Internet Assigned Number Authority IANA IP Address: We know it sounds scary, but there are ways to protect yourself, such as getting residential proxies from providers with good proxy prices, along with other measures. However, you first need to know what the threat is to protect yourself. In this article, we’ll be covering what an IP address is, why businesses want this IP address and how they get to it. Keep reading to find out exactly what can be done with an IP address so that you can protect yourself.
Table of Contents
What’s an IP Address?
An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a unique number sequence used to identify devices that access the internet or a local network. Your ISP activates these numbered tags, but they are not responsible for creating them. Nor are the number sequences random. Internet Protocol addresses are produced mathematically by the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) and are then assigned to various devices such as routers.
An IP address contains a lot of your information. At a basic glance, people who know what they’re doing can find out your name, ISP and location. If they’re eager, they’ll also be able to find out other details such as your operating system and version, browser, and your device information. If websites or businesses have your Internet Protocol address, they can use it to track, block or target you.
Who Wants Your IP Address and Why?
One of the biggest reasons businesses want IP addresses is to discover your location and track you. By monitoring your Internet Protocol address, they can often see what website you’re visiting, where you spend most of your time and more. This is all valuable information that they can use to create a buyer’s profile of you. With this preferences profile, they can target you with more personalized ads. Although that may sound innocent enough, businesses aren’t the only ones interested in IP addresses.
Hackers can also use your IP address, although their reasons are often more malicious. Hackers can track your Internet Protocol address, they can spoof it (or make a copy that they use with bad intentions leaving behind your fingerprints), and with the right set of software, they can even use your Internet Protocol address to hack your device, thus gaining access to all of your personal information, files, images and data.
How Can They Get Your IP Address?
There are a few different ways people and businesses can get a hold of someone’s IP address without realizing it. For one, whenever you sign up to partake in a forum or discussion, the website administrators will have access to your IP address and details. The same is possible when you write a comment on a blog or social media post. Although social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, etc., don’t show your Internet Protocol address to other users, administrators have access to these details.
Messaging apps on your smartphone can also give away your IP address. These messaging platforms include the likes of WhatsApp, Telegram or similar that require an internet connection to send messages. Once again, your Internet Protocol address isn’t shared with users, but whenever you click on a link in a message, the website of that link will be able to see and track your IP address.
Another way is if you give someone access to your Wi-Fi either at home or the office. Since this is the same network, the user will be able to see the Internet Protocol address. This is similar to someone using your computer; they’ll also be able to see your IP address by using the simple ipconfig/all command.
Final Thoughts
Now is the time to be paranoid. We frequently hear of people and accounts being hacked and breached. To avoid becoming the victim of such attacks, you need to understand how important your Internet Protocol address is and make sure to protect it by using various strategies. The best strategies include using providers with affordable proxy prices or VPNs to hide an IP address.