Even if you don’t know what an IP address is, you have probably heard the term. That’s because IP addresses are an important aspect of the architecture of the Internet. Without an IP address, other computers wouldn’t be able to communicate with yours, and vice versa. But this short string of numbers can also be used to track you, so for this reason, you may want to anonymize your IP address. In this article, we discuss what an IP address is, and what are some ways you can hide your IP.
This article will explore the topic of IP addresses in detail, explaining what they are and why you might want to keep yours private. At the end, we’ll cover a few simple ways to hide your IP address.
What is an IP address?
An IP address, which stands for Internet Protocol address, is a unique numeric combination that identifies routers, computers, or other devices to allow them to communicate through the Internet. In the same way your email address allows others to send you an email, a remote computer needs your IP address to communicate with your computer. IP addresses normally look something like this: 185.159.159.140
An IP address is a sequence of four blocks of numbers. Each of these blocks is a value between 0 and 255, meaning that each block has 256 possible values. This numeric IP system allows roughly four billion unique IP addresses.
It’s relatively easy to find someone’s IP address. Website analytics can track site visitors, and sometimes wikis and comment boards identify contributors with their IP address. Your Internet service provider (ISP) also knows your IP address.
Because your IP address can be used to identify you, regulators and privacy advocates consider it to be a form of personal data. Under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation(new window), organizations are required not to misuse the IP addresses of citizens and residents of the European Union.
However, that doesn’t mean your IP address is safe from hackers, unethical companies, and repressive government agencies.
How your IP address can be misused
Like any piece of personal information, there are ways others can try to exploit it. Some kinds of misuse may be relatively harmless, such as the unauthorized use of your IP address to track you across the Internet and target you for advertising. Other abuse can be extremely destructive. These are some of the main threats:
- Ad networks – Companies like Google and Facebook are constantly monitoring your online browsing in order to deliver personalized ads. Many people find these ads intrusive and don’t want corporations keeping a record of their activity.
- Censorship – The Internet is supposed to be a place for the free and open exchange of ideas. Unfortunately, many governments and businesses would rather it weren’t. Repressive governments often block websites they dislike, and companies often block IP addresses based on their geographic location.
- Illegal downloading – Cyber criminals can download pirated moves, music, and videos (new window)– even child pornography – using your IP address to shield their true identity from law enforcement. In many countries, downloading pirated content is a criminal offense.
- Targeted attacks – Hackers who want to harass and intimidate you can use your IP address in a number of ways. One popular form is a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, in which the criminal bombards your device with data and disrupts your Internet access. Your IP address can even reveal your physical location with surprising accuracy.
- Surveillance – When your Internet service provider can see your IP address, it can associate your online activity with you personally. This information can be used to censor or throttle content, and, through a subpoena, the government could also gain access to your browsing history.
How to keep your IP address private
Luckily, it’s pretty simple to prevent your IP address from being exposed to the network. Here are four steps to hide your IP address:
1. Use a VPN
A VPN establishes an encrypted tunnel between your device and the VPN server. When you browse the Internet using a VPN, all your traffic passes through this encrypted tunnel before reaching the public Internet. In this way, your true IP address and location are hidden, and the IP address tied to your browsing activity is that of the VPN server. For more information about VPNs, check out our articles on how a VPN works and why use it.
Proton VPN also has an advanced security feature called Secure Core, which defends against sophisticated network-based attacks that can compromise VPN servers and expose your IP address.
2. Follow the basic precautions
We discussed in our article “Why online privacy matters and how you can protect your data.” We’ve provided some safe options for browsers, email services, and instant messaging apps that should help you to control your privacy.
3. Use Tor
Tor is a free software program developed by The Tor Project(new window), which allows users to anonymize their Internet traffic. This makes it a useful tool for those concerned about surveillance and for those who wish to access onion sites. Proton VPN supports access to the Tor network, making it simple to route your entire Internet connection through the Tor network with a single click. Proton VPN Tor nodes connect to the Tor network by establishing a new route each time a user establishes a new VPN session. This way, none of the Tor nodes along the way receive information about the originating client, and user details stay hidden even in the case of a malicious Tor node.
4. Keep your antivirus software up to date, and change the default password on your router
These are easy ways to protect your devices from malware attacks that can expose your data, including your IP address.
There’s little reason not to keep your IP address hidden: The hazards of exposing your IP address far outweigh the ease of protecting it. Just as you may not want to publish your phone number or home address online, it may be just as prudent to keep your IP address private as well.
Best Regards,
The Proton VPN Team
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