Why do some creepers want to find out your IP address?

Question

A guy keeps mailing me telling me he knows my ip address and what sites I go on? and that soon he will hack my comp which I`m sure can`t happen by just knowing someones IP address.

but then why do some people want to know your ip address? what do they want to do with it? can they really find out what sites you visit?

Thanks

Answer 1

If a PC is not secure, all you need to know is its IP address to hack it.

This is why it is vital to keep up to date with patches and have a firewall turned on.

But do not panic too much - if you have an on all the time internet connection you will probably get hit several times a day by hackers trying to find ways in - they just randomly guess IP addresses. Your firewall keeps them out.

Answer 2

Most people really can't do a whole lot with an IP address...even if they could, there is about a 99% chance that you have a dynamic address, meaning it changes often, and hacking it isn't as easy as some might make it out to be.

Usually, I find it is a bunch of script kiddies and creeps that threaten people with an IP addy. Even the most vile hacker really doesn't care enough to go hacking into someone's PC, they usually have bigger fish in their sites.

If you run a halfway decent firewall, he's not going to be able to do anything. If he actually DID have the talent to get around it, he'd be doing something bigger than harassing you.

Answer 3

Why do guys ask you personal questions in person, when you barely know them?  Same reason.  On the internet every female is unbelievably beautiful and totally s**y.

Knowing your IP address, even assuming that it doesn't change, gives a person almost no way to get into your computer.  (People who really know how to do these things are so busy with overtime at the security firms they work at - usually under contract to the government - that the last thing they want to do when they get home is hack into someone's computer.  (They do that all day, for pay.)