Nowadays, everyone is familiar with the term IP address. It simply stands for Internet Protocol address or we will say it is a number designated to every device connected to a network that uses the web protocol for communication.
In terms of functionality, it serves the function of identifying the host or main Computer Network and tracking the user’s location. Everyone must be thinking, what information it could reveal.
There are 5 such pieces of information.
IP address directly or indirectly is related to one's location. It could provide easy access to the location of a person using a particular device.
Just Imagine!
One day, when you wake up. An email notification pops up on our phone. After reading that email, you're shocked as it contains information that would destroy your career.
What will you do?
Obviously, you'll try to find out that person who has the purpose to send you that threat mail.
The identification of an unknown person might be difficult without knowing his/her location. And, what will provide you someone's location?
Yes! It's an IP address. So, the IP address tells everyone about our current location. Although it can't give the exact location it will help us to locate one’s city, area code, and ZIP code as well.
Apart from this 3 information, the IP address can also reveal our Internet Service Provider name.
Let's turn our attention towards the advantageous aspect of IP address.
Day by day, with the world becoming digitalized, Cyber scams are increasing on a large scale. Till now, there's no such development of security that could stop Cyber scams. The only way to trap scammers is by tracking their IP address which tells us about their last location. The further investigation brings those scammers behind the bars.
So, IP addresses help to trap people who are engaged in cybercrimes. Not only this, but IP addresses sometimes also help the cops to catch kidnappers by locating their current location.
If IP address can be a boon, it can be a curse as well.
A professional hacker, with the help of an IP address, can get our personal information. The IP address can reveal our online activity. It includes- Which website we have visited, what activity we have done while we were online, and many more. The things that everybody wants to keep personal could easily get revealed with the help of IP addresses which can sometimes be proved as a threat for them.
An IP address on one hand, if used privately is secure but on the other hand, it breaks the link for communication from the host network.
So, anything can be a blessing till it is used wisely.
Lastly, I would like to conclude my points with a message that no doubt, the IP address could reveal our virtual identity but our real identity lies in our hand. It's us only, who can make or destroy our real identity.
