Common Reasons For Getting Your IP Address Blacklisted

When your IP address is banned or blacklisted, you are blocked from accessing websites. There can be a number of reason your IP address has been banned and one of which is because of some suspicious activity. If the activity indicates a security breach, the IP address will be blacklisted as a way of protecting your account. However, there are also cases when legitimate activity is also blocked. Here are some common reasons you can get your IP address blacklisted:

Too many failed login attempts

One activity that can get your IP address blacklisted is when you have too many failed login attempts. These days, online intruders use a wide variety of techniques to hack into your account. One technique is by using a program that allows hackers to guess the password. If they get it right, these hackers will work their way into your account. Sophisticated systems have the ability to monitor network activity and when an activity looks suspicious, these patterns of activity will be flagged for review.

In some cases, IP addresses found to have suspicious activities are immediately blacklisted. Web host providers will monitor if there is an unusually high number of failed login attempts to your email accounts, site builders, control panel, FTP, etc. A hacker might be trying to access your account. Unfortunately, malicious activity, which involves a forgotten password is difficult to decipher.

IP addresses are only blacklisted temporarily. If you have entered incorrect login information causing your IP address to get blacklisted, try again in a few hours. You can also reset your password and make sure it is hard to guess.

Malware attacks

Aside from failed login attempts, your IP address can also be blacklisted because of malware attacks. It is recommended that you avoid logging into your account from a public internet connection as this only increases the likelihood of data breaches and intrusion.

Other reasons your IP address is included in the blacklist database are mail server configuration issues, unsolicited email and operator policies.

What to do if your IP address was blacklisted?

Get into the habit of performing routine virus scan on all of your devices. Aside from performing a virus scan, it is also necessary to secure your router's access point. You can do this by updating your network password. It is also important to regularly check your software for any update. If you suspect some security problems with your device, contact your manufacturer to resolve the issue.