BATH, UK - More than 4,000 web backdoors that had been abandoned but were still active with live malware were hijacked and their communication infrastructure sinkholed – a term used to describe the process of redirecting malicious traffic to a DNS sinkhole – after web security researchers registered numerous expired domains, preventing them from being used by hackers and cybercriminals. A backdoor is a covert method of bypassing normal authentication or encryption in a … [Read more...]
New Top-Level Domains Disallowed from Using “Closed Generics” by ICANN
LOS ANGELES, CA - The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) – the nonprofit organization that oversees the domain industry – announced that, in the next round of domain expansion and going forward, they will no longer be allowing entities registering new Top-Level Domains (TLDs) to utilize what is known as “closed generics.” Closed generics are essentially TLDs that are owned or are exclusive to one company that use generic and/or dictionary terms; … [Read more...]
Federal Government Rolls Out Authoritative “.Gov” Domain Message to Top of Websites
PALM BEACH, FL – Today, I noticed that visiting websites of the Federal Government, now include a statement helping users better identify if they are truly visiting a government operated site. The quick to see message on top of sites seems extremely helpful and will better educate visitors that “.Gov” is indeed official. It also mentions that the domain ending “.Mil” should be equally respected. The message is used in an expandable drop-down which includes the following … [Read more...]
Bad News for ICANN: Pressure Intensifies for Decision Behind .Org Price Cap Removals
PALM BEACH, FL – Sometimes they say “where there is smoke, there is fire,” and the room keeps getting hotter for ICANN, The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, for its poor, super-controversial and extremely suspect decision to allow the Registry Agreement with Public Interest Registry to renew without price-caps in place. The whole situation is turning into a hot potato / can of worm’s scenario where -if- any backroom deals or funny business exists; … [Read more...]
Not So Fast: Fierce Battle Over Use of .Amazon gTLD String Not Settled Yet…
NEW YORK, NY – Big news some thought when U.S. tech giant Amazon was given approval to operate the .amazon URL, even after Brazil, Peru, and other governments objected on the grounds that private use of the .amazon URL would violate public interest and damage the countries in the Amazon region. According to domain industry news site Domain Incite, the Amazon countries are continuing their fight against the decision by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers … [Read more...]