An IP address is an identification code that allows you to identify a device connected to the Internet. Knowing the IP address of a user, it is possible to carry out a cyber attack capable of taking possession of his data, but not only: it is also possible to locate the user himself. This is obviously very dangerous for one's privacy. However, not many people know that locating a user using their IP address, which is generally public, is a fairly straightforward operation. Here are the most popular methods to do it.
1. WolframAlpha
A simple solution to find an IP address is to connect to the WolframAlpha site, which allows you to perform a simple search directly from its home page. By entering an IP address in the search bar, you will get the location where the user is located and the name of his internet service provider.
2. IP Lookup
IP Lookup also allows you to search from its home page, but the results are a little more detailed. In addition to the name of the provider and the location of the user, the host name and domain of the Internet service provider is also revealed.
3. IP Adress
IP Adress works a little differently. By simply opening the web page, information relating to your IP address will be provided. Great way to understand if your address is public or if it is already masked by a security solution. If the site returns a location other than where you are or a provider other than the one you are using, it probably means that your address is already protected.
However, if you want to track another IP address, just enter it in the search box at the bottom of the page, thus obtaining very detailed information. In addition to host name, provider and location, latitude and longitude coordinates are revealed for an even more accurate location.
How to hide your IP address
As mentioned, IP addresses assigned by internet providers are generally public. To check if yours is too, just search for "my IP" on Google (or you can check it here). In this case, it is important to implement a solution that allows you to hide it, in order to safeguard your privacy. The two best ways to do this are:
proxy
A proxy is a service that acts as an intermediary between your computer (or other device) and the Internet. Specifically, it is a remote server through which the connection to the network passes, so that only the proxy can see the IP address of the user who uses it, while it is the address of the proxy itself that is publicly communicated.
This is a simple and often free solution, but it has some disadvantages: for example, proxy services usually have to be used via a browser, so you can't avoid transmitting your IP address when using other applications.
VPN
A solution conceptually similar to that of the proxy involves installing a VPN (if you want to know more, you will find this article interesting). The VPN also acts as an intermediary to hide the user's IP address, but unlike the proxy it is a much more complete and versatile service. First of all, it can be installed on any device, in order to protect all traffic and not just that coming from the browser; moreover, it can also be installed directly on the home router, thus protecting all devices connected to the local network.
VPNs also offer many other advantages: for example, they allow you to encrypt traffic, in order to protect not only the user's identity but also his data.
Tor
Another very simple solution is to use the Tor browser. It is a browser designed specifically to safeguard user privacy and is equipped with security systems similar to those used by proxies and VPNs. It is in fact able to encrypt data traffic and always uses a proxy to communicate with the Internet or with other networks other than the local one.
It is very easy to use, but it has some problems: like traditional proxies, it only protects communications that take place through the browser, leaving all other applications vulnerable to the possibility of being tracked; in addition, some sites or services may block access to users using Tor. For example, it is not possible to edit a Wikipedia article using Tor.
