Your IP address may look like a long number row, but to a hacker, it can be an instrument of evil activity. While your exposure to an IP doesn’t pose an immediate danger per se, it is thus important to understand what a hacker can do with it. Let’s break down how cybercriminals can exploit an IP and how you can keep it safe.
Determining Your Broad Area of Location
The very first thing a hacker will easily know once he has obtained your IP address is your general area of location. He can find out your city or region using even simple online tools such as IP tracking websites. Of course, he won’t pinpoint the street number but can already pinpoint your general area or location which may trigger other related hacking attempts such as phishing attacks. Hackers would use your address and ISP to dupe you through social engineering.
IP Spoofing: Identity Mimicry Online
The hacker can manipulate the IP addresses and make it seem like the actions they are performing are coming from your device. In this method, which is known as IP spoofing, hackers perpetrate various illegal activities while concealing identities. Many people employ IP spoofing in DDoS attacks whereby hackers inject tremendous amounts of traffic into a network to actually shut it down. Using your IP address during this attack may keep them undetected while they wreck the damage.
Selling Your IP Address
One seems minute, but hackers sell bundles of thousands of IP addresses i
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