A reverse proxy is a server that sits between users and a web server, acting as an intermediary for requests. When a user wants to access a website, the request goes to the reverse proxy first, which then forwards it to the appropriate web server. This setup helps improve security, load balancing, and caching, making websites faster and more reliable. By using a reverse proxy, organizations can hide their web servers' identities and protect them from direct exposure to the internet. Additionally, it can manage traffic efficiently, ensuring that no single server gets overwhelmed, which is especially useful for high-traffic sites like e-commerce platforms or social media networks.