All Internet communications require Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. If a website you visit couldn't see your IP address, it would have no way to send you pages, images, files, and so on.
It's nothing personal, it's just location. Image source
To see how easily a site can see your IP address, visit What is my IP Address. Or just Google what's my ip address. It's easier to get than your telephone number.
It's not as scary as it sounds?
Who can see your IP address and how serious a problem that is? Assuming you're using a router, those web sites can only see the router's IP address, not your PC's. They can't tell who in the house is visiting them - which is just a small comfort - but this also protects you from certain drive-by malware attacks.
What can website administrators find out about you from your router's IP address? They can identify your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and figure out approximately where you're located. They will likely be able to identify your neighborhood, but not your home. And they can see how often you (or someone else sharing your router) visit their website.
But they won't be able to see that forever. Chances are your IP address is not a permanent fixture. Most home Internet accounts use a dynamic IP address, which your ISP changes from time to time.
And, of course, if you take your laptop to a coffee house or library, you'll have an entirely different IP address there, although you now have to consider public network security issues.
If you're still worried, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Once you've set one up, your Internet connections travel encrypted from your computer to the VPN server, and from there, unencrypted, to their final destination. The sites you visit see only the VPN's IP address.
TheGreenMechanics: You can also use VPN to view websites blocked in the particular country you are surfing the interned from. For example, if you travel to Shanghai, China where blogger.com gets blocked from time to time, you may want to consider VPN.
Note: This article was published by Computerworld Malaysia on Mar 18, 2014. Source Link
It's nothing personal, it's just location. Image source
To see how easily a site can see your IP address, visit What is my IP Address. Or just Google what's my ip address. It's easier to get than your telephone number.
It's not as scary as it sounds?
Who can see your IP address and how serious a problem that is? Assuming you're using a router, those web sites can only see the router's IP address, not your PC's. They can't tell who in the house is visiting them - which is just a small comfort - but this also protects you from certain drive-by malware attacks.
What can website administrators find out about you from your router's IP address? They can identify your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and figure out approximately where you're located. They will likely be able to identify your neighborhood, but not your home. And they can see how often you (or someone else sharing your router) visit their website.
But they won't be able to see that forever. Chances are your IP address is not a permanent fixture. Most home Internet accounts use a dynamic IP address, which your ISP changes from time to time.
And, of course, if you take your laptop to a coffee house or library, you'll have an entirely different IP address there, although you now have to consider public network security issues.
If you're still worried, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Once you've set one up, your Internet connections travel encrypted from your computer to the VPN server, and from there, unencrypted, to their final destination. The sites you visit see only the VPN's IP address.
TheGreenMechanics: You can also use VPN to view websites blocked in the particular country you are surfing the interned from. For example, if you travel to Shanghai, China where blogger.com gets blocked from time to time, you may want to consider VPN.
Note: This article was published by Computerworld Malaysia on Mar 18, 2014. Source Link
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