proxies - invisible?

[Unregistered]

I've used proxies for some time and find them great to minimize spam, etc. but the question remains, can one be traced if they use a proxy? I'm familiar with ISP logs but in general if an end-site wants to know who looked at such and such, can they ***** it back to a specific machine? And does multiple (stacked) proxies make it harder? Just curious, no secret agent fantasies here :) Thanks for the help!

[mbravo]

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Yes, from properly logged (at the proxy) connection it is possible to trace the origination point. Of course, multiple hops and all the other "covering your *****s" tricks work, but so do the forensic teams - it's always a race.

Secret agent realities, exactly :)

I recommend that you read a book by Cliff Stoll - The Cuckoo's Egg - while it's not about http proxies, but it is about this race, very well-written, and as relevant today as ever. It's a classic. I've linked it for your convenience.