Question: Should I use a proxy or middleman between my server and the internet? I can hide my website’s IP address and protect myself?
Answer: There are some services that offer to act as a proxy between your web server and the internet. This involves you using another party’s IP address and only that proxy service would know your server’s actual IP address. This can prevent a DDoS attack if the proxy service you use has a diverse global footprint and you can migrate a DDoS attack a lot more easily this way.
A disadvantage of using such a proxy service is that if the proxy service was to suffer an outage or have any technical issue than your sites may not be accessible to anyone. The proxy service can also filter and block countries or people that you may want to block and you would have no way of knowing. The usage of such services are not fool proof that you can conceal your actual server IP address from the public. Any lapse in a setting or configuration could reveal your server’s IP address to the public.
If you do not expect a lot of international traffic than the usage of a proxy should be alright. If the service is free you may also be giving the proxy service information about your visitors every time they request data from your site. If you are paying a fee for the proxy service than you should make sure to look for reviews of the service. You do not want to be surprised in a few months that a number of your visitors were blocked or were not able to visit your site.