SolveYourProblem Article Series: Internet Privacy
Is My Privacy Vulnerable To Attack?

How to Hide Your IP Address

Did you know that you had an IP address? Just like your street address denotes your location within the city that you live, your IP address denotes your computer’s address. It is unique to your machine alone, and as such it can be used to identify you when you access certain websites. IP is the abbreviation for Internet Protocol and if you have ever signed up for something on the Internet, you may have gotten a confirmation email that read something like this:

“A request for xyz information was submitted from a computer with the IP address xyz.”

It is not surprising that some computer users feel uncomfortable with the ability of certain websites to ascertain their IP addresses in a medium that thrives on anonymity. Granted, to the upstanding citizen there is little if any reason to be hiding their IP address, but if you consider that any kind of identifiable data may give way to the dreaded reality of identity theft, you will quickly ascertain why this kind of security is no longer just for those who might have nefarious business in mind, but instead is a sensible precaution for anyone and everyone who surfs the World Wide Web.

For example, did you know that your IP address is the gateway to your identity? Did you know that skilled phishers will be able to glean personally identifiable information from your simply by using your IP – it starts with your location and only digs deeper from there. Without having to click on any link on a webpage, a skilled phisher will be able to tell which kind of search led to his or her website, what operating system you are running, and what kind of browser you utilize. This kind of information is a key for anyone who wants to surreptitiously download spyware or adware to your system. Once you are a blimp on a malicious hacker’s radar, it is only a small step from there to also be vulnerable to virus attacks and further phishing expeditions. An invisible IP address will prevent you from being visible on the ‘Net.

Here are some helpful hints on hiding your IP address:

Software packages are now available which will provide you with a fake IP address that will cause hackers to collect incorrect information about you. This will cause spyware and adware attacks that are aimed at a computer system with fictitious system data to not launch an attack on your system. Additionally, these packages will help you to anonymously surf the World Wide Web, especially if you visit websites that third parties may consider objectionable, or to simply hide your online activities from the prying eyes of a boss or nosy coworkers who are not above stealing your research.

Hardcore privacy advocates have devoted much time and effort to set up special routing systems that will protect your identity. Thus, when you are surfing the web, the router’s IP address will be displayed, while a personal IP address does not show up anywhere. This will greatly increase your degree of anonymity. While it is true that your IP address will be much harder to trace, it has the downside of slowing down your Internet connection considerably. On the upside, this service is free and there is nothing to download.

For those users who want to hide their IP address whenever they send email, it is important to note that in general this address cannot be removed from an email program. Instead, you may have to consider using a re-mailing software package will ensure absolute anonymity whenever you are sending out email. In a day and age where SPAM has become the scourge of many an inbox, it might be worth your time to protect your home inbox by using such a service.

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SolveYourProblem.com : 2008

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