Suzuki's flagship V-Twin cruiser - Yellow/White limited edition the M109. Check out its massive 240 section rear tire!

It is not really a normal cruiser because it has a lot of torque and power, it is insane! some people like to call it a Harley Killer.

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As a non-IT person, most of us do not need detailed technical information about things. Sometimes all we are looking for is just plain English explanation in layman's terms. Here I will explain how your privacy is at stake and why you should be concerned about your IP address. It also explains the benefits of hiding your IP.
You can also check the video below if you wish to listen to it.

What on earth is IP Address?

It is your virtual address on the internet. In the previous article, IP address is explained and also why to protect it for privacy. I have tried to explain it as possible in layman’s terms. You can also check the video below if you wish to listen to it.

Why should you be concerned?

The main reason of concern is the personal information an IP address assigned by your internet service provider can reveal about you. 
Advertisers & websites uses information such as your region & Internet service provider location to know your location and send targeted specific advertisements. 
Government agencies or cyber attackers can create records of your online activity including personal data for Internet surveillance and traffic analysis. 

If required by law, an ISP can reveal your phone number, email id & house address linked to your IP address.

Why should I bother if I got nothing to hide!

When you are online to browse, shop, chat or email, your IP address and browser cookies which stores login info, shopping preferences, location etc. is shared with server. 
This along with your search and browsing data can be tracked by cyber attackers and agencies that may record and misuse your online identity.
Sometimes you have socially sensitive communication like political opinion, health details, membership details or being a whistleblower for a social cause, it is apt not to leave digital footprint to protect your identity.

Benefits of Hiding your IP

You might have seen the same ads follow your around on multiple websites. It’s because you are being tracked. Hiding IP keeps your browsing private. and yes, clear cookies after each browsing session for added security.
Imagine checking a competitor website or commenting on their products and by using analytics they trace back to your company location! Masking your IP can avoid this!
Hiding IP helps you to anonymously visit websites without leaving digital footprints. Protects your search history!
Masking your IP address makes it almost impossible for snoopers to know your location on the globe! It makes it difficult for Your ISP or agencies to log your digital footprint for intelligence.

Some websites block access to IP’s from certain continent. Some workplaces restrict access to certain websites using IP address. Masking your IP can bypass these censorship's.

Protect your device & data from vulnerabilities while connecting to an unsecured public WIFI hotspots. For example, in a cafe or at the airport.

Okay, how can I hide my IP! 

There are many ways to hide your IP. The most common are Virtual Private Network (VPN), proxy server, dedicated browsers etc. Will explain these in next article.
Stay tuned!

You may also like to read my other article about What is my IPaddress and why to protect it for privacy – Simple layman’s terms.

As a non-IT person, most of us do not need detailed technical information about things. Sometimes all we are looking for is just plain English explanation in layman's terms.
Here I will help you to understand what is your IP address and why to protect it for privacy.  You can also check the video below if you wish to listen to this article than read through.

Do you give your house address to every person you meet? 

Did you know you are giving away your location and device information to the websites you are visiting, and strangers on the internet who can potentially misuse your information? It’s time to Learn about IP Address

What is an IP Address?

You might have heard the term IP address before. But like me probably you too didn’t care to know much about it. Let’s understand how it works. Simply put, your house has an address on the street, your device has an IP address on the network. IP stands for Internet Protocol.

A courier or a parcel reaches your house as they have your address. Similarly, when you browse a website, the server sends the data to the unique IP address of your device and hence you see the browsed information. It facilitates in a two-way communication between your device and the host device from where the data will be send to your device.

Now let us try this practically. Visit the website Myipaddress.com it will show you your current IP address. Yes, that set of numbers is your virtual address on the internet.

Static & Dynamic IP address

There are two types of IP address. Static IP is like your permanent address. It never changes. Dynamic IP address is like staying on rent. Its temporary and changes each time your device access the internet. 

Mobile devices don’t have static IP address since it can connect to both 3G/4G network and WiFI, each time the IP will be different.

Things to worry is the information about you and your device the Static IP reveals. 
Who knew that by browsing to a website, you share information such as your city, region, country, continent, Postal code, internet service provider, screen resolution, Operating System, installed plugins!

Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself by visiting the site www.Infobyip.com. If you glance through the results, you will see all your digital footprint information.

These information helps the websites to Track you build up a history of information about your activities. It also means hackers can also track what you’re doing online.  Advertisers can track you, and target you with advertisements Due to this it sometimes becomes important to stay anonymous.

You may also like to my other article about IP address. Know why to hide your IP address and it's Benefits – layman’s terms