An anonymous IP database is a set of tools and data that helps protect businesses from online fraudsters and cyber criminals. It identifies connections made from devices that hide their true identity with tools such as proxies, Tor exit nodes, and VPNs, to ensure that users are not engaging in activities which will damage reputation or lead to financial loss.
The most popular use case for an anonymous IP database is to identify users who are using proxies, Tor exit nodes, or VPNs. These connections are commonly used for a variety of purposes, including hiding one’s location on the internet and bypassing geographic content restrictions, but can also be used to engage in malicious activities such as fraudulent clicks and ad fraud.
Without a properly configured anonymous IP database, anyone with the right tools can use the information gleaned from your device’s unique IP address to build a detailed profile of what you are doing online, which they can then use to commit various types of cyber crimes. This can range from eavesdropping on your conversations to planting data-stealing malware on your device to gain unauthorized access to your private data or finances.
Anonymous IP databases help prevent these occurrences by identifying connections made from devices associated with proxy servers, Tor exit nodes, and virtual private networks (VPNs). This information is then fed into Adjust to flag these devices and their user as untrusted so that they can be removed from your app’s tracking metrics and reattributed. This prevents fraudsters from exploiting masked device data and channelling fake clicks to generate revenue, saving brands millions in lost advertising revenues.
Detecting anonymous connections is also essential for reducing the risk of fraud in subscription-based services. This includes limiting the number of free trial quotas or promotional offers that can be used by fake accounts, as well as reducing the risk of financial fraud committed by users attempting to bypass geographical restrictions on premium content. Our comprehensive list of proxies, including those of the most widely-used anonymizing services, makes it easy to detect these cases.
Anonymizer Data
MaxMind’s GeoIP2 anonymous IP data helps you screen network traffic or user activity for connections that are likely associated with VPN, proxy, or hosting providers, and includes a series of flags to indicate these relationships. For example, the geolocation data can be enriched with additional details to identify connections that may be associated with a VPN or proxy server, as well as flagging connections that are known to come from data centers and other high-value locations. This information can be used to limit access for users in specific regions, as well as confirm that user interactions are not being manipulated by device farms or emulators. To learn more about our GeoIP2 data and how it can improve your business, contact us to request a demo.