What is an IP Grabber, How They Work & How to Use One? [2024]
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon- IP grabbers collect your IP address through links or redirects, potentially exposing your location and personal data.
- Signs of IP grabbing include restricted website access, slow internet, or DDoS attacks. Immediate actions include disconnecting, running malware scans, changing passwords, and contacting your ISP.
- Protect yourself by avoiding unknown links, using a VPN to mask your IP, and keeping your firewall updated to block potential threats.
As a web surfer, people think they are invincible online. However, the Internet isn’t as secure and faceless as people think. Your personal information and the data you put online is always at the risk of being compromised. If you have ever used messaging apps like Discord, you might have seen warnings about harmful links in messages. That’s the kind of risk we are talking about — IP grabbers.
Even if you aren’t aware of the term “IP grabbers”, it’s pretty easy to guess the damage they could cause. IP grabbers can be included in links and messages that reveal your location, identity, and other personal information upon clicking. That is why in this article, we will look into what IP grabbers are and how you can protect yourself against them.
Table of Contents
What Exactly is an IP Address?
Internet Protocol address short for IP address is a unique string of characters that is used to identify devices on a network. Much like how the address on an envelope directs mail to the right house, IP addresses allow the internet to differentiate between devices so that websites know who exactly is requesting the data and where to send it back.
For instance, when you request to visit Facebook.com, the internet notes down your IP address so that it can send Facebook.com’s information to your specific device. Each device has a public IP address and that number is unique to the whole internet. This makes your public IP address a very powerful tool for companies to gather information about you.
READ MORE: How to Hide your IP Address? ➜
What is an IP Grabber?
As it’s in the name, an IP grabber is a tool that is used to “grab” or acquire someone’s IP. IP grabbers usually work when someone clicks on a link or is redirected to a specific page, as that’s when these tools record your IP address and store it. While IP grabbers don’t do much more than store your IP address, they can be potentially used as a starting point for something you might not be prepared for.
IP grabbers aren’t only used by cybercriminals. Such software is legal to use and social media websites and gaming services often use them to target advertisements or authenticate login requests.
READ MORE: How to Find Your IP Address on Windows & Mac ➜
How IP Grabbers Can Be Used in the Wrong Ways
Just as how an online shop or a website can get your IP, someone on the internet can also use your IP to cause potential risks. Let’s take a closer look at how IP grabbers can be used in the wrong ways.
1. Targeting and Tracking Your Location
If someone takes hold of your IP address, they can use it to get your approximate geographical location. While this location might only narrow down to a country in some cases, when combined with other information, it could reveal your exact neighborhood. This vulnerability opens the door to malicious activities such as blackmailing users or planning fake SWAT attacks.
2. Denying Access to Websites
When you try to open up a website and get a pop-up notification saying “Access denied” it likely means your IP address isn’t eligible to access that specific site. This often occurs if someone has used your IP address to violate the website’s terms of use, leading to your access being restricted. Alternatively, a scammer might block your access to prevent you from interfering with their illegal activities.
READ MORE: How to Block Adult Websites on Your Phone Forever [2024] ➜
3. DDoS Attacks
Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attack is a malicious attempt to disrupt the normal functioning of a server, service, or network by overwhelming it with traffic. This can cause slowed performance or even a complete breakdown of someone’s internet connection. Hackers can use your IP address to carry out DDoS attacks causing significant damage, especially to websites with a large number of users.
How To Know if Your IP Has Been Grabbed?
Above are the three most common signs to know in case someone grabs your IP over the internet. If you are unable to access websites that you either regularly use or your Internet slows down, chances are your IP is in the wrong hands. Additionally, the biggest sign to look for is a DDoS attack that can pretty much break down your entire Internet connection.
If your IP has been grabbed, it’s important to take action immediately before the hacker goes even further. A few steps you can take are;
- Disconnecting from the Internet: Immediately disconnect from the Internet to stop the IP grabber from collecting any additional information about your device or network.
- Run a malware scan: Make sure to either run Windows Security Defender or other third-party apps to check for any malware or viruses that the IP grabber might have installed on your device.
- Change your passwords: If you have entered any login credentials or personal information on the website redirected by the IP grabber, immediately change your passwords for all your accounts.
- Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP): Remember to get in touch with your ISP to report the incident. Thoroughly let them know how the attack happened in the first place so that they can help you identify and remove any underlying risks.
READ MORE: PS4 IP Logger – Everything You Should Know in 2024 ➜
Protect Yourself Against IP Grabbers
Now that you understand what IP grabbing is and how it can be used to potentially acquire your personal information, it’s time to look at a few ways that can help you protect against IP grabbers.
1. Never Click on Unknown Links
Since IP grabbers use unknown links to store your IP in the first place, the best thing to do is avoid clicking on links sent by users that you don’t know. Some messaging apps like Discord warn you before opening up such malicious links so be sure to keep an out for that as well.
2. Use a VPN
Possibly the best way to protect yourself online is by using a VPN service that works by masking your IP address by routing your connection through servers in different countries. Using a VPN makes it harder for hackers to trace your original IP and keeps your data protected.
READ MORE: The 5 Best Premium VPN Apps on Android in 2024 ➜
3. Keep Your Firewall Updated
To protect yourself against IP grabbers, it’s crucial to keep your firewall updated. A firewall acts as a barrier between your computer and potential internet threats, and regular updates ensure it can recognize and block the latest dangers. By keeping your firewall updated, you ensure it is always ready to protect you from online threats.
Staying Secure Online
While an IP address alone can not reveal data such as exact location, identity, or what device you are on, it can be a step towards exploiting your information. With that said, we hope this article has covered everything you should know about IP grabbers and how you can ensure a secure and safe online surfing experience.
FAQs
IP grabbing involves getting a user’s IP address and giving away basic details like location and internet service provider. Third-party cookies, on the other hand, store data in a user’s browser, enabling cross-site tracking for personalized ads and content. While both have privacy concerns, third-party cookies are more controversial due to their detailed profiling capabilities without explicit consent.
DNS (Domain Name System) serves as the internet’s address book, translating human-readable domain names (like example.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (such as 192.0.2.1). This translation enables users to access websites and services by typing in familiar domain names rather than needing to remember complex numerical IP addresses.
”SWAT” attacks, also known as “SWATing,” involve falsely reporting a serious incident, such as a violent crime or hostage situation, at a victim’s location to prompt an armed police response, often by SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams. These malicious reports are typically made with the intention of harassing, intimidating, or endangering the victim.
Reviewed by Huzaifa Haroon
