Should I Hide My IP?
What exactly is my IP and why bother protecting it?
This is a perfectly good question and if its one you have asked yourself then it shows that you have taken the first steps in becoming more internet savvy and want to address some privacy matters around your online presence and general surfing.To start with, lets define an IP. It simply stands for ;
Internet Protocol
Internet Protocol (IP) is the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the internet.In other words its like your online fingerprint to some extent as it has unique features that can be tracked like the location of where you are when using the device/computer when online.
Of course it cant give the exact location of you, like in your living room, but it can be traced to your city/town and longitude/latitude measurements which can be quite specific.It also declares a lot of other information about your connection and what you may or may not be viewing via your ISP.
The use of IP addresses typically works like this:
- Your computer connects to the internet by connecting at first to a network connected to the internet, which then grants your device access to the internet.
- If at home, that network will probably be your Internet Service Provider (ISP). At work, it will be your company network.
- Your IP address is assigned to your device by your ISP ( sky/Virgin etc).
- Your internet activity goes through the ISP, and they route it back to you, using your IP address. Since they are giving you access to the internet, it is their role to assign an IP address to your device.
- However, your IP address can change ( called Dynamic IP ). For example, turning your modem or router on or off can change it. Or you can contact your ISP, and they can change it for you.
- When you are out and about – for example, traveling – and you take your device with you, your home IP address does not come with you. This is because you will be using another network (Wi-Fi at a hotel, airport, or coffee shop, etc.) to access the internet and will be using a different (and temporary) IP address, assigned to you by the ISP of the hotel, airport or coffee shop.
The other reason to hide your IP address is simply for more privacy and to prevent misuse of your personal information. Whenever you access a website, the server you connect to logs your IP address and attaches it to all the other data the site can learn about you: your browsing habits, what you click on, how long you spend looking at a particular page. They then sell this data to advertising companies who use it to tailor ads straight to you. This is why ads on the internet sometimes feel oddly personal: it’s because they are. Your IP address can also be used to track your location, even when your location services are turned off.
Whenever you access a website, the server you connect to logs your IP address and attaches it to all the other data the site can learn about you: your browsing preferences, the sites you visit, how long you stay there, what pages interest you, the images you download etc etc.This snooping behavior can be lucrative to advertising companies who could use it to target advertisement direct to you. Ever felt that often such ads are very relevant to you? Well, this may indeed explain why.
In some ways your IP address is a form of identity that you show inadvertently when you go online and as much as you wouldn’t want to give any potential identity thief details which are unique to you, also it would be unwise to do the same with your IP details. For most this view is enough of a reason to see the benefits of protecting ones IP.
To summaries, most people want to hide their IP for the following reasons:
To stop Ad Networks pestering you with target ad campaigns
To protect Your Data from Government Eyes who may have an interest
Keep Your Personal Research preferences exactly that…personal
To unblock restricted websites due to Geo location issues
To hide Your Activity from Your Internet service provider
Bypass Network Restrictions
Whatever your reason for wanting to hide your IP address it can only improve your privacy and security when you go online, so it has to make sense in most peoples eyes.It also comes down to entitlement and everyone is entitled to freedom and privacy when they surf, without fear of being tracked or their information abused.
Hide your IP today with IP Maestro !
