IP HIDING SOFTWARE: A Squidcourse On Why You Need It

The Internet is one massive bunch of computers linked to each other by cables and satellite links that allow exchange of data using established protocols. Most people think it is a young technology when, in fact, it's been around for quite some time. It actually began in the late 1960's as ARPANet, a project of the US Defense Department that aimed to create a national information network that would survive a nuclear war or natural calamity. In two decades, it became an indispensable utility for academic institutions, scientists, researchers and the government. By 1992, it become commercially available and has, since then, been unstoppably expanding to the Internet as we know it today.

IP Address stands for INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESS which is composed of four sets of one to four numbers separated by dots.

Here's what it can look like:

192.168.1.1
10.163.2.9
1.164.3.123

An IP address serves as the unique identification of your computer while engaged in Internet activity. Each time you participate in an exchange of data, you are identified as your computer's IP address.

For example, when you send an email to a friend, the communication is between your computer's IP address and that friend's computer's IP address. Without your IP addresses, there is no way for you to communicate online.

Therefore, when it comes to the Internet, your IP address is your ONLY LINK to the world out there.

Without your IP address, you are non-existent on the Internet.

An INTERNET THREAT is any online presence that attempts to make your computer
unstable or steal information from it. This can be anything - a program that makes your system unstable by deleting vital files, a code that replicates your files to eat up your hard disk and slow down your computer, website cookies that try to build a profile of you by tracking your online activities, scare emails that eventually make email systems collapse, good old nasty spam, etc.

Some people are able to deal with these and some aren't. But there is one Internet threat that is too serious for anyone who values his privacy and security to ignore.

Ever heard of KEYSTROKE LOGGING? It's when everything you type on your keyboard is recorded by a remote server, converted to a human-readable format and emailed to the attacker. This is, by far, the most serious threat to common Internet users to date. And it's all encompassing, which means who knows what else a hacker can do once he has found his way to you. Your credit card and banking passwords, PINS, your SSN, private business files, even your secret blogs - they're all at risk. And you could end up one day staring at a blank wall and wondering how somebody else has ended up as you.

In understanding the reality of Internet threats, it's important to consider how all this is possible.Again, when you talk of online communication, you talk about IP addresses linking to each other. Whether a user is sending an email or spraying computer viruses, it's all about IP addresses.

That's because an IP address is the only LINK that can exist between Internet users who want to communicate with or access each other's computers.

It's also the only trail that an innocent victim can leave for an attacker to follow.

There are four popular ways of fighting Internet threats:

FIREWALL

A firewall is either a program or hardware device that sifts through information trying to enter your computer. When a packet of information appears suspicious, the firewall blocks it. Problem is, some threats can attack through the backdoor. To get the most security from a firewall, you can block everything, but that would negate the purpose of having an Internet connection.

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

This is a program that blocks malicious elements, specifically viruses and malicious software from entering your computer. It also "heals" your computer by taking out viruses that have already entered your system before the antivirus was installed. However, an antivirus software may not be effective against newly created viruses because it works only by comparison between a suspected virus and its record of previously known viruses.

PROXY SERVER

A proxy server is a computer that acts as the middleman between you and the website you want to access. This means you do not come directly in contact with any website. A proxy server protects you by letting you use its IP address instead your own. The problem with some proxy servers is they tend to steal their own clients' information instead of protect it.

IP CHANGER

An IP changer is a software that instantly hides your IP by letting you use different IP addresses while you surf. An IP changer lets you surf anonymously, therefore, you never leave a trail wherever you go in the world wide web. Without a trail, no one can locate you. They won't even know you're there!

By now, must have understood why hiding your IP address is the most effective weapon against online threats.

Since the ONLY LINK you have between your computer and these threats is your IP address, what better way to escape them than to MAKE THAT LINK DISAPPEAR! When you disappear from the web, they won't know there's such a thing as your IP address so how can they even find their way to you?

When you're using a fake IP address supplied by your IP changer, there is NO WAY for anyone to initiate contact with you because whatever trail you leave after surfing, it won't be the trail that could lead them back to you. YOU DID NOT USE YOUR COMPUTER'S REAL IP ADDRESS, after all! You used a fake one given to you by your IP hider software.

If a hacker comes looking for a victim, you'll definitely be spared because you're not among his choices because you're not even there even if you are. You are non-existent on the Internet because your IP changer made you so.

Unless a hacker's able to guess your IP address, there is NO WAY IN THE WORLD he can even come near you. Or your IP address. S I M P L E !