Every device that connects to the internet has a unique label called an IP address. Using this information, cybersecurity solutions like firewalls can determine whether or not your device is a trusted one that should be allowed to send data. If an IP address has a history of sending spam, hosting malware, or other unwanted online behavior, it may land on an IP blacklist and get rejected or blocked.

Cybercriminals steal your IP malicious check to gain more details about you, like which websites you visit or what software you have installed on your computer. They can also use your IP address to launch a common type of cyberattack called a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), where they flood an organization’s network with internet traffic until it caves in under pressure.

IP Malicious Check: Identifying and Blocking Threats

The good news is that most cybersecurity services can protect you from these attacks by cross-referencing your IP addresses with databases of known threats and suspicious activity. For example, a database such as ABuseIPDB collects reports of malicious activities and user feedback and includes them in an IP reputation score. If your IP address is on a bad reputation list, you may need to change the password for your email account or alter your security settings to prevent cyberattacks.

There are also free tools to check your IP address against these threats and blacklist databases. These include Project Honey Pot, Virus Total, and hashdd.