The hidden threats of residential IPs

April 08, 2025 · 2 min read

Residential IP proxies are increasingly used for both legitimate purposes and as a mask for malicious activity. Unlike data center, they route traffic through real home or mobile internet connections, making users appear as ordinary individuals to security systems. These proxies often originate from developers who monetize their user base by embedding SDKs or offering free VPN apps, turning users into unwitting relays for fraudulent traffic.

However, it's critical to understand that an IP address alone should never be treated as a definitive red flag. Sophisticated attackers also rotate residential IPs frequently, rendering static blocklists unreliable. A more effective approach involves multi-factor analysis, as the tirreno platform proposes: combining IP reputation with behavioral patterns and contextual risk signals.

In short, while residential proxies pose a serious threat, relying solely on IP addresses can cause more harm than good. A layered, manual review based defense strategy is essential to protect legitimate users and spot fraudsters.