll go over each of those and hopefully dispel some of the mysteries surrounding this term. 

What is it?

Caching is what happens when a web browser stores recurring website assets like images and font styles so that the website will load faster on repeat visits from the same user. By doing this, your browser won’t have to reinvent the wheel every time the site is requested.

It is a temporary storage area where data can be stored for quick retrieval. It’s used to store commonly accessed files, such as images and web pages so that they can be quickly retrieved instead of downloading them from the server every time they’re needed. This allows businesses to minimize bandwidth usage and reduce website loading times, improving performance and user experience.

It functions by saving a copy of requested data on the user's computer or local device using a caching method known as caching proxies. When someone visits a website, their browser requests certain files from the server hosting it; caching then stores these files in a cache on their local device, either on their hard drive or memory (RAM). When a user requests the same file again, this retrieves the file from its local cache instead of downloading it again from the server. This overall reduces website loading times and improves performance.

Where you have heard this term

In cybersecurity discussions, caching is an effective tool for defending against malicious attacks. It works by storing copies of frequently accessed data on a caching server, which can then be used to respond to requests from other users or applications. This reduces the amount of time that it takes to retrieve data and improves overall system performance.

Our Advice

Caches are especially beneficial when dealing with large amounts of information that need to be processed quickly. By caching this data, it ensures that it will not have to be retrieved multiple times, thus cutting down on processing time significantly. Additionally, it helps protect against certain types of cyberattacks as malicious actors won't be able to access large amounts of stored data at once. In addition, it can also help protect user privacy.

Benefits

This process has many benefits for businesses and users alike. For businesses, it can reduce bandwidth costs as it’s no longer necessary to download files every time they are requested and it simply serves them up from its local cache. It also improves website loading times and user experience while decreasing server load due to the reduction in requests that need to be served.

For users, caching means faster webpage loading speeds, fewer interruptions or slowdowns due to heavy traffic, and less data being used on their devices (depending on the proxies).

Drawbacks

This process can also have drawbacks. Cached files are stored on the user’s local device and this means that if the proxy fails to retrieve a file from its cache, it will need to download it from the server again. This can result in slower loading times and poorer performance overall.

In addition, it can be vulnerable to security risks such as malicious attacks, which is why businesses must ensure their proxies are properly configured and monitored for any potential threats.

Different techniques used in networks

There are several techniques used in networks, including proxy caching, web caching, content delivery network (CDN) caching, and memory caching.

Proxy caching works by having one server act as an intermediary between the user and the requested resources; this server holds copies of recently requested resources so they don’t need to be retrieved each time the same request is made.

Web caching stores copies of frequently accessed web pages in order to reduce latency and improve performance.

Content Delivery Network caching (CDN caching), is used for large files that require heavy caching, such as videos and images; the CDN takes care of these files across a wide area so they can be quickly accessed from different locations.

Memory caching stores data in main memory, enabling applications to access it quickly when needed.

Its role in cybersecurity

Understanding how it works can help you ensure your cybersecurity defenses are up to scratch.

While it can be beneficial to businesses and users, it can also present an issue when it comes to cybersecurity. It could potentially cache malicious files due to the way caching stores data on the local device's memory – this could then lead to a malware infection or other security concerns. It is important for businesses to make sure their processes are secure and updated regularly so that they don’t inadvertently serve up malicious files from their proxy.

To ensure your process is secure, you should use reputable solutions. These solutions offer advanced security features such as content filtering and threat detection; allowing you to ensure that no malicious content is served up from your caching proxy.

Overall this can be a great way for businesses to improve website performance and user experience, but it is important to be aware of the security risks associated with these processes and make sure you are using reputable solutions for maximum protection. Understanding this term and how it works can help you ensure your cybersecurity defenses are meeting required standards.

It is a useful tool for businesses looking to maximize their network’s performance while also protecting against potential cyber threats. It can store commonly accessed files in a cache on the user's local device so they can be quickly retrieved instead of downloading them each time they're requested, reducing bandwidth costs and improving website loading times. If you have any cybersecurity questions, please contact us and experience the Kotman Difference.


Kotman Technology has been delivering comprehensive technology solutions to clients in California and Michigan for nearly two decades. We pride ourselves on being the last technology partner you'll ever need. Contact us today to experience the Kotman Difference.

Previous
Previous

How Smishing Can Affect You

Next
Next

Factors That Affect MSP Pricing