Why Are IP Trackers Important For Cybersecurity And Threat Intel?

IP trackers are increasingly being used in cybersecurity, especially with advancements in IP geolocation technology. Cybersecurity, just as the name implies, is the security of the cyber world’s computer systems, computer networks, data networks, and more. This also includes protecting all devices that connect to a network, such as cell phones, computers, edge devices, routers, and switches. 

Cybercriminals have invented sophisticated techniques, from phishing scams and spam emails to malware and shoulder surfing, to get access to sensitive data. Thus, all data and devices in cyberspace must be kept safe from all types of attacks, unauthorized users, and intruders. 

Unfortunately, no computer network or device is completely secure and safe from such vulnerabilities. However, by implementing cybersecurity best practices and leveraging effective cybersecurity tools, organizations can be better prepared to tackle fraud and cyberattacks. This is where geolocation IP trackers come in. They have, in fact, become an invaluable tool in an organization’s arsenal for combating cyberattacks. For example, a simple IP tracker, such as ipstack, can help you assess threats posed by a user, detect fraud patterns, determine the type of attack, and more.

This blog will explore some of the most crucial and effective techniques for making your system safe from cyberattacks. Continue reading to discover:

• What threat intel is
• Different ways of gathering threat intel 
• Combating malicious attacks using geolocation IP locators.

What Is Threat Intelligence?

Threat intelligence refers to the entire process of gathering and collecting information about various sources that pose a potential threat to a computer system or network. Threat intelligence also refers to a strategy for identifying, mitigating, and preventing cyberattacks. 

In simple words, threat intelligence enables organizations to analyze:

• The threats they currently have 
• Future threats 

They can use this intel to build effective defense mechanisms and keep themselves safe from malicious attacks on their system. One of the aspects of strategic threat intelligence is gathering location data from where the attacks originate. This is where IP trackers play a crucial role. We’ll discuss it in detail later in the article.

What is a Geolocation IP Address Tracker?

Every electronic device connected to the internet or private network is assigned a unique identifier called an IP address. This IP address, usually assigned by an internet service provider, can be used to track the geographical location of the device, such as a laptop, mobile, smartwatch, etc. 

A geolocation IP address tracker is a software tool that automatically determines the location of an electronic device based on its IP address. IP location data usually includes:

• City
• Country
• Region
• Continent
• Latitude and longitude coordinates
• Some advanced IP trackers like ipstack also provide time zone and currency information associated with the requested IP address.

How can IP Trackers help with Cybersecurity?

Geolocation IP address tracker APIs are becoming increasingly popular for fighting against cyberattacks. It can help with cybersecurity in various ways:

Block suspicious or malicious IP Addresses

An IP lookup tool or API can be used to filter website traffic. For instance, if you run a business in the USA and usually get visitors and requests from within this region, you can block unusual or suspicious requests from IP addresses outside the USA. You can also block IP addresses associated with high fraud, scam, or suspicious activities. 

With IP address location API, you can also keep track of your users and use analytics to detect patterns of safe vs. fraudulent behavior. Hence, if a user has made previous attempts to hack or harm your system, you can immediately block them.

Prevent DDoS Attacks

DDoS, or Distributed Denial of Service, is a cyberattack that involves sending huge amounts of internet traffic to a server/organization’s server. This prevents users from accessing the organization’s services and website. 

An IP geolocation API can help mitigate DDoS attacks. Powerful IP trackers are capable of assessing security threats originating from suspicious IP addresses. They can identify IP addresses where bad traffic is coming from during a DDoS attack and provide the associated geographical data. Organizations can block these IP addresses or traffic originating from associated locations to combat these attacks.

Fraud Prevention

IP geolocation API can also serve as a valuable tool to prevent fraud. For instance, e-commerce businesses can investigate unusual attempts at online transactions from unexpected locations. This helps prevent unauthorized financial transactions and protect sensitive data.

Implement Location-based Network Access Control

A geolocation IP address tracker is a great tool to implement location-based access control. For instance, organizations can assess IP-based geolocation and time zone data to identify anomalies in access patterns. If an employee typically accesses the system from specific locations within certain timeframes, unexpected logins from different locations during unusual time zones for that employee may indicate potentially suspicious activity.

Ipstack: A Reliable IP Address Tracker

Ipstack is an advanced IP geolocation API that provides accurate location data associated with an IP address. The API offers global coverage, covering 2 million+ unique locations in 200,000+ cities around the globe. 

Here are the other key features of the API:

• Supports both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
• Provides detailed geolocation data or IP information. This includes city, continent, country, region, zip code, and latitude and longitude coordinates.
• Offers domain IP lookup service, allowing you to determine the IP address connected to a domain and associated geolocation data.
• Allows users to request data of up to 50 IP addresses simultaneously with bulk lookup.
• Offers a security module that monitors security threats or risks associated with suspicious IP addresses. It provides valuable data to help protect your system. For example, it tells whether an IP address is using a proxy and type of proxy. Moreover, it also supports crawler and Tor detection. The security module also shows the threat level and threat type.

• Offers timezone, hostname, and currency modules providing valuable data associated with the location returned against an IP address.

ipstack Example Request and Response

Here is an example REST API request to retrieve a user’s geolocation:

Here is an example response:

You can see that the response object has detailed information about a user’s geolocation. It has the exact geographic coordinates in terms of longitude and latitude, as well as country, city, and region information. Besides this information, there are other detailed objects with time zone, currency, connection, and security. You can check more details in the API documentation.

What Is The Security Object In ipstack API’s Response Object?

An example of the security object in the JSON response of ipstack IP checker API is shown below:

The security object is the key to helping you detect potential threats or cyberattacks on your system.

How Is ipstack’s IP Address Tracker API Useful For Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence?

When we look at the security field in the JSON response object, we see various keys related to identifying the security threat posed by a user. Here are a few points to note about the security module of ipstack API.

• The is_proxy key has the value true if the user’s IP is associated with a proxy.
• In case the user is connecting from a proxy, the proxy_type identifies whether the user is connecting from a CGI proxy, web proxy, or VPN proxy.
• The is_crawler value helps you identify whether the given IP belongs to a crawler.
• The crawler_name value holds the name of the crawler if the IP belongs to a crawler.
• If the IP address of a user is associated with an anonymous Tor system, then is_tor contains the value true; otherwise, false.
• The threat_level key has three possible values, which are low, medium, and high.
• The threat_type key has seven possible values that indicate the type of threat. These can be Tor, fake crawler, web scraper, or attack source identified as HTTP, mail, or SSH.

Using the comprehensive information in the security object, you can immediately identify a low, medium or high risk to your system. Once identified as a medium or high risk, you can add this IP address to your list of potentially dangerous addresses and block it in the future. You can also circulate this list to others for building threat intel.

The threat_level and threat_type fields in the JSON response are also easy to access and interpret. You can immediately know if the user is trying to make an HTTP, mail, or SSH attack on your system. You can also easily identify Tor, fake crawlers, web scrapers, and more.

How Do I Start Using ipstack IP geolocation API?

Getting started with ipstack’s APIs is easy! All you have to do is sign up for a free trial. No credit cards are required. If you are happy with the service, you can subscribe to a paid plan and get more out of your subscription.

Conclusion

Governments and organizations spend millions of dollars on cybersecurity and threat intelligence each year. A reliable geolocation IP tracker like ipstack can prove to be a valuable tool for fighting cyberattacks. You can use it to:

• Block malicious or suspicious IP addresses
• Implement location-based access control
• Prevent fraud
• Prevent DDoS attacks

If you’re using ipstack, you can also utilize its security module to get valuable information for detecting potential threats or cyberattacks on your system.

Make your system safe against cybercrime and malicious attacks. Head out and get your free API key for ipstack and make the most of your users’ geolocation data!

FAQs

How do I locate an IP address?

You can use an IP tracker or IP geolocation API like ipstack to determine the location associated with an IP address.

What is the cost of an IP tracker?

The cost varies depending on the IP geolocation tool you’re using. For example, ipstack offers a free plan and various budget-friendly paid subscription plans. 

What is IP tracking in cybersecurity?

IP trackers can help with cybersecurity in various ways. They help block malicious or suspicious IP addresses, implement location-based access control, and prevent fraud and DDoS attacks.