As a small businesses owner, using the Internet is probably a big part of your business. One thing you don't want to worry about is hackers getting a hold of your business or personal information and using it without your knowledge. If someone gets your IP address, they can see all the websites you visited and access your personal data.
Your IP address is your internet protocol, or your identity while online. Every computer or device that works online has an IP address that differentiates it from other computers. So if a hacker were to use your IP address to do illegal things online, it would look like you were doing those things. To help prevent this, you should take some of the necessary steps to protect your IP address.
- Try an IP Hiding Service
A company like Proxy Buddy hides your IP address while you surf the internet. This way, if someone is watching you online, they cannot get your real IP address. It is a free service found at http://www.proxybuddy.com/. However, it may slow your browsing speed a little.
- Switch Proxies Yourself
This is a bit more technical, but works in a similar way as an IP hiding service. You can use a public proxy, or public computer server, to change the IP address and the port, which hides your real IP address. You can find public proxy servers at http://www.publicproxyservers.com/page1.html.
- Firefox Switch Proxy
This extension is available to help you switch between multiple proxy's quickly, again, hiding your real IP address. It saves to your Firefox toolbar for easy access. Visit https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/125 for this free service.