Instructor: In this lesson, 2 2
we're going to cover a tool known as AbuseIPDB, 3 3
or the Abuse IP database. 4 4
Now, the AbuseIPDB is a community driven database 5 5
that keeps track of IP addresses that have been reported 6 6
for abusive behavior. 7 7
This database is built and maintained by a global community 8 8
of users who actively report IP addresses 9 9
that they suspect to be involved in cyber attacks 10 10
such as hacking, phishing, and spamming. 11 11
This information is then made available to the public, 12 12
allowing others to check if an IP address has been reported 13 13
and take the appropriate actions. 14 14
Now, one of the key benefits 15 15
of the Abuse IP Database is that it enables the organization 16 16
to take a proactive approach to its cybersecurity 17 17
by monitoring for IP addresses that have been flagged 18 18
as malicious, 19 19
organizations can block traffic 20 20
from those IP addresses, 21 21
preventing cyber attacks 22 22
before they can even cause any damage. 23 23
This is especially important in today's world 24 24
where cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated 25 25
and difficult to detect. 26 26
By using a tool like AbuseIPDB, 27 27
an organization can stay one step ahead 28 28
of the attackers and reduce the risk of a successful attack. 29 29
The abuse IP database is not limited 30 30
to just organizational use, though, 31 31
because individuals can also benefit by using this database. 32 32
For example, if you receive an email from an unknown sender, 33 33
you can check the IP address 34 34
that it came from against the Abuse IP Database. 35 35
This can then help you to determine 36 36
if the email is legitimate or if it's likely 37 37
to be a phishing attempt. 38 38
By doing this, 39 39
you can protect yourself from falling victim 40 40
to a phishing attack, 41 41
which is a really common method used 42 42
by cyber criminals to gain access to sensitive information. 43 43
Another benefit of using the Abuse IP Database 44 44
is that the database is constantly being updated 45 45
with new information from a global community of users. 46 46
This allows the database to stay current 47 47
and provides a valuable resource 48 48
for cybersecurity professionals. 49 49
This is especially useful for organizations 50 50
that need to quickly identify and respond to new threats. 51 51
With the ability to track the latest IP addresses associated 52 52
with malicious activity, 53 53
organizations can now quickly 54 54
and effectively block those IP addresses and reduce the risk 55 55
of a successful attack. 56 56
For example, if an organization suspects 57 57
that they're under a DDOS, 58 58
or distributed denial of service attack, 59 59
that organization could use the Abuse IP Database 60 60
to identify the IP addresses that are being used to launch 61 61
that DDOS attack. 62 62
The organization can then use this information 63 63
to block traffic from all of those different IP addresses 64 64
and this will effectively stop the attack 65 65
and protect their servers from any kind of further damage. 66 66
The organization can also use the Abuse IP Database 67 67
to monitor their logs for any suspicious activity, 68 68
such as a large number of failed login attempts 69 69
or unusual traffic from specific IP addresses 70 70
which could be indications 71 71
that the organization is currently under attack. 72 72
By using the Abuse IP database to check the IP addresses 73 73
associated with that activity, 74 74
the organization can quickly determine 75 75
if that traffic was malicious 76 76
and then take appropriate actions to block it. 77 77
It is worth noting that the information 78 78
in the Abuse IP Database is not considered 79 79
to be a hundred percent reliable though, 80 80
because it is based on reports submitted 81 81
by the community members. 82 82
And this can actually give us a lot of false positives 83 83
or malicious reports. 84 84
This is why it's important 85 85
that you use the Abuse IP Database 86 86
as one of the the security measures 87 87
and then you combine it with other security measures 88 88
as you're making decisions on your cybersecurity posture. 89 89
So remember, when it comes to the Abuse IP Database, 90 90
it is an essential tool for organizations to be looking at 91 91
when they're trying to protect their networks 92 92
from cyber attacks by monitoring 93 93
for IP addresses that have been reported 94 94
for abusive behavior. 95 95
And this way organizations can be more proactive 96 96
in their approach to cybersecurity 97 97
and reduce their overall risk of a successful attack. 98 98
Remember, this database is constantly being updated 99 99
with new information, 100 100
and therefore it's a really valuable resource 101 101
for you as a cybersecurity analyst.