Hiding Your IP is Not Important, It’s Necessary

With a rapid increase in cybercrimes around the world, the number one priority for most internet users nowadays is security and privacy. People, especially those who have fallen victim to malware, identity thefts, viruses, scams, etc., would sacrifice a lot to make sure what they do in the digital world is kept private and protected for which hiding your IP is essential. 

So much so that in a recent survey, 42% of Americans said they would give up alcohol for cybersecurity, while 30% would say goodbye to social media. Furthermore, 29% would part ways with chocolate forever, 17% would give up meat, a surprising 3% would sacrifice their significant other to ensure they never get hacked, and 1% would give up their vision (which sounds ridiculous because there’s not much you can do online without your eyes!).  

Luckily though, we don’t have to give up all the things we love for cybersecurity. There are tools out there that can help us achieve maximum protection online without sacrificing anything at all. If you too are concerned about your online privacy and security, one thing that helps is masking your original IP address. But, what are the best ways to hide IP addresses? Well, you’ll either have to use proxy servers or a VPN.

Virtual Private Network

A VPN creates an impenetrable tunnel which all the data you transfer over the internet passes through. So, what it basically does is connect you to a server in a different country or region and in the process it hides your IP address by assigning you an IP address from of the country where the server you’re connected to is located.

However, it’s important to get a paid VPN service because free VPNs are infamous for logging your data and selling it to the highest bidder, which makes sense. Nothing is free in the world. A free VPN provider might offer its service for free but it’s secretly logging your data and monetizing it. Paid services often have a zero-log policy in place, which means they can’t store your personal data and use it for financial gains.

But that’s not it! A professional paid VPN service – like PureVPN – comes with some extra goodies stashed on the side. And by goodies, we mean some kickass advanced features that makes it a complete online protection tool. Some of the cool advanced features you should look for in a VPN service are:

• Content Filter
• Smart Antivirus Protection:
• IDS and IPS Protection

With a VPN, sky is the limit. You can experience the internet how it was originally meant to be – with zero restrictions. With a fully-fledged VPN service like PureVPN, you can

• Anonymously browse the web
• Stay protected from online threats such as viruses, ransomware, malwares
• View your favorite content by accessing blocked websites
• Avoid ISP monitoring or third-party surveillance and geo-tracking

Proxy Servers

Proxy servers work pretty much like a VPN with some shortcomings. When you visit a proxy site and connect to their server, your original IP gets masked and you’re assigned that proxy server’s IP instead. However, free proxy servers are infamous for logging your activities and selling it for monetary gains. After all, they have to make money some way and this is how they choose to do it.

Another disadvantage of proxy servers compared to a VPN is that a proxy site doesn’t provide extra security to beef-up your online presence. So, that means a proxy site doesn’t offer features like antivirus, content filters, etc.

Why Is It Important to Hide Your IP?

If you want to avoid detection, malware, ISP throttling, third-party surveillance and hackers, you’ll need to hide your IP. Why? Because your IP address reveals a lot of information about you which can be used against you. For instance, your IP address reveals your location (not the exact address but the region), which can be used to monitor your activities.

Moreover, ISPs can monitor which websites you’re visiting, how much time you’re spending there and so on through your IP address. How? Well, when you connect to the internet, your ISP assigns you an IP address through which it makes sure the traffic you send or receive reaches its correct destination.

And not to forget, the ever-growing threat of malware and identity theft. Since 2013, there has been a massive increase in hackers targeting corporations and average users through ransomware, scams, and phishing attacks. To make things worse, the FBI and most cybersecurity experts believe that these cyber-attacks will only increase with more sophisticated ransomwares in the coming days.