The majority of everyday internet users don’t think much about their internet connection. They simply choose their favorite browser and start surfing the web. So much goes on behind the scenes as you connect from your phone or computer and head to your favorite sites. Everything connected to the internet has a unique identifier known as an IP address which allows computers to communicate over the internet. An IP address can reveal a lot about an individual user from their location to their browsing habits and more. Hackers then use it to steal personal information, transmit viruses, or break into private networks.
Here are some of the main reasons users need to protect themselves by hiding their IP address.
1) Keep Your Location Private
Have you ever seen an advertisement for local restaurants or museums while traveling? Chances are, you have.
IP addresses reveal your physical location that’s why you may see the same ad with different locations based on where you are. IP addresses show approximate locations, but it’s easy for people to discover exactly where you are based on them alone. Not only does this put your security in jeopardy but also affects how much you pay for things online. Retailers change prices depending on your location.
2) Keep Your Activities Secret from Your ISP
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) love tracking people’s online activities. Do you really want a bunch of strangers keeping a detailed log of what you do online? Even if you don’t have anything to hide, it’s just creepy. You wouldn’t give this information to any other company so why should your ISP see it?
3) Get Around School, Work, or Government Restrictions
Sometimes you just need access to a certain website. For example, you might need to pull up an important link a friend sent you Facebook. Only to find that your school or work block the social network. The internet should be a free and open place for you to take advantage of all its resources, but many different entities put restrictions on it. This is doubly true for countries like China and Turkey which effectively shut down some of the world’s largest websites in their borders.
4) Access Geo-blocked Content
Across the world, there are many different reasons certain content may be blocked. As mentioned above, some countries simply flat-out censor websites. Other countries follow copyright laws that may make it so you can’t access US content while in France, for example. Whatever the reason, when you hide your IP address, you can access geo-blocked countries. You can go even further to specifically select locations in different countries so you can have access to whatever content you want wherever you are.
5) Hide Your Activity from Hackers
Your IP address is like a little trail leading back to you and your devices. Hackers pick up the trail and then use it to breach networks, steal information, spread viruses, and more. They really don’t need much information to break into your computer. Simply by following an IP address, they can crack passwords and other key information. When you hide your IP address, however, it’s like sending them down a fake path.
6) Conceal Your Search Engine History
We’ve all made embarrassing search engine inquiries. Who wants somebody keeping track of that? Google, Yahoo, Bing, and most of the major companies track all queries made through their search engine. It’s even worse if you are already logged into your account. When you change your IP address and enable private browsing mode, you can ensure those searches aren’t connected to you. As a bonus, this also prevents advertisers from using your data against you as well.
How Do I Hide My IP Address?
There are plenty of reasons why you should hide your IP address. Now you need to know how to do it. The best overall approach is using a dedicated IP address. Although you may see other options such as proxies or TOR, these have security, speed, or other disadvantages. Dedicated IP addresses offer you the highest levels of security, reliability, and speed.
Get Secured with a Dedicated IP Address
The two main kinds of IP addresses are shared and dynamic. Most ISPs, by default, give users shared IP addresses. This means you are grouped together with a host of other users. This has all kinds of security and privacy implications. If a handful of users on the same address visit blacklisted sites, then you might get shut out of the internet until your ISP assigns you a new address. The same goes for hacks. If one or two users get hacked, you equally become vulnerable to attacks.
For this reason, more internet users are embracing dedicated IP addresses. With it, you get your own IP address and vastly increase your safety. When combined with the advantages of a VPN (a virtual private network), you get all the benefits mentioned above of hiding your IP address plus your own private and safe gateway to the internet. This is highly useful not only for gaming and running private businesses, but also for securing yourself against hacks as dedicated IP addresses are highly effective at preventing DDoS and other attacks. Protect your browsing history, privacy, and data and switch to a dedicated IP address service today.