The Internet connects millions of devices every day, so there must be a way for those devices to find each other and share information. In modern networking, this is done with IP addresses. They ensure the right information goes to the right place and that websites can communicate with visitors.

IP addresses also play a part in online security. They can be used for tracking threats and blocking malicious traffic. That’s because they can reveal information about your internet connection.

So it’s essential to understand how they operate to stay safe online. So, let’s learn.

What Is an IP Address?

An Internet Protocol address (IP address) is a numerical label that identifies your device or network on the internet. Without this label, websites and servers don’t know where to send the data.

The letters “IP” stand for “Internet Protocol.” This is a set of rules that lets computers communicate with each other. Think of an IP address as the mailing address of your website. Just like how a letter is delivered to your address by post, the same way data is delivered to your device by following its IP address.

There are two types of IP addresses:

  • IPv4 (e.g., 192.168.1.1) only has four sections of numbers. Each number ranges from 0 to 255. This means around 4 billion devices can have a unique IPv4 address. However, that number has long been surpassed by real-world devices.
  • IPv6 makes use of a longer combination of numbers and letters and has an address space of a few trillion. It was created to handle IPv4’s limitations as more devices connect online.

How IP Addresses Help Keep You Safe

IP addresses are not security measures in and of themselves; however, security experts can use them in various ways. Monitoring the activity originating from an IP address can help you classify it as spammy, malicious, or safe.

With proper monitoring, security experts can block IP addresses on their network to prevent spam, bot, and malicious traffic.

For example, if a network security expert sees that a particular IP address keeps making incorrect password attempts, they can suspect that an attack is taking place. They may decide to block the attacker’s IP address or take other steps to counteract the attack.

However, in isolation, an IP address does not provide proof that any one user is a hacker, because multiple users can have the same public IP address and some addresses change due to NAT and whatnot.

So, they can only be used alongside other indicators to find proof that someone is hacking or not.

What Can Someone Learn From Your IP Address?

IP addresses are relevant to security because they can give away some information about you, such as:

  • where you’re connecting from (city, country, region)
  • Your ISP
  • Your ASN

Although it won’t tell your name, home address, or other personally identifying information, it can be used in tandem with other indicators to track you.

Many websites use IP addresses for tracking where traffic is coming from. They use that data along with other markers to create profiles for advertising and whatnot.

A network security expert may also use IP addresses to check if the traffic is coming from proxies, VPN or spam sites.

You can use an IP checker to see what information your connection might share, or just see your IP and browser that is associated with your IP address. This is useful for checking how your privacy settings work, or to test whether your VPN is working.

IP Addresses and Blacklists

Another application of IP addresses in security is blacklists. An IP blacklist is a list of addresses associated with spam, abuse, or other malicious activity. These are created by security providers so that different services can use this data to block the IP.

If an IP address is blacklisted, a person or tool with that IP address may be prevented from sending messages or making requests to certain servers.

This does not always mean the current user is at fault, as their address may have been stolen or a reused address may have previously been used by someone else.

Checking an IP address for blacklisting can show whether it’s been included on any blacklists. You can use an IP blacklist checker by macaddresslookup.io for that.

If an address is indeed on a blacklist, researching why it’s been included can lead to insights, and you can even get it removed via manual review.

Simple Ways to Protect Your IP Address

Protecting your IP address is not complicated. You don’t need to be a security buff to use common security precautions to secure your connection. A handful of simple practices can go a long way.

  • Use a trusted VPN: A VPN routes your traffic through its own server. This hides your public IP address from the websites you visit.
  • Secure your router: Change its default admin password and keep its software up to date. This helps stop others from gaining access to your network.
  • Avoid direct peer-to-peer connections: Some online games and file-sharing apps can expose your IP address to other users. Use services that keep your connection details private.
  • Be careful with unknown links: Some links can lead to services that record your IP address when you open them. Avoid links from people or sources you do not trust.

These are some simple yet effective ways of protecting your IP address online.

Conclusion

Without IP addresses, the internet would not function, but they can also be hugely informative for security teams monitoring online activity. IP addresses can be used to block malicious traffic, identify suspected abuse, and troubleshoot network problems. An IP address is just one part of your online identity, though, so it cannot tell the full story alone; with a little knowledge about what an IP address can tell us and a few simple security tools, we can get a better view of our online activities.