An IP address threat list is a set of IP addresses that have been associated with malware, spam, or other unwanted activity. The lists are often used by firewalls and other security devices to help protect users from potential threats.

The threat feed lists are typically updated regularly from third-party security vendors or open source aggregators. The list is a text file that contains one IPv4 or IPv6 address, address range, or subnet per line. Fortinet imports the threat feeds and applies them to firewall rules, access control policies, and DNS filter profiles. When enabled, any DNS query that matches the threat feed list is dropped.

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A risk score is determined for each IP address that accesses your network. The higher the score, the more likely that it is a malicious IP address. The threat score also includes information about where attackers are located, which can be useful for directing your security resources to prevent attacks against your organization from specific locations.

How an IP address is classified as suspicious depends on the activity it was associated with in the past. For example, IP addresses that are known to distribute malware, host phishing websites, or otherwise engage in malicious behavior are typically flagged by email providers, ISPs, and other security entities. In some cases, a suspicious classification can stem from misconfigured servers or devices that have been compromised by hackers and are being used as “zombies” in botnets.

An IP address can also be flagged if it has been accessed too many times in a short period of time, exceeding the service’s rate limits. Similarly, IP addresses that are known to be proxies or cryptocurrency miners may be blocked to improve the security of web applications.