Does the website IP address identify the operator?¶
No. A website IP address identifies infrastructure used to receive or deliver traffic at a particular time. It does not by itself identify the person operating the website.
The address may belong to:
- a hosting provider;
- a cloud company;
- a content-delivery network;
- a reverse proxy; or
- a shared platform.
The visible address may not identify the origin server at all.
Why timing matters¶
Websites can move between addresses, cloud resources can change and addresses may be reassigned. A current lookup does not prove historic hosting.
Record the exact time and source of each result.
How to use the address properly¶
An IP address may help identify:
- the provider or network;
- a technical relationship;
- the service chain; or
- historic infrastructure associated with the domain.
Provider records may then identify a customer account or downstream service.
Use careful wording: “This address was associated with infrastructure serving the website at this time” is different from saying it identifies the operator.
Key takeaway
Use the IP address to identify infrastructure and possible evidence holders. Prove control through account, payment, access and other corroborating records.