6 Min Read |18 March 2023 | Key Words: IP Reputation, IP Security, IP Blacklist
Strengthen IP Security, Prevent Being Blacklisted
Password management tool NordPass has now released a list of the world’s most commonly used passwords in 2022, and the results show that users prefer weak passwords. Statistics show that the most common password in the world this year was “password” and it took hackers less than a second to crack it.
Contrast “password” and ‘D1lakiss”, password with different characters takes more time to crack, doesn’t it?
Setting up a strong password seems to be the easiest way to improve the security of your account, which can also protect your IP address better.
Suppose you register an account on the website of Company A, and the password will be stored in the database of the server. If your account and password on Site A are leaked, criminals who get your password can use it to try to log in to other sites. If all your accounts use the same password, it is equal to your password on other websites also leaked at the same time, your money and personal privacy will be in danger.
Why setting a strong password is crucial on the internet?
Do you know why it is recommended to set a password with minimum 8 chars including letters in different cases, special chars and numerials while creating a new account? There is a reminder to recommend setting a totally new and complex password every 3 months when you log in again. In particular, the financial industry requests clients to set up a strong password to protect accounts away from hijacks.
The Broward Health Public Health System in the US has disclosed a massive data breach, which affected 1.3 million individuals.
Broward Health took measures to improve security to prevent similar incidents in the future, including advising their employees to change their passwords periodically.
Then we realize the importance of having a strong password.
Recommendations on setting up a strong password
Here is some advice on how to set passwords:
- At least 8 or more figures
- Avoid using simple passwords, such as 123456, abcdef, etc.
- Combine digits, uppercase and lowercase letters, and symbols
- Be careful not to use your birthday or other personal information as a password.
- Do not use the same password all the time.
Reasons behind setting up a strong password
In this technology-driven world, cyber attacks of Internet frequently happens. Hackers and cyber criminals have challenged your online security measures and launched cyber attacks. There are many security risks on the Internet, such as phishing, spam and technical Internet fraud.
The following lists the reasons why we suggest setting up a strong password:
- Setting a strong password prevents hackers from breaking into your account, and using it to engage in illegal activities, thus avoiding being blacklisted and protecting IP reputation.
- Changing your strong password periodically makes the password guessing programs not have enough time to identify your password and break into your account.
The importance of cyber security
Cyber security is a broad term that covers everything from the highest government assets to the security of any personal information. It is related to your electronic devices such as laptops, mobile phones, tablets, etc.
If cybercriminals know your IP address, the consequences can be devastating. People do with your IP:
- Hack into your device by your IP.
- Intrude your privacy in real life by getting your location.
- Gain access to your personal information by impersonating you.
- Sell your sensitive data to others.
- Turn your device into a botnet.
Therefore, you should pay much attention to cybersecurity. When IP addresses are misused, they will be shown on IP blocklists.
Other types of IP abuse
Various kinds of IP address abuse exist on the Internet, like phishing, spam, malware and so on. So what are they and what will they lead to?
- Phishing
Phishing is fraud which gets personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers by sending emails posing as a reputable company.
- Spam
Spam is any kind of unwanted, unsolicited digital communication that gets sent out in bulk.
- Malware
Malware, or malicious software, is a blanket term for any kind of computer software with malicious intent.
Malware may enable cyber criminals to use infected computers to send spam or ransomware, launch DDoS attacks, commit electronic banking or click fraud, or steal cryptocurrency. Unfortunately, the IP address of an infected device is usually blocklisted.
IP security measures to avoid your IP address being blacklisted
IP blacklisting is a method of DNS (Domain Name System) server filtering out blacklisted IP addresses that are acting illegally and maliciously.
Absolutely, you could protect your account from being hacked so as to prevent the IP address being blacklisted. There are some measures you can adopt.
- Change your device login password often.
- Using Two-Step Authentication whenever logging into your user account.
- Patch operating systems regularly, including mobile devices, personal computers and laptops, networking devices, home automation devices, IoT(Internet of Things) devices and so on.
- Avoid any malicious or illegal activities
- Minimize the use of public Wi-Fi hotspots as much as possible.
- Protect your devices by using anti-virus or anti-malware software.
Avoiding IP abuse activities or improving IP security can effectively protect your IP reputation. And a strong IP reputation means that the device corresponding to that address is a trusted location for information and Internet communication.
IP blacklist checking
The Spamhaus Project maintains lists networks can use to help them decide whether to block traffic from other networks.
IPmeetIP also refers to these databases to check IP reputation and provider service to remove blacklisted IP from databases.
IP blacklist removal
Finding out why you are blacklisted and solving all the problems, you can try to get it back. Visit blacklist database websites, then follow those instructions for their IP address removal process. Here’s what you might encounter:
- Self-service removal. Some blacklists have self-deletion features that allow you to effortlessly remove your IP blacklisted address.
- Time-based removal. The majority of blacklists have a built-in automated process that removes lower-level lists.
How does IPv4Superhub service team monitor IP abuse activities?
IPv4Superhub, a trusty IP broker, offers services for IP address selling, buying and leasing. We are an experienced team with professional services, sophisticated technology, stable quality, reasonable prices and quality service.
When it comes to IP abuse, IPv4 Superhub Limited provides:
The dedicated abuse team manages IP addresses and stops malicious activities immediately.
24/7 real-time monitoring and automated abuse reporting keep IP addresses in a good reputation.
Contact us today!