What is an IP Address?

An IP address (Internet Protocol address) is a unique number that is assigned to each computer or electronic device that is connected to the Internet. The express purpose of an IP is to identify each individual machine that is online. It can be compared to a street address or phone number. In essence, an IP address is a unique computer address used to identify specific computers. Particular electronic devices use these to communicate with each other through a network. The typical IP address is configured in this way: 127.72.16.137.

Thanks to IP addresses, your computer can be easily identified in particular situations. For example, most Internet Service Providers (ISPs) have a database stored with each of their client's IP addresses. However, this begs the question: if your IP address can be identified, how is your privacy protected? Do ISPs infringe on your personal rights and invade privacy in this way?

Some people believe that the use of IP addresses to identify certain computers is morally and constitutionally wrong as it invades privacy. However, IP addresses are very necessary because not only do they identify each unique computer, but can also track certain activities being carried out on the Internet. In this sense, it helps prevent or even stop incidences of cyber crimes.

The spread of computer viruses, for example, is a huge problem for the Internet community. Computer viruses can cause irreversible harm to computers and ruin hard drives where sensitive data can be stored. With the use of IP addresses, the origins of these computer viruses can be more easily tracked and the person who wrote the virus script can be appropriately punished.

Another useful way to use IP addresses is in the creation and use of online wikis. Wikis are websites that can be directly changed or edited by anyone. Wikipedia is the most popular wiki, and without the use of IP addresses, it probably wouldn't exist. Given the fact that anyone can delete or edit an article on a Wiki, vandalism would otherwise be a huge problem. However, through the use of IP addresses, an administrator can block a certain IP address from editing the article.

IP addresses are very necessary for the operation and security of today's Internet community. They provide a source of identification among computer users and a way to track the source of problems in online networks. We sacrifice a measure of anonymity for a sense of security through the use of IP addresses.