A digitally connected world is a worthy aspiration, but as these connections grow, so do additional risks and vulnerabilities. One question many businesses have wrestled with over the years when doing business online is, “How can I be 100% confident that my data and intellectual property are secure?”
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll go over the power of internet protocol (IP) intelligence and show how it can unlock insights for defending the integrity of your IP addresses.
We’ll also give several examples of real-world uses for IP intelligence to help you understand and use it more effectively in your business.
Understanding IP intelligence
An IP address is the unique address that identifies an internet-connected device — whether it’s a computer, mobile phone, connected TV, or smart refrigerator. Without these protocols, the internet wouldn’t be able to tell one device from another, and data would be misdirected.
IP intelligence provides many strategic advantages that allow you to understand the geo-location data of your users. In essence, IP intelligence is a collection of data points and context about an IP address that can be used to gain valuable insights about the users on your network.
This allows you to access important data, such as organization name, connection type, VPN provider, and IP geolocation, to name a few.
Decoding this information lets you understand user behavior better and helps you make more informed decisions.
The importance of IP intelligence
A dedicated IP strategy is paramount for a range of reasons, but not without first understanding IP intelligence and the benefits it has to offer, including:
1. Provides enhanced security measures
IP intelligence data enhances the security measures for your business by identifying potential threats and helping you take proactive steps to mitigate them.
We can define threats as any potential malicious activity that could put your assets at risk. Malware, for example, is a prime example of a virus that can serve as a threat to your business.
Great IP intelligence tools let you detect abnormal behavior patterns in your users, which can indicate that a cyber attack is imminent.
2. Offers fraud detection and prevention
Fraudulent activities can significantly threaten your business, reputation, and industry.
Analyzing your website visitors’ IP addresses for further intelligence helps to detect the legitimacy of transactions and activity within your network. By recognizing patterns, you can also identify whether the IP geolocation data is accurate or if some bad actors use VPNs (virtual private networks) or a proxy to mask their true identity.
For prevention, IP intelligence helps you block system access for erratic behavior. You can also leverage this powerful technology with law enforcement agencies to identify the location of an originating IP to help prevent intrusion attempts, as well as add critical information to the investigation of attempted or actual cyber attacks.
3. Enables geolocation targeting
On the surface, IP intelligence may seem especially beneficial for security, but it can also have other valuable uses. Once a proper security protocol is in place, you can shift your focus to the other IP geolocation applications this data offers.
For example, geolocation data will allow you to target end users, businesses, and organizations with more streamlined, timely, and contextually relevant messaging.
Customers will resonate with your marketing efforts and increase engagement and conversion rates, allowing you to optimize for pricing, events, products, services, and delivery related to their GeoIP.
4. Aids in network management
A robust network management procedure is critical to proper workflow and smooth operations of your organization. IP intelligence can give you a comprehensive understanding of your website visitors and people accessing your network.
This helps with security, but can also optimize network resources, streamline your procedures, and identify any bottlenecks.
Better insights give you a powerful data-driven approach to making better IP decisions for your network in real-time rather than reacting to issues as they arise.
5. Ensures compliance and regulatory requirements
Whenever confidential information is concerned, there are also stringent regulatory and legal requirements that go along with it.
Even if the benefits outlined above didn’t speak to you, you would still need robust IP intelligence data to comply with specific rules and regulations, such as those found in digital broadcasting.
One requirement you need to fulfill is to protect data that can identify your users and team. This includes names, phone numbers, addresses, and banking details.
Other essential requirements are related to GeoIP. For example, if you’re a multistate or multinational company, you may need to tailor your offerings differently for different cultural tastes or a unique set of regulatory laws.
A prime illustration would be e-commerce stores. If your store is shipping to multiple countries, there are different taxes, rules, and requirements for the protection of user data. You may also need to change up your marketing efforts to tailor and curate your message and comply with these rules.
IP intelligence examples
Now that we’ve defined IP intelligence and shown what it can do for you, let’s explore some of its more practical applications and use cases.
VPN and proxy identification
Malicious actors commonly use VPNs and proxies to mask, change or confuse networks from identifying the user’s true identity. This can also feed you false data regarding location-based campaigns for your sales and marketing strategy.
IP intelligence detects the presence of proxies and VPNs by analyzing IP address patterns and network behavior.
Carrier data
Carrier data involves information about a user’s ISP (internet service provider), mobile country code, network code, and mobile carrier.
This helps to improve your marketing strategy, mainly in the delivery of your message through identified channels. It may also feel relatable to the user, as they receive a tailored notification exclusive to their carrier.
Autonomous system number (ASN)
ASNs are unique identifiers assigned to networks that operate independently and have their routing procedures and policies.
Using IP intelligence is like having a microscope into the unique ASN of an IP address, which provides an understanding of structure and ownership.
This means having more clarity on time zones, language, company name, domain name, NAICS codes, and demographics.
You can further use this to optimize routing paths, discern between network interconnections and get a detailed view of infrastructure.
IP address reputation
IP address reputation is essential for two primary outcomes: deciding who you will do business with and analyzing a pattern of malicious activity, which can give you a breadth of knowledge on what your team needs to do to increase security and prevent vulnerabilities.
IP address reputation refers to historical data about an IP address and if it has undergone any attacks. These include cyber attacks, spamming incidents, and breaches. The provided data gives you insight not only into victims of attacks but also if the IP address was involved in the attack itself.
You can also use this data to further your understanding of the protocols you need to put in place, but it also allows you to choose better partners, vendors, customers, and suppliers.
IP geolocation
IP geolocation is a vital and critical part of your IP intelligence plan.
IP intelligence lets you identify WHOIS information and IP address range, which can help you pinpoint the location of the end user. It also allows you to tap into connected geolocation databases to enable collaboration between brands and sharing access.
As mentioned, this has terrific applications in targeted marketing, regulatory compliance, legal protection, and tailored messages.
IP network topology
IP intelligence can also help your business operations run more smoothly through network topology.
Network topology examines the structure and interconnectivity of different IP addresses. It helps Identify upstream providers, peering relationships, and transit networks. It also can serve to enhance data transfer speed, minimize latency, and ensure better data routing throughout your organization and network.
All of this helps you optimize your network performance so you can secure a unique competitive advantage in the marketplace.
IP security events
IP security event detection helps your team transition from being more reactive to a mainly proactive approach to security procedures.
IP intelligence lets you monitor suspicious activities, including data breaches, malware infections, unauthorized access attempts (or successful ones), or transfers.
Through IP intelligence, you can continuously check and maintain the health of your network, as it will alert you to threats in real-time. This enables you to intercept potential problems before they become more severe, costly, or damaging to your brand reputation.
Looking for IP intelligence software? Try Digital Element today
IP intelligence is more than just a tool to help prevent breaches in your organization. IP intelligence can also provide you with geolocation targeting, help you prevent and detect fraud, support your network management, keep you in compliance with regulations, and much more.
Digital Element provides actionable IP intelligence for your business with industry-leading integrity-first and customer-centric solutions. We deliver real-time access to accurate and reliable location intelligence — without invading a user’s privacy.
Learn more about our geolocation solutions and get in touch with our team today to get started!