Ask Leo! #380 - What others can tell from your IP address, view source, Facebook games and more... - Confident Computing

The Ask Leo! Newsletter

*** Featured

What can people tell from my IP address?

What exactly can someone tell from your IP address and what can they do with it? Can they find personal details or my precise geographical location?

It's typically very easy to find out your IP address or the IP address of someone with whom you are communicating somehow on the internet.

Unfortunately, many people believe that with an IP address, it's possible to find out all sorts of information about the person at that connected computer.

That's simply not the case.

Exactly how much it does expose about you specifically depends on your ISP and how their (and your) network is configured.

The very short answer? Not much.

Continue reading: What can people tell from my IP address?
http://ask-leo.com/C2293

* * *

*** Answercast

Answercast #43 - Password lists, Facebook impersonation or hacking, update problems, outlook.com and more...

Ever wonder if you can protect photos and conversations in a Yahoo chat, or if Facebook games open you up to hackers? Still annoyed by advertising emails and friend invites? Want to look at a suspicious email's source or see what is downloading to your computer? All that and more in this Answercast from Ask Leo!

Continue reading: Answercast #43 – Password lists, Facebook impersonation or hacking, update problems, outlook.com and more...
http://ask-leo.com/C5682

Can I keep my password list on my iPad?
You can save your passwords insecurely... if you want. But it would be better to rely on software designed for the job.
Continue reading: Can I keep my password list on my iPad?
http://ask-leo.com/C5683

Could someone set up a Facebook in my name?
Facebook accounts use an email address as the identifier and they often collect email addresses from friends. That can lead to fake accounts and unwanted invitations.
Continue reading: Could someone set up a Facebook in my name?
http://ask-leo.com/C5684

Why can't I get my Hotmail email address at Outlook.com?
The change from Hotmail.com to Outlook.com is not automatic. You are not guaranteed to get your old handle in the new system.
Continue reading: Why can't I get my hotmail email address at outlook.com?
http://ask-leo.com/C5685

Why is my computer uploading and downloading when it's doing nothing?
Most often, uninitiated connections to the internet are the result of your computer updating itself. Occasionally, it is malware and there is a good tool to help you sort it out.
Continue reading: Why is my computer uploading and downloading when it's doing nothing?
http://ask-leo.com/C5686

Can I prevent someone from saving photos shared over Yahoo IM?
It is very easy to capture and save images from the internet, whether they are from websites or social networks. Anything you put out there can easily be grabbed.
Continue reading: Can I prevent someone from saving photos shared over Yahoo IM?
http://ask-leo.com/C5687

When I delete my Yahoo IM transcripts, are they really deleted?
IIn practicality, information is deleted when it is deleted, although there are several scenarios where it could be recovered if someone were motivated enough!
Continue reading: When I delete my Yahoo IM transcripts, are they really deleted?
http://ask-leo.com/C5688

Is View Source a safe way to view suspicious emails?
View Source is a relatively safe way to view suspicious emails, even though it is good to remain wary.
Continue reading: Is View Source a safe way to view suspicious emails?
http://ask-leo.com/C5689

How can I stop having to deal with annoying advertising emails every day?
Other than stopping spam on your end, there's little you can do to prevent it. The best bet is to learn to use the spam filters in your email program.
Continue reading: How can I stop having to deal with annoying advertising emails every day?
http://ask-leo.com/C5690

Can your email be hacked through the games on Facebook?
The javascript used in Facebook games has a potential to be a risk, but there is a much more likely scenario to be on the watch for!
Continue reading: Can your email be hacked through the games on Facebook?
http://ask-leo.com/C5691

I can't access the Windows Update site, what do I do?
A computer that won't update is a serious problem. We'll start by investigating potential malware.
Continue reading: I can't access the Windows Update site, what do I do?
http://ask-leo.com/C5692

*** Our Sponsor

Keeping Your PC Fast & Secure

PC Matic is safe and simple to use software that automates the
regular maintenance necessary to keep your PC running like new.

Developed by PC Pitstop - relied on by millions of
computer users for award winning troubleshooting tools.

Start with a Free Diagnostic Scan Today!
https://cart.pcpitstop.com/go.asp?id=500140

Advertisement. Ask Leo about advertising here.

*** Last Issue's Articles

*** Word o' the Week

IP- address

An IP address, short for Internet Protocol Address, is a number used to identify a device connected to a TCP/IP network.

In IP version 4 (IPv4) an address is a 32 bit number typically displayed as 4 decimal numbers ranging from 0 to 255 separated by periods. 50.28.4.94 is an example of a valid IP address. (IP version 6 uses 128 bits, and is typically displayed using hexadecimal notation separated by colons, with some portions being optional.)

Every device connected to a TCP/IP network is required to have a unique IP address. It's important to realize that an IP address is assigned to a device, and that device then in turn may be capable of hosting many different and potentially unrelated services including web sites.

The internet itself is, of course, the largest TCP/IP network, and every device connected directly to is does, indeed, have a unique IP address. Confusion sometimes results from the fact that many devices are actually not connected directly to the internet, but rather through some other device such as a router.

A router, as a device connected to the internet, is assigned an IP address on the internet, but it also establishes a completely separate network or LAN on which attached devices are assigned IP addresses that are unique to only that local network. The router then handles Network Address Translation or NAT to give the local devices the ability to contact services on the internet where they appear as connections from the router's internet IP address.

Word o' the Week features a computer term or acronym taken from the Ask Leo! Glossary. If there's a word you're not sure of and would like to see defined, click here to let me know.

*** Thoughts and Comments

Is Your Data Secure?

I normally don't push recent posts here - I figure you've seen it mentioned in a previous newsletter and you either considered it interesting and already read it, or it looked boring and you moved on. That's kinda why the newsletter is laid out the way it is - you choose what interests you.

Regardless, I'd like to encourage you to read What can we learn from Mat Honan? if you haven't already.

It was in the previous newsletter, but I think it's important.

As a result of Mr. Honan's hack there's been a bunch of wailing and gnashing of teeth as to how scary the cloud is and how horrible it is that two major companies could be so lax in their security policies.

The problem is: none of this is new.

And no one is really talking about what steps you should consider taking as a result.

The cloud (I loath that moniker - all it means is "online services") doesn't have to be scary if you protect yourself. In fact it's one of the most powerful and liberating things to have come along in years.

That's why I'm trying to focus on lessons learned, not fingers pointed.

What can we learn from Mat Honan? certainly doesn't cover every possible base, but I do believe it points out a couple of things that we don't normally consider that could improve your overall security as you use ~~the cloud~~ services online.

'till next time...

Leo
Leo A. Notenboom
Facebook - YouTube
Twitter - Google+

*** Administration

Help Ask Leo! Just forward this message, in its entirety (but without your unsubscribe link below) to your friends. Or, just point them at http://newsletter.ask-leo.com for their own FREE subscription!

Need more help with or have questions about the newsletter? Check out the newsletter administration page.