What role does a proxy server play in network security?

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between clients and other servers, mediating requests and responses. By handling client requests for web resources, the proxy can provide enhanced security by obscuring the client's IP address, thus making it more difficult for potential attackers to target the client directly. Additionally, proxy servers can enforce security policies by controlling access to websites and resources, filtering out malicious content, and logging traffic for monitoring and auditing purposes.

This mediation role is crucial in protecting networks from various types of attacks, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, as it can absorb and manage incoming traffic before it reaches the actual servers. Moreover, by caching responses from frequently accessed resources, a proxy can improve performance while also contributing to overall network security through reduced direct exposure to threat vectors.

While the other options do address important aspects of network security and system management, they do not accurately reflect the primary function of a proxy server in the security context, which is centered around request management and the protection of client identity and resources.