Your IP address is a unique identifier that contains a lot of information about you and your devices. It allows you to communicate with other devices and services on the internet. This address is therefore easily recoverable by third parties, and this can involve numerous risks.
An IP address is a sequence of numbers (IPv4) or numbers and letters (IPv6) that uniquely identifies a device on the Internet. On a local network, however (home or business), several devices share the same public IP address. This is unique for everyone, but the devices that are connected to this network are also exposed to a certain number of risks.
What does your IP address reveal about you?
An IP address allows you to obtain a certain amount of information about the person using it, even if this data is generally not of a nature to personally identify them... unless you involve the Internet service provider.
Indeed, your ISP is the only one who can link your IP address to your real identity or that of the network owner. In the event of illegal activities, the law could force your operator to provide your precise identifying information, as part of an investigation procedure for example.
Apart from your ISP, no third party can know exactly who you are or where you live. However, they can access general information such as:
- Your approximate location (Country, city, and sometimes your neighborhood)
- Your internet service provider
- The type of connection (mobile, home, or business)
But be careful: in some cases, a hacker could retrieve more sensitive information about you.
What do you risk with hackers?
A malicious person could obtain your real physical address or personal information about you using your IP address. It's rare, but it's theoretically possible in case you've been the victim of a recent data breach.
Indeed, some of your information could end up in databases on hacker forums, particularly on the dark web.
If you use a static IP address, it's entirely possible that by cross-referencing the data, a hacker could obtain more information associated with that IP address. Data leaks often allow access to information such as:
- Victims' IP addresses
- Email addresses and passwords
- First and last names
- Phone numbers
- Home addresses
- Credit card information, etc.
What types of attacks are possible?
Aside from obtaining information relevant to your private life, hackers can carry out certain types of attacks directly with your IP address, but the possibilities are quite limited.
A DDoS attack: If your public IP address is static, a malicious person can saturate your internet connection by sending you a flood of requests. This doesn't pose any risk of data theft in itself, but such an attack could disrupt your connection.
This is a common type of attack in the gaming world, for example. Some players use it either as retaliation or to gain an advantage in competitive online games.
Scan your ports:This technique allows you to detect which ports are open on your network or on your devices. A hacker can perform this type of inspection based on your IP address.
By identifying open ports used by services with known vulnerabilities, a hacker could use them as a gateway to remotely extract data, execute malicious code on your devices, or simply take control of them.
Better Profiling for a Phishing Attack:With your IP address and email address, a hacker can improve your profiling for a targeted phishing attack. They could, for example, simulate an email from your provider to better trap you.
How to Protect Yourself?
The best precaution is to protect your IP address. Using a VPN is the best way to do this. VPNs substitute your real IP address with that of a remote server. This makes it impossible for hackers and the sites you visit to know your real IP address.
Furthermore, a VPN – unlike a proxy – encrypts all your traffic. No third party can intercept or read the requests you send and receive on the Internet.
There are several VPNs on the market, but not all are equal. Some are free, but they often pose serious privacy issues, which is not in line with their purpose. Therefore, it is best to choose a reliable VPN with secure infrastructure and a strict privacy policy. This is the case of Surfshark, whose No Log character has been confirmed by several audits, meaning that it has a confidentiality policy that respects the privacy of its users.
Surfshark protects your IP address, but also your identity, since it offers a feature that allows you to use an alternative identity (name, first name, email, address or even telephone number).
Full VPN Features Surfshark.
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