Most people consider the internet as a safe space. You can interact with groups that share common interests, even though they might reside on different continents. Thus, many users believe the internet is a private place for their activities, chats, and searches. However, such assumptions are accurate.
The presumed privacy can be quickly taken away by big corporations or malicious hackers. For instance, every user has an IP address. It is a string that represents specific details about you, including your approximate location. IP grabbers are tools that aim to capture this information for various purposes.
What are IP grabber links?
An IP grabber is a software tool that detects your IP address by tracing data flow from the server closest to you. They usually exist in the form of a link that redirects you to an external site. While some variants ask you to visit a specific domain, some IP grabbers can obtain your IP address as soon as you click on them.
Such software is legal to use. Social media and gaming services often use IP grabbers to recognize users. They are usually a precautionary measure to analyze whether any interaction is through bot farms since they use the same IP address for multiple devices to save on internet costs.
How do they work?
An IP grabber is often utilized through a third-party service that generates a link to fetch the IP address for anyone clicking on it. All links have a unique identifier that the client can use to view the IP address of anyone who clicks on it. If required, you can also get a detailed SEO report that informs you how active a link is.
As for those clicking on the links, they are completely oblivious that their IP address is being tracked. They can only notice it after a strong enough antivirus informs them that it can be a suspicious link.
Potential risks from IP grabbers
As helpful as IP grabbers are for SEO and gaming services, they have inherent risks that make them something to remain suspicious about. The most alarming ones include the following.
Tracing your location
Your IP address is a set of digits separated by decimals that denotes your location and ISP. Even though your location can vary on the scale of an entire city, the information on your service provider can assist in determining your identity. Moreover, it makes it easier to obtain your full name, current address, phone number, and other personal details.
Denying access to websites
If someone obtains your IP address, they can issue a warning to certain websites or block your connection so that you can’t access certain domains. It is a practice employed by popular services that block content for users.
Conducting DDoS attacks
Hackers can use your IP address to conduct Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that crash any active session with the server. A DDoS request overloads the session by increasing the volume of inputs. The server’s emergency measures kick in, disconnecting the client, thinking it’s a malfunction. That attack can be modified to kick specific users off the server, which can be done if you know their IP addresses.
How to protect yourself against IP grabbers
Due to their risks, you must take certain measures to protect your system against IP grabbers. A few proven methods are mentioned below.
Verify unknown links before opening
IP grabbers require you to click a link so that they can track your IP address. Therefore, the best way to avoid them is to check whether the link you’re about to open is safe. You can do that by using a link checker.
Keep your firewall updated
The antivirus software on your computer warns you if it detects any suspicious links or receives data caches that may contain malware. Thus, it is a great idea to keep your firewall updated so that it can interpret and take the necessary actions against the latest threats. Today, most of them utilize AI technology to test the behavior of any packet on a virtual machine before letting it access any files on your drive.
Use a VPN
Since IP grabbers track your IP address, a way to reduce their risks is to mask it. A robust Virtual Private Network (VPN) can help you do that. It can redirect your connection through any other available server in the world so that your actual IP address remains hidden. Thus, initiate a VPN download and connect to a server in a region you wish to have as your virtual location.
Conclusion
While IP grabbers have legitimate uses, they are far too convenient to use by people who wish to track you online. We hope this guide on what IP grabbers are and what risks they pose helped you gain a clearer insight into the matter. You can’t deny when they’re needed but can exercise the necessary measures to keep your web browsing secure.
