What is the role of a Reverse Proxy?

The role of a reverse proxy is to handle requests from the internet directed towards a LAN server. This function is essential in managing and distributing incoming traffic to different servers within a network, thereby enhancing performance and providing various benefits such as load balancing, heightened security, and anonymity for the backend servers.

A reverse proxy acts as an intermediary, receiving requests from external clients and relaying them to the appropriate internal servers. This setup not only allows the reverse proxy to manage load and optimize resource utilization but also enables it to implement security measures such as filtering malicious traffic, enhancing security protocols, and potentially acting as a web application firewall. By doing so, it helps protect the internal network architecture and shields the actual servers from direct exposure to the internet.

In contrast, the other options, while related to network functions, do not accurately describe the specific role of a reverse proxy. Facilitating connections from a LAN client to the internet is typically associated with a forward proxy, preventing unauthorized LAN access typically pertains to firewall functionalities, and blocking malicious emails is the domain of email security solutions rather than a reverse proxy's role.