What Is an IP Address?

An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a unique series of numbers that identifies your device on the internet or the network it’s connected to. IP is a set of rules that determines how data is formatted when sent through the internet or a local network. Therefore, an IP address allows information to be transmitted on a network and distinguishes between various devices on the internet.

You will typically see an IP address as a set of four numbers ranging from 0 to 255, separated by periods. For example, an IP address may look like 123.45.67.8 or 12.34.56.78. Although IP addresses may seem random, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) mathematically calculates and distributes them in large blocks to Regional Internet Registries (RIRs).

Continue reading to learn how IP addresses work, the different types, how to find yours and what someone with malicious intentions can do with it.

How IP addresses work

IP relies on guidelines to transfer information from your device to another device connected to the internet. Any device connected to a network sends information based on IP, which allows devices to communicate with each other and you to get your tasks done. Here is a breakdown of how IP addresses work:

1. Your device connects to the internet by first connecting to a network that already has internet access. This is like entering a private room: you need to input a code (connecting to the network) and then open the door (accessing the internet).
2. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) assigns your device an IP address if you are at home. At work, your IP address is assigned by your company’s network.
3. Any internet activity on your device goes through your ISP, and your activity is routed back to you through your IP address.

It’s important to note that your IP address can change, such as when you reset your router or modem. Another scenario in which your IP address can change is when you are traveling. When you leave your house, you do not take your IP address with you, as it is connected to the network on which your device is being used. Taking your computer on vacation and connecting it to your hotel’s WiFi will create a different IP address, given to you by your hotel’s ISP.

The 4 types of IP addresses

There are four main types of IP addresses: private, public, static and dynamic.

Private

A private IP address is used within a network for any device that connects to it, including laptops, phones, tablets, smart TVs, Bluetooth speakers and other Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Considering how many of these devices you use at home, it’s easy to see how confusing it would be for your internet network to differentiate them all. This is why your router generates private IP addresses for each device, uniquely identifying them as separate entities.

Public

A public IP address is associated with your network as a whole rather than with each device’s individual private IP address. While each of your devices has its own private IP address, they also fall under your network’s public IP address since they are connected to the same network. A public IP address is assigned to your router by your ISP, which generates and distributes addresses from a large collection of IP addresses. Devices outside your network recognize your public IP address to distinguish your network from others. There are two types of public IP addresses: static and dynamic.

Static

Static IP addresses remain the same, making them useful for businesses that host their own server because static IP addresses improve consistency. For example, if you own a small business and want your website and email addresses to be easily found online, it is crucial to have a static IP address.

Dynamic

Dynamic IP addresses change frequently, helping ISPs reduce costs. Sometimes, ISPs reassign new IP addresses to customers automatically while recycling older ones. Because dynamic IP addresses are assigned automatically, ISPs do not need to connect your existing IP address to a new home if you move across the country. Dynamic IP addresses also strengthen security, as frequently changing addresses are much harder for cybercriminals to find and hack into.

Where to find your IP address

At this point, you may realize you don’t know your own IP address. Luckily, you can find it by visiting www.whatismyipaddress.com. This website uses your network information to determine your current location, ISP, IPv4 and IPv6.

IPv4 vs IPv6: What’s the difference?

Once you find your IP address, you’ll likely notice two versions: an IPv4 and an IPv6. An IPv4 (Internet Protocol Version 4) is what I described before – a set of four numbers ranging from 0 to 255 separated by periods. An example of an IPv4 could look like this: 147.26.48.5.

In contrast, an IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) is a newer version of IP written as a set of eight hexadecimal numbers separated by colons. This means IPv6 uses a base of 16 instead of 10 and includes the first six letters of the alphabet (A through F). An example of an IPv6 could look like this: 23a1:004b:1435:c324:010d:5213:4e21:1f52.

The main difference between IPv4 and IPv6 is address space. Since IPv4 consists of fewer characters, there are only 4.3 billion possible IP addresses in comparison to the 340,282,366,920,938,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible IP addresses for IPv6. Relying on IPv6 is more beneficial because its longer format makes it more secure. However, most of the internet still functions on IPv4 because it has been available for longer.

What can someone do with your IP address?

With your IP address, cybercriminals can do many things, such as track your location, send spam, launch cyber attacks, impersonate you online or sell your IP address on the dark web.

Find out your exact location

Your IP address can help a cybercriminal learn the state, city or ZIP code you reside in. Although your IP address alone does not reveal your exact location, a cybercriminal can use the information it provides to research further into your private information. For example, if a cybercriminal knows your name and uses your IP address to discover that you live in a small town in Wyoming, they can narrow their search. In a smaller geographic area, it becomes easier for them to find more information about you, such as your social media accounts or details on people search sites. Tracking your location through your IP address is dangerous because it allows cybercriminals to interfere with your mail, stalk you or even steal your identity.

Send you spam

If advertisers find your IP address, they can target you with an influx of spam and phishing scams, aiming to gain your trust enough for you to reveal sensitive information. While your IP address is not directly associated with any Personally Identifiable Information (PII), cybercriminals can use your IP address by convincing your ISP that they are you, aiding in their fraud and identity theft. Cybercriminals may also contact you through phishing emails designed to trick you into sending money or revealing other forms of PII. These phishing emails generally contain urgent or threatening language, spelling and grammatical errors, requests for personal information and suspicious links or attachments. If you receive such emails, do not interact with them – they are likely from cybercriminals attempting to hack into your device.

Launch a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack

A cybercriminal can disrupt your server’s traffic through a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack, which occurs when they overwhelm your server with a sudden surge of traffic, causing it to crash or shut down. Using only your IP address, a cybercriminal can launch this attack and flood your server with fraudulent traffic to cause damage. They target your device using your IP address and rely on numerous bots to send requests and overwhelm your server.

Impersonate you online

Someone seeking revenge or wanting to spark drama could impersonate you online using only your IP address, potentially causing severe consequences depending on their actions. A cybercriminal could use your IP address to impersonate you while engaging in illegal activities, such as buying illegal drugs on the dark web, creating false national security threats or downloading inappropriate content.

Sell your IP address on the dark web

A cybercriminal may be more motivated to sell your IP address rather than use it themselves since other cybercriminals may pay a lot of money for it. Most IP addresses are sold on the dark web, a part of the internet where cybercriminals remain anonymous and commit cybercrimes. Your IP address might be purchased to commit fraud or identity theft, or it could be used to lead them to more of your PII and compromise your online accounts.

Protect your IP address from danger

Your IP address can be used to harm your reputation, privacy and identity. Here are several ways to prevent your IP address from falling into the wrong hands:

• Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your internet connection and make your online activity private. Any website you visit while connected to a VPN will be unable to learn your IP address, so your location and online activity cannot be tracked.
• Reset your modem regularly because each reset changes your IP address, reducing the risk of exposure.
• Use a dynamic IP address to protect your privacy since it will be automatically changed frequently.
• Make your privacy settings more strict on messaging apps, such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, and set your profiles to private to better protect your IP address.