What to do if someone has your IP address? Nothing to do? For most people, an IP address isn’t something important or worth paying attention to. But did you know that IP addresses are valuable in the context of cybersecurity? To be honest, an IP address is not something trivial and why it is so we will explain below.
IP address definition
An IP address can be analogous to a home address. The address is used by other devices to find your actual location. Please note, the web can be likened to a large road network where data traffic takes place. That means there are data packets crossing each other from different points to different destinations. Your internet service uses your IP address as the stopping point and departure point for your data. Without this address, there is no direction to where and from where the data is sent, thus the connection is impossible.
Is it dangerous if someone knows your IP address?
That’s relative. If he is a layman or a person who does not serve any negative purpose, knowing the IP address doesn’t mean anything. But if he is an expert with evil intentions, it might be a door for something harmful for you. Why?
First of all, you should be aware that the IP address only represents the general location of you and your internet network provider. It does not blindly give away your phone number, your home address, your job, etc. But with this “basic information,” a hacker can do the following things:
– Track your activities in cyberspace
Yes, by knowing your IP address, you are basically exposing things; which sites you visit, what online ads you click on, what social media you use, and much more. Thus, a hacker can track what you are doing while surfing the internet. It starts from your data channel and unfortunately, some hackers are able to hack the sites you have visited and from there they can find out more information.
-Track your real identity
A hacker doesn’t just predict what you do online. It is also capable of carrying out attacks on your ISP’s network because your IP address is linked to that network. If he succeeds, in the not-too-distant future he will have the original location where you accessed the internet.
– Pretend as you
Let’s say someone wants to prank you in a “very evil way”, he could steal your IP address and use that to send bomb threats to the authorities for example. And you know what will happen right?
– Infect your device
Infecting your device is no longer usable only by connecting it with another physical device. It’s an outdated technique. Today, an experienced hacker can use brute-force techniques on various ports with just your IP address. If he is diligent enough, he can get into your data network and send malware through it. The malware in turn will intercept all your online activities and the information related to them. That includes your online account information, your e-mail password, photos you’ve sent via social media, and much more.
Now you are aware that your IP address can be a gate of evil for you. Are you ready to anticipate it?
