Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, often merely referred to as IP addresses, are numerical labels assigned to all devices using the Internet Protocol for communication purposes. The primary function of an IP address is the identification of the device and its location on a network. They are essential for the successful transmission of data packets between networked devices or endpoints in the TCP/IP network structure that underlies the internet today.
IP addresses are core to establishing any form of online communication and thus represent one of the fundamental systems in networking and cybersecurity. As part of the IP system, each network interface and location is given an IP, facilitating the transfer of data packets between devices across networks. This information packet also includes the assignee of the IP address, whether that is an Internet Service Provider, a government agency, a company, or an educational institution, among others.
As mentioned, IP addresses have clear implications for cybersecurity, a field that emphasizes the protection of network systems from any form of cyber threats, attacks, or weaknesses. The exposure of IP addresses has both immediate and far-reaching repercussions in cybersecurity, with the resultant consequences depending on the reason the IP address is sought, its continual exposure, and the design of the network it corresponds to.
An IP address that is exposed in and of itself is not a vulnerability, yet it does carry information that could be useful to cybercriminals. Understanding the construction and use of an IP address is essential for network security.
Definition and Functionality
An Internet Protocol (IP) address is a distinctive string of numbers assigned to each device used in computer and communication technologies that use Internet Protocol for network communications. An IP address identifies the device’s unique presence, assigned location, and the specific network belonging to that device.
This makes an IP address a type of ID, used in conjunction with a home address, for example, or a place of business, to facilitate connections to the devices at those addresses. Whenever your devices are used on a network, the IP address of each device is transferred using protocols to route information through interconnected networks in order to connect to other devices, and thus the greater open Internet.
IP addresses can be generally allocated to devices in two ways. A static address is one permanently assigned to a device by an administrator, leading the device to retain its IP address for an extended period of time or even for life. By contrast, a dynamic address is one that is temporarily assigned to a device by a service provider or network when the device is using the network.
Initially called DHCP addresses, this dynamic address system is still administered by a Dynamic Host Control Protocol server, allocating IP addresses from a given pool of addresses reserved by the service provider for temporary use. More recently, managed services extensions have taken over the task of allocating addresses in many networks and Grade-of-Service architectures, overriding the original DHCP technology.
These addresses are then used by devices for some set period of time, whether the device is actively touching the network or not. In the case of wireless telephone networks, an address may stay assigned to a device when WiFi service is disconnected but our phones remain in a service area.
Types of IP Addresses
Pressure has been mounting on cybersecurity experts to develop strategies and protocols conducive to the distribution of digital security. The issue of “leaky” IP addresses is pertinent to this endeavor in that it exemplifies the losses that can be sustained when search engines, hardware manufacturers, and general cybersecurity practices identify a user’s IP address, de-anonymizing their online activities.
Here, individuals’ IP addresses are identified, revealing information about geographic location, hardware utilization, data consumption, and more. The following discussion approaches the leaky IP address from another angle, scrutinizing the implications of the convenience of user connectedness via the provision of such specific IP addresses.
IP addresses can be private or public. Private IP addresses are used within a local area network and are not publicly available. If a user shares a private IP address with another device, as in the case of a home network, a router or similar device acts as a mediator for the devices to communicate with each other or other networks. Having a private IP address and mediating device between the user’s device and the internet generally indicates less direct security risk to the user’s device.
A public IP address is unique to the user’s device or network. Public IP addresses are assigned by the internet service provider and typically identify a user’s access to the internet. Each website has its own unique IP address, and traffic between a user and a website may pass through a range of internet protocol addresses as signals are passed between nodes in the network.
How Hackers Obtain IP Addresses
Because of both their physical natures and more general uses in internet communication, IP addresses are exposed to the public. Hackers do not have to penetrate a network to obtain the IP addresses. While some hacking activity is managed by relatively simple tactics, such as spam and phishing, IP addresses can also be very easily discovered by other techniques as basic as network scanning. There would be no point in using security databases that indicate IP addresses if these measures are not in place.
Others can purchase or establish their own servers that are legally authorized to deliver email. This can involve attackers compromising security to send messages from anywhere. IP address acquisition can also be obtained by using social engineering techniques, gaining access to username and password information to conduct an email address and forcing the compromised party to lead them to the internet site or service.
The acquisition of IP addresses is now practically linked with the security implications of obtaining IP addresses. If a hacker is able to obtain an IP address, it is considered a certain point of access will be kindled and good non-destructive attacks, such as profiling discoverable IP addresses to determine what more an attacker can do to obtain more vulnerable individual devices. For hackers to have the means to identify you, you should be made aware of the means to take such action.
Common Methods of IP Address Acquisition
Cybersecurity experts are now working in the field of IP address intelligence due to the serious complications that could arise as a result of its acquisition. A common question people ask is, “How does a predator know where to find me?” In factual terms, they employ various means to gain access to susceptible users’ IP addresses. They include:
• Phishing, wherein hackers entice unsuspecting victims with catchy emails that include website links. Once users click on those links, hackers can collect their IP addresses without their knowledge.
• Malware, which is often used by hackers to hijack personal computers and begin generating IP addresses for targeted systems.
• Network sniffing and monitoring, where hackers use specific nodes to capture data flowing from one system to another. They can also capture specific Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of the targeted systems.
Therefore, these potential threats can only be resisted once people with access to the internet are informed of the tactics hackers will use to acquire their IP addresses. In reality, hackers can employ specific means to gain access to susceptible users’ IP addresses.
Once users’ Internet Protocol details are gathered, hackers can leverage them in various ways while deciding how and when to attack systems. It is also extremely important to avert the hazards of IP address acquisition. By gaining access to your IP address, malicious users could embark on targeted attacks.
Possible repercussions, which arise from different tactics hackers use to acquire your IP address, can only be neutralized once you protect your specific IP address. Many different programs are available to help users protect their internet privacy.
Potential Risks of IP Address Exposure
The leaking of an IP address has serious security and privacy implications. To both individuals and organizations, it represents a vulnerability that can lead to a range of adverse consequences. For any IP address that gives the attacker access to a network, there is a potential for them to cause major damage through unauthorized access, data theft, or other types of attacks.
Compromised personal computers often become the attacker’s connection to perpetrate attacks on third parties since the compromised system is a part of what can be a large botnet controlled by the attacker. On the other end of the spectrum lies major Internet infrastructure such as routers, where leaked IP addresses can lead to large-scale denial of service attacks.
When an organization’s IP address space is leaked, the repercussions are potential data leakage or financial loss due to an increase in network attacks. Another potential risk is that when an ISP’s prefixes or ranges are leaked, resources on the ISP cloud can be impacted because an ISP generally does not want traffic being delivered to ASs it does not belong to.
Customers of other ISPs may lose reachability to the leaked prefix as it will be considered a path failure in the forwarding table, and traffic destined for that prefix will be dropped. The traffic for the leaked prefix will instead follow the default path, in most cases a busy city center node, causing congestion and drops. Traffic destined for that prefix will continuously query for a valid path, effectively congesting the routers in the process.
IP address information is also often used in coordinating public safety operations such as fire, EMS, and police dispatch, and hence revealing such addresses poses further security risks to first responders. As a result, information on IP address space that is routed is deemed crucial and desirably non-revealing.
Network Intrusion and Unauthorized Access
One of the most imminent threats associated with IP address exposure is network intrusion, possibly leading to unauthorized access. Unauthorized access is defined as an individual attempting to or successfully compromising a system that they typically would not have access to. Understanding how intruders compromise networks guides the implementation of protection mechanisms.
End systems and networks face various attack avenues that intruders can use to compromise their security. When attackers approach networked hosts, they must discover or learn the IP address of the system. One method entails using tools called scanners, which allow attackers to probe systems. Victims of network intrusions could experience a multitude of undesirable consequences.
Two individuals became victims in December 2021 when a hacker discovered the IP address of their device and implemented a ransomware attack against them. Victims are now required to pay the perpetrator a substantial amount of money to recover their data. In other incidents, over two hundred and thirty companies experienced a breach in which self-replicating attack code found its way into internal technology systems, ultimately rendering them unavailable and unlocking files.
During Black Friday 2020, the REvil ransomware spread to systems, decrypting and stealing data before releasing it on the dark web. The attack encrypted file systems and demanded payments in cryptocurrency to unlock the encryption. Since victims began paying to free their data, the ransom demand doubled. Ransomware is a type of advanced malware that encrypts systems, making data unreadable to all except for the intruder who has the decryption key.
Attackers then demand usually untraceable currency to release a decryption key to victims, restoring their access to critical data. If the victim does not pay within a designated timeframe, the ransom demand increases, or files and data may be permanently lost. To protect networks against unauthorized users, many tools and defense mechanisms exist, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, or intrusion prevention systems. Targeting the IP address space would heighten security and reduce the number of reported compromises.
Denial of Service (DoS) Attacks
A denial of service (DoS) attack is a type of cyber attack consisting of the attacker overwhelming the targeted system’s resources, such as RAM or CPU, to make them non-responsive, resulting in a service disruption. An open IP address can be used as an attack vector to execute this type of attack. In a typical attack lifecycle, an attacker will try to scan and determine open, or in other words, alive IP addresses in a target network before executing an attack against these addresses.
Once a live target is collected, it becomes trivial to direct attacks towards these reachable locations to cause maximum damage. The consequences of a DoS can be severe. A disrupted service results in business disruptions that can lead to significant revenue loss for a company. Hence, these attacks can also be used as bargaining chips for ransom and blackmailing companies. In the US, a significant percentage of companies facing a cyber attack experienced a DoS, resulting in business disruptions. Researchers have classified the denial of service coverage into different types based on the order of severity and frequency.
In-network DoS is the most common in this catalog and exposes DoS implications on six areas: the CPU, flow tables, inter-switch links, in-band connections, services, and the SDN southbound protocol implementation. Therefore, interest in securing networks from DoS is increasing. There are two categories of DoS attacks: volumetric and application-based attacks. This write-up will focus on volumetric attack scenarios.
Protecting Your IP Address
Overall, it’s a good idea to review every security system you use now and keep up with changes in technology and security best practices. By then, your approach to cybersecurity will become even stronger if vulnerabilities develop over time. If attackers can retrieve your IP address from you and potentially launch a DDoS attack against you, what should you do to minimize these risks? First and foremost, we recommend that you sign up for a VPN service to make your physical location traceable to your actual IP address.
A firewall can provide additional layers of security and configuration options to strengthen access control on your router. The router’s default administrative password is randomly configured and should be changed from its default because the default password can be easily guessed and hacked. Even if you have an IPv6-ready router, a VPN is still recommended as a digital private network that can encrypt your traffic and hide it from anyone who wants to see your location.
Every internet-enabled device in the home should be protected behind a firewall; if the router does not have a firewall, software should be installed on computers to provide protection. It is vital that all gateways and operating systems are up to date with the latest software updates to prevent possible malicious attacks. The more information users know, the less effective attacks like phishing scams and social engineering will become.
Best Practices for IP Address Security
IP addresses play a crucial part in the cybersecurity of all devices and assets in any organization, due to their critical role in identifying those devices, systems, and applications. Compromised IP addresses can be exploited to conduct a range of devastating cyber threats including DDoS attacks, ransomware, EternalBlue attacks, deepfakes, compromising IoT devices, and other attacks. The network perimeter no longer offers a safe haven; the ability to launch HEIAs via compromised or spoofed IP addresses means sophisticated tools and insider knowledge could breach any organization, regardless of perimeter integrity.
Organizations should use encrypted communications to fortify their networks and minimize the risk of succumbing to HEIAs and other cyber threats. It is ideal for organizations to use an HTTPS site that uses valid certificates verified by the Certificate Authority. This ensures secure communications using the web server and web application protocols.
Locking down the IP addresses of cloud assets, which provide critical organizational services, is vital. These cloud assets can range from cloud-native container registries, ingress controllers, DNS resolvers, service endpoints, zero trust IPSec endpoints, BGP routers, and Kubernetes controllers. Do not expose hard-coded IP credentials in configuration files. This harks back to the concept of “zero-knowledge IT infrastructure,” whereby the protection of all IP and access credentials is vital.
For instance, Kubernetes IP credentials in Kubernetes configuration files should be protected. Afterwards, employees should be reminded of the importance of conducting regular, comprehensive, and scheduled security audits of cloud asset IP addresses. Staff will ensure potential vulnerability points are detected and mitigated, which include the potential abuse of cloud assets in carrying out cyber threats. In conclusion, this awareness section is especially important, as cloud assets (or other misconfigured assets) can be a potential liability for employees who do not ensure the continued security of cloud assets and their IP addresses.
Conclusion
Conclusion. Server IP is crucial to protect, as cybercriminals and other nefarious actors use easily accessed tools to uncover these assets. It may be difficult to avoid the tracking exercise, but taking steps to dissuade these detrimental actors is tantamount to asset protection. Alternatively, updating knowledge of why an IP check is performed is of interest, and while that is certainly a fruitful area of work, readers could alternatively focus on the how and best practices for protecting IoT devices and ensuring consumer protection.
It is expected that clients with IP addresses in the United States will visit the v4 version. The future of this field lies in educating people about the negative aspects of leaking IP addresses and improving technology so that these addresses are released less often into a potentially hostile environment. Subsequently, this reality will reach each and every one of us with an internet connection; hence, external presences must be ignorant of our home networks and those of our loved ones.
Is there more that can be done, or do we continue to simply be mindful of all updates and developments at the international level? Future work might also involve this perspective. Moreover, the identity of the origin network is crucial. Personal privacy is paramount in today’s society, so we want to ensure that devices on a home network might be protected. Encryption of messages, such as handshakes used in SSL, can reduce the value of an eavesdropped IP address.
