subject: Getting Contact Information To Stop Internet Abuse [print this page] Many people have been victimized by slandering websites, cyber bullies, hackers and other individuals who make life miserable for people on the Internet. If you've been attacked by one of these individuals, you do have options for tracking them down and for making sure that there is action taken against them. One of the most powerful tools you can use for this is an IP trace, which can give you IP address location information pinpointing where the offender is actually located.
The IP Trace
The IP trace feature on the software that allows you to do this takes the numerical address assigned to a user and traces it back to where it's actually located. This usually tracks back to their ISP and will let you know who you should contact to make sure that something is done about the person attacking your system or otherwise victimizing you over the Internet.
The IP address can also be used to get information about the networks involved along the way to the originating attack site. If the network hops that lead back to the original website happen to reveal something that bears investigating, you can pass this along to the people at the ISP.
The IP location can sometimes be traced right back to the machine that the person was using. If this is the case, you get a real address to work with and can take whatever legal action you may want to take as a result of the bullying or other harassment. If you're worried about your personal safety, it's sometimes reassuring to find out where threats are really coming from. You may find that they emanate from across the world and that there's nothing to worry about or, at least, you'll be able to tell what ISP is providing the threatening person with service and have that person cut off.
A good software product for tracing IP addresses should not be overly complicated. It should be usable by anyone who has a need to know where traffic that they find disturbing or threatening is coming from. If someone is attacking your website, you can also make sure that you have the best possible chances of finding out who they are by using this software to track their location and their ISP information. Some of these tools have features that integrate directly with your browser, making using them a very easy process.
