Detecting malicious IP address lookups is one of the biggest challenges for cyber security teams. Getting ahead of these bad actors is a key part of any business’s digital defense strategy. It is accomplished through a combination of comprehensive blacklists, tools that cross-check external lists and regular firewall updates.

A malicious IP address is a network address that has been confirmed as part of a botnet, is hosting malware or is known to be involved in launching a denial-of-service attack. In addition, it may be used to host websites that illegally host intellectual property violations or criminally obscene or unlawful material.

Identifying Malicious IP Addresses: Lookup Tools and Techniques

Malicious IPs are identified through significant, anomalous activity over a long period of time. This activity can be as simple as a large number of DNS attacks, launching a denial-of-service or even a small amount of malware.

Every machine that is located on a TCP/IP network (whether it is in the LAN-local area network or WAN-the wide area network) has a unique Internet Protocol (IP) address. Each IP address is categorized as either a private IP or a public IP. Private IPs are used by businesses and can be restricted with a corporate firewall.

Public IPs are used by organizations that do not have a secure corporate network and provide public access. They can be used to attack a website or a business and are known for providing open proxies, spam, viruses, malware and other malicious activities. Criminal IP uses a consortium real-time data model that allows for more accurate assessment of an IP reputation versus other services that rely on static lists and have less predictive analytics.