 IP address is a unique number assigned to any device you connect to the internet. Your IP address is similar to your mailing address in that it lets other devices find and send you information. However, your IP address can also reveal sensitive information about you, which is why many internet users choose to hide it. With your IP address, advertisers and ISPs can get the location of your city, state, and even your ZIP code. |
 Facebook might be blocked in your country for cultural, political, or religious reasons. For example, your government might believe that Facebook can spread dangerous or banned information that is harmful to their regime. Facebook might be banned in your workplace to ensure that employees are working instead of using social media on company time. You'll often find that you need to get Facebook unblocked at school. It's often restricted to ensure that students are focusing on their studies or to prevent cyberbullying over social media. |
 In this age of modern technology, there are plenty of people out there who want to spy on you and track what you are doing. This could be government organizations, large businesses who want to gather consumer data or criminals who want to use your personal information in fraudulent ways. To combat this, there are steps you can take to avoid being tracked and to improve your personal online security. |
 An IP blacklist is one of the simplest and most effective forms of access denial in the world of computing and many businesses and web sites actively manage an IP blacklist database to control access to their services. While in most cases, a blacklist will have been assigned for a valid reason, there are instances where the ban has been enforced without cause. Due to these facts, it is important to understand why your IP address may be blacklisted. |
 This may differ depending on which provider you are using and also what device you are using the VPN service on so there is no definitive guide. For instance, to use an OpenVPN connection on a Windows PC you would need to download the software and then use a configuration file to set the connection up; whereas on a mobile device you may need to simply install an app and follow the instructions. |
 A firewall is a software or hardware system designed to prevent unauthorized access to an individual computer or network of computers. They are used mostly as a first line of defense to protect your device or network from online threats such as hackers, viruses, Trojans, and worms. |
 Most consumers have no idea how much information they unwittingly turn over to third-party data trackers when they surf the web with today’s most popular browsers. According to Chris Calabrese of the American Civil Liberties Union, “There’s a pretty big disparity between what folks think their privacy rights are online and what they actually are online.” There are huge holes in the privacy policies of most browsers, leaving consumers vulnerable to malicious actors and privacy invasions. |
 Too many people are under the false impression that they are already browsing the Web anonymously. The general belief is that you are all alone when you are on your social media accounts, when you browse websites, and when you look up information. In fact, every time you open your browser, your information is accessible to government agencies, applications designed to track and monitor Web activity, and much more. |
 The ICANN is responsible for the creation and distribution of IP addresses and is the governing body that oversees this whole process. Usually, the ICANN will allocate blocks of IP Addresses to secondary namespace organizations such as Internet Service Providers (similar to how Zip Codes are allocated to certain areas within a city). These secondary organizations will then distribute IP addresses to the public and their customers. A question that is regularly asked is “Do IP Addresses get Recycled? This is an interesting question as theoretically there is only a limited amount of possible IP addresses that can ever be created. |
 Imagine the Internet as a global postal service. Your ISP has the role of the mail carrier; it ensures you receive your incoming mail and sorts your outgoing mail so each virtual piece is sure to arrive at the correct destination. So, not only does your ISP have your Internet protocol address, or IP address, it also has the IP address of the person you’re exchanging data packets with. |
