The ability to detect malicious IP addresses quickly and accurately is a crucial skill for cybersecurity professionals. An IP address may seem like a harmless string of numbers, but bad actors can use it to attack organizations and their internal devices.
Malicious IPs can be found in a variety of ways:
How to detect malicious IP addresses with your device or network IP address can scan for open ports (unprotected connections) and exploit them to gain access to your computer, steal data (such as passwords or credit card information), or impersonate you to conduct fraud or other criminal activities. They can also spoof your location or device to make it appear that you are in a different place than you really are, allowing them to deliver more personalized and convincing phishing attacks.
Detecting Malicious IP Addresses: Best Practices
An attacker can find your location and the type of device you are using by looking at the IP address of your website visits or your email. They can then impersonate you to send fraudulent emails, stealing your identity and your money.
IP reputation tools and databases provide a good starting point for investigating suspicious IPs. They are typically based on lists of blacklisted or suspected malicious IPs, and updating them regularly with threat intelligence can help prevent your organization from malware infections, ransomware, cyber-espionage, and other threats. However, a single malicious IP is often seen across multiple locations and networks, making it difficult to determine the scope of a breach or the responsible parties. Unlike domain names, which can be registered with WHOIS services that provide details on ownership and registration dates, it is less straightforward to obtain details for IPs.