With the ever-growing risk of cyber crimes, it has become a necessity to protect yourself whenever you are online. Nowadays, everyone has needs for which they need to access the internet no matter what. Nevertheless, when you connect your device to the internet, you are vulnerable to unlimited online threats and data breaches. Your IP address visibility plays a significant role in this.
What Is An IP (Internet Protocol) Address?:
IP addresses work just like our house addresses. Similar to how house addresses are used to identify homes, IP addresses are used to identify a device on the internet.
Visible IP Address, A Threat To Online Anonymity:
The fact that through IP addresses, cybercriminals can hack your device and impersonate you poses a severe threat to your online anonymity. Moreover, visible IP addresses reveal your geolocation, such as your city and the area where you live. Hackers can also access illegal and sensitive information once they get a hold of your IP address. But don’t worry, because there are many ways to prevent this.
How To Hide Your IP Address:
Nowadays, hiding your IP address is as simple as counting to five. This blog will explore the different ways through which you can protect yourself online.
- Use A VPN:
By using a VPN, you get numerous advantages. Not only does it secure you, but it also takes your online experience up a few notches. A VPN can mask your IP address by connecting you to a private and encrypted server rather than the one given by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). A VPN protects your online activities, such as visited URLs and searched websites.
- Try A Proxy Server:
Proxy servers act as a gateway between the internet and users, making them helpful in sealing IP Addresses while preventing malware attacks. It monitors and filters out any harmful files which secure your digital identity. Hackers or any other cybercriminals can only view the proxy’s IP address which is great because without your original IP address (aka the address of your device,) they can’t access your files, documents, or any other online media.
- Use A Public Wifi:
Your IP address changes when you access a public network. But it is only temporary, and with public wifis, the risk of malware and hacking increases tenfold because, through public wifi, any cybercriminal can inject malware or harmful files into your computer with just a simple click.
- Use Tor:
With the help of the Tor browser, users can browse the web without being tracked. Tor works on onion routing, which is a peer-to-peer (P2P) overlay network that allows complete anonymity. It uses many layers of cyber security to encrypt your source and destination of the information. Although sometimes Tor is used for the dark web, it is a good option if you want to have online anonymity.
- Use A Moblie Network:
Using a mobile network works the same way as using public wifi. It’s just safer. When you connect to a mobile network, it gives you the IP address of your mobile connection. That is a good alternative, but since mobile connections are unstable, you should be prepared to deal with slow speeds.
My Recommendation:
In all honesty, there are many ways by which you can hide your IP address, but my preferred and recommended way is using a VPN. There are many VPNs out there in the market than can provide you with complete online anonymity. But if you are new to the rapidly growing world of cybersecurity, the most reoccurring question is Which VPN to use? Should I use paid or free?
Paid V/S Free VPN:
Can a free VPN hide IP addresses? Short answer. Yes. Free VPNs not only hide your IP address but also provide you with a ton of other advantages, like accessing geo-blocked content, secure data transferring, increased bandwidth speed, and even discounts on online shopping!
My Recommended VPN:
There numerous VPNs out there, but my only Ivacy VPN comes highly recommended. Ivacy provides more than just the basics for a satisfying internet experience. Also, it offers a few rather distinctive features that you won’t find in other free VPN servers.
Features Of Ivacy VPN:
Ivacy offers up to AES-256 Encryption, commonly known as “Military Grade Encryption.” which makes hacking next to impossible. Blazing-fast speeds combined with split tunneling provide you with the ultimate online experience. It is also compatible with up to 10 devices and requires no credit card that expands your horizons.
Final Word:
Now that you understand what an IP Address is, what it can reveal, and how to prevent that. At the end of the day, whether you use a VPN or another cybersecurity tool is your personal preference. I hope all of your doubts are cleared now!
