Digital security
You would never give your personal ID to random strangers, right? So why give out your computer ID? Unsuspecting users beware, IP hoarders do not ask for your permission.
February 22, 2024
•
,
6 minutes Read
A common message that any user of a social platform like Discord might sometimes see are warnings about IP grabbers included as links in messages on various servers. For someone who had probably never heard of IP grabbers before, they probably wouldn’t think much about it, but the name itself should be a clear clue as to what they are about: namely “capturing” or acquiring your IP address.
While it may seem harmless at first glance, IP addresses can be very valuable, both for legitimate businesses to prevent fraud, but also for some scammers. However, to understand the implications, let’s discuss what an IP address actually represents.
An IP address is a computer’s online ID
As the header suggests, an Internet Protocol address (IP address for short) serves a very similar function to a person’s identification card; is a unique string of characters that identifies a computer on a network. Each IP is unique and represents some interesting information, such as a computer’s general location (though not precisely, mind you).
Indeed, for a computer to communicate online, it must be identifiable, so that multiple computers can recognize each other in a network. Imagine the Internet as a chat room, with all users using unique nicknames to message each other – that’s exactly how it works.
However, compared to an ID, which contains much more personal data, it’s not as if your entire computer is revealed to anyone who acquires your IP address. For example, when several devices connect to the Internet using a router, they all have their own unique IPs; however the connection still only uses the IP of the router itself. But such information is still valuable to a variety of actors, and their intentions may not necessarily be the best.
Part of a unique fingerprint
As written in a previous WeLiveSecurity blog on browser fingerprinting, the IP address is included as a unique identifier, among other relevant device details. Therefore, whenever you connect to a website from anywhere, the website can tell if it’s really you or if there’s a discrepancy in your login activity, which is why many sites log you out and ask you to authenticate again at the time of signing. from a different place than usual.
Many Internet-savvy people use virtual private networks (VPNs) to mask their IP address, as their connection is rerouted through servers in different countries, making it harder to trace. This is also very useful for basic users, as VPNs can serve a security function, making it more difficult for criminals to target your computer traffic. However, the rest of the fingerprint is still recorded unless the user takes further action.
What is an IP grabber?
Now let’s get to the juicy stuff. Since we know what an IP is and what kind of data it can represent, it’s time to talk about the IP grabbers themselves.
An IP grabber is usually a link that, after clicking, records your IP address and stores it. What may follow is that someone may use another tool to track that IP across the web, noting its interactions with various web pages across the network.
This is similar to how tracking works on phones and also remembers third-party cookies; However, there are some major differences between these methods, the main one being that IP grabbers don’t record anything other than your IP address. Which is great, but hypothetically, knowing that IP might be enough to do a little cheating, as they say.
The two sides of intellectual property hoarding
As noted before, there are several reasons why someone would want to register an IP address. First, some online stores may find it easier to target advertising to their guests, because since the IP provides a general location, stores can tailor ads to make them more personal. This is also done by social media sites to record your interests when you click on an affiliate link.
Additionally, it also helps prevent fraud by asking users to re-authenticate whenever their connection seems unusual, as if someone is trying to establish a connection from a foreign IP in Thailand, instead of their usual home address in Los Angeles . This isn’t technically IP capture, but it’s a similar idea, as it records and verifies a connection.
However, just as a store or website can obtain your IP, so can other actors. But why should they? Having an idea of your general location wouldn’t be of much help if it wasn’t linked to other forms of personal information (see the example of browser fingerprinting).
There are a few reasons why:
- Targeting and tracking – An IP address combined with other information can make it easier to target a person or company for malicious purposes because the IP reveals a person’s approximate geographic location. Additionally, if connected to a compromised public Wi-Fi network, a scammer could track your online activity with it.
- DDOS attacks – By obtaining the IP address of an individual or company, an attacker could use it to overload the owner’s Internet connection, causing it to malfunction.
- Social engineering – A clever scammer could use the IP as a means to get more information from an individual or even a company. This would likely be followed or accompanied by some other form of phishing, resulting in a potentially larger cyber attack.
- Improper use of IP – A clever criminal could misuse your IP address by impersonating your connection and committing illicit activities without your consent. Essentially, it’s as if the scammer is using your IP as a VPN, disguising their connection as yours.
How to protect yourself from IP hoarding
Now that you know what an IP address is, what grabbers do, and how they can be misused, it’s time to explore some ways you can protect yourself.
- Never click on random links online – This needs to be repeated often, but it’s worth doing, as the link you click may not be an IP grabber, it could very well be some other form of malicious link, resulting in a malware infection.
- Use a VPN – Perhaps the best way to protect yourself is to use a premium VPN service that masks your address by routing your traffic through other nodes, obfuscating your IP and location.
- Protect your firewall – Set strong passwords for your router and other devices, as well as use solutions that can enhance your firewall protection to create a protective barrier between you and the Internet.
Of course there are more ways to protect yourself, but these should be enough to create at least a basic form of protection.
WLS also recommends readers to stay away from free VPN services, as they are risky due to the possibility of containing malware, exposing you to a security compromise due to weak security protection, or having your data recorded and sold to third party advertisers compromising a person’s privacy.
Stay safe
Despite the rather low amount of information that an IP can provide, it is still identifiable data, which can be used for illicit purposes, if time and resources are dedicated to this purpose.
However, by paying attention to online threats, even those that may appear to be innocent users sending you random links, you can stay one step ahead of attackers. And this, combined with a powerful and well-configured firewall, security solution, plus a VPN, can make anyone’s online presence much more secure.
Before you go: What you need to know about iCloud private forwarding