How do I prevent my work from spying on my web surfing?

I understand that proxy services can prevent the sites you visit from discovering your IP, but I'm more interested in preventing my work/office from logging/discovering my web surfing details. Do these proxy services do that as well? I've read this forum a bit but haven't found discussion from this view point. Is a proxy service that also encrypts everything required?

I'm looking to understand exactly what type of service I need and maybe suggestions for a few good providers. Again, I'm surfing regular websites - espn, facebook, etc - but want to keep my work from knowing any details of my surfing.

thanks in advance

you need vpn
Posted via Mobile Device

Exactly what @kentabg said.

In your case using a proxy isn't really a solution, since all your traffic is still intercepted and probably logged by your employers own proxy and/or routers. You need a VPN connection that encrypts your traffic, so your employers don't see anything.

just go setup ultravnc on your home pc...
then set it up at work... connect to your home pc and browse from your home pc... they wont see shit.

Use TOR. Configure it to do a one-node route to keep your speed and configure it to only use exit points in your country (since that will also be your entry point in one-node mode). This should give you near-normal speed. You will have a different external IP like a proxy AND all traffic from your PC to the tor-node is encrypted, so nobody can see what you are sending to the tor node. If you want more anonimity use more nodes and use in-private browsing to avoid being identified by cookies.

thanks for the responses.

Haven't set up a vpn before - do I have to have admin account access to setup vpn access from the work computer? Hope not because I don't have admin rights.

If encryption to TOR hides everything from work, doesn't a paid proxy with encryption do the same?