Is It Possible To Track Someone Via IP Address?
In today’s digital age, where our data is increasingly valuable and our online privacy is constantly exposed, it is crucial to prevent our information from being tracked online. From tracking our online activities to collecting data for advertising purposes, several entities are interested in accessing our data.
We must know that our Internet activity is not anonymous and is often less safe than we think. Wherever we go, we leave a trace through our IP address, which we must consider before starting. This article will show how to prevent your information from being tracked online.
What Is An IP Address?
An IP address is nothing more than a set of numbers identifying a device connected to an Internet network. They are used to identify devices within that same network. For example, the WiFi network of your home or work is a private network, and for your device to connect, the router assigns it a unique IP address.
IP addresses can be of various types, depending on the one assigned by the Internet service provider or ISP :
Static IP addresses are fixed; they will always be the same.
Dynamic IP addresses: These are generally used on phones, laptops, or consoles and constantly change, usually once a day, thus being more secure and avoiding tracking.
Is It Possible To Track Someone By Their IP Address?
Yes, the answer is yes, it is possible to track someone by their IP address. However, certain considerations must be taken into account:
Location identification: The IP address can provide location information, but not the exact one about the user, if not that of the Internet network.
Internet service providers or ISPs register these IP addresses, and upon legal request, as we have said before, they can be requested.
Another very important point to track someone’s IP address is Internet activity. All our steps are recorded.
It is important to note that tracking an IP address alone does not provide instantly personally identifiable information, such as a person’s name, address, or contact details. However, combining multiple sources of information and following certain legal procedures makes it possible to draw connections between an IP address and an individual’s identity.
Also Read: GitHub, What Is It For?
How Can They Track My IP address?
When someone is carrying out this type of practice, they normally follow a series of actions that we will discuss below:
They get your IP address first: The tracker needs to know your IP address to begin with and to get there, it can query weblogs or intercept network communications.
Geolocation: Once the IP is obtained, the second step is to discover the approximate location in which you move.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): Detailed logs about the connection and the associated user can be accessed through the ISP.
ISP cooperation: In legal situations, the authorities have the right to request additional information from the ISP through the judiciary. Registration data such as names, addresses, or telephone numbers associated with our IP address are already included here.
How To Avoid Being Tracked On The Internet
Being tracked on the Internet can happen, but if we follow a series of best practices, we can make it very difficult for those who try to do it.
Use A Secure Connection
Knowing the websites we browse and ensuring they always use HTTPS security protocols is important. Also, avoid public or unsecured Wi-Fi networks.
Privacy Options
Always keep in mind the security options of your device. Review these settings and activate some options, such as limiting the collection of personal data or blocking third-party cookies.
Use A VPN
A VPN helps us mask the IP address and encrypt traffic, improving our privacy and Internet security. Please take a look at our article on the best VPNs.
Use Strong Passwords
It would help to use secure passwords characterized by their strength, alternating between uppercase, lowercase, signs, and numbers. Using two-factor authentication or even a powerful password manager will be good.
Be Careful What You Share
This is a very important first of the Internet. Only share something on the Internet if you are 100% sure of its reliability. Here we include very important data such as addresses or bank details.
Keep Your Devices Up To Date
In addition to receiving new features, devices are updated to receive security patches and strengthen the privacy of your data. Having an antivirus and performing several scans periodically may also be advisable.
Websites Keep Your Records
With this, you must be very careful because the web pages we browse always keep records about who visits them. But far from looking like something bad, it’s great because, in this way, you could see the trace of a cybercriminal who has used, for example, a social network to commit a crime on the Internet.
The authorities then request the registered information from the website to identify the computer, not the person, from where the alleged crime was carried out.
Of course, once they access the IP address, they can identify the ISP and, therefore, know the name and address of the offender.
Also Read: Big Data & Small Data: What Are They & How Are They Different?
