We can say that the IP address is like the identity card of our devices to enter the Internet. It is a series of numbers that will serve to identify them and be able to establish connections. However, this can also be a privacy issue. With these data they will be able to obtain information. We are going to talk about it in this article. We are going to explain 5 things that they can know if they find out your IP address.
What they can know or do with the IP
When surfing the net we always leave traces . Every time you do a search on Google, visit a web page, log in to Facebook… You leave a series of data about everything you do. That does not mean that it is something negative, but if you are looking for maximum privacy you should know that you are exposing information. And this obviously includes the IP address.
Location
The first and most common thing that they can find out with the IP address is the geographical location . They can easily know the country we are in, but even the approximate location of the street or area of the city where you are. This information will be used for the web pages you visit.
Think, for example, when you put in Google “restaurants nearby” or “what the weather is going to do”. You will get results related to the location where you are. This is so thanks to the IP they obtain and they can send you information that is really of interest in your location.
internet operator
They could also know which Internet operator you are using to surf the net. It is a data that is obtained through the public IP when browsing the network and is easily traceable. Someone who finds out your IP address will be able to quickly know which operator it belongs to.
This information could be used for certain attacks, as we will see below. That could endanger not only your privacy, but also the security of the devices.
Block access to a service
Another thing they can do with the IP address is to block access to some online service. For example a game, a web page or any platform. They can block access to that particular IP address so you can’t get in, one more problem if someone finds out this information.
This can even be something automatic and linked to what we saw earlier. Think, for example, when you are in a country where they do not allow you to use a social network or watch videos. The service will block access due to the IP and location it detects.
attacks
A very important problem in case a cybercriminal managed to find out the IP address is the attacks. You can become a victim of various types and your personal data and the security of your devices could be compromised. It is a major problem to be avoided.
The most common is that they carry out Phishing attacks . For this they need to find out data about the victim and through the IP we have explained that they can find out the Internet operator or the geographical location. They could use that information to impersonate the Internet company that asks us for certain data, for example.
They can also use the IP to carry out DDoS attacks . They could cause the connection to malfunction through multiple unwanted requests. One way to harm a person and that a cybercriminal could take advantage of is knowing the IP and having the necessary knowledge and tools.
Impersonate your identity
On the other hand, another risk of someone finding out the IP is that they could impersonate your identity on the network . It could route the connection through your IP address and thus act as if it were really you. Think of any illegal act they can perform on the Internet on your behalf.
Without a doubt, this is an obvious problem that could affect your security. You could have legal problems if they carry out criminal actions in your name, supplanting your identity.
So is there any way to hide the IP address? The truth is yes. For example, you can use a good VPN that encrypts the connection and hides this information. This will prevent them from carrying out attacks or obtaining information as we have explained in this article by knowing your IP.