May 11, 2020

How to Protect your IP Address from Cybercriminals

Cybercriminals can easily find your IP address and utilize that for targeted attacks or malicious activities. Sometimes, hackers can even trick users into revealing their IP address through social engineering and using instant messaging applications. Likewise, online gamers, who share their screens for live streaming, are also vulnerable to IP address hacking.

After finding your IP address, hackers can use that to launch phishing attacks, DDoS attacks, or even gain access to your physical address for large-scale attacks. Therefore, it is very important to mask your IP address and protect yourself against cybercriminals. Below are some ways to secure your IP address.

Use a VPN

Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the simplest method to hide your IP address from snooping hackers. A VPN protects your data using proxy tunneling and high-end encryption. This way, it masks your IP address and routes the requests through a different server. That makes your online activities much safer.

You can subscribe to a premium VPN service or try a free one for hiding your IP address. However, free VPN services may not be that efficient in protecting your IP address always. That is why it is recommended to go for a premium VPN service, especially if you access sensitive data on your device.

Update your Router and Firewall

Your network router redirects all your requests to the web and serves as a connecting link between your device and the internet. At the same time, your firewall prevents unauthorized access to your network. Therefore, you should keep your router and firewall updated with the latest firmware updates to thwart cyberattacks.

You should also change the administrative password of the network router from time to time to alleviate the risks of hacking. Similarly, change the firewall rules to discourage ping requests from the internet. This will make your network more secure.

Install a Strong Antivirus Solution

Use a premium antivirus software application on your device to add more security layers to your network. You should also keep the software updated with the latest releases to prevent new threats. Some antivirus solutions even allow you to block malicious URLs in phishing emails, which can be a great way to weed out potential security risks. You can also block suspicious sites that could save your IP address and lead to a data breach.

Changing the privacy settings of your instant messaging applications can also help to avoid cyberattacks. You should make sure that you connect with known contacts only and keep your communication settings private always.