WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Neopets, a virtual pet and gaming community, has reported a data breach exposing personal information like usernames, passwords, IP addresses, and more of 69 million user accounts. By combining this information, cybercriminals could target users with spam or phishing attempts to access additional personal information which could lead to identity theft. Neopets representatives have published a statement on Twitter addressing the breach. If … [Read more...]
Hundreds of Domains Being Reported in Scam for Free Federal COVID-19 Test Kits
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The federal government launched a new website in January to help distribute free at-home COVID-19 test kits to U.S. citizens; no sooner did this website go live, so did numerous copycat websites, none of which were legitimate, but many sporting very similar URLs in an attempt to run a scam on unsuspecting visitors. In mid-January, the Biden Administration announced a free COVID-19 test kit program, with the kits being distributed via the U.S. Postal … [Read more...]
Lawyer Says, “Shadow Group” Setup Website Proposing Assassinations
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A website that was online only a few days published the identities, including email and home addresses of various Republican and Democratic leaders as well as related employees of people the site claimed are responsible for “aiding and abetting the fraudulent election” against President Trump. The site, which has now disappeared, listed the personal details, including maps to the homes as well as headshots of the individuals inside crosshairs with an … [Read more...]
Are You Losing Backlink Credit or Traffic from Your Forwarded Domain Names?
WEST PALM BEACH, FL – There are many reasons why you might want to forward a domain name; you might have moved your website, you own multiple domain names, or you purchase domain names which have existing traffic or backlinks. If you do not forward your domain name correctly, you could be losing backlink credit and/or traffic. Here are some scenarios to forward your domain name properly. The Simple Easy Way (Free and Doesn't Require Hosting) If you have your domains … [Read more...]
Domainer? Here’s One “Hyphenated” Domain Success Story You Will Enjoy
PALM BEACH, FL – Way – way back in 2008, I suggested one of my clients purchase the domain name, NNN-Properties.com. I usually steer clear of hyphenated domain names because they clearly do not pass the radio test. Who wants to tell someone to visit their website address with a dash in it? Probably no one, and especially not me. But in this circumstance, I figured the domain name would likely rank well for the term “NNN Properties” which are commercial investment … [Read more...]
GEO Domain Name Vermont.com Seeks Exit with Sale of Website on Flippa Marketplace
PALM BEACH, FL – Those who know me know I keep a keen eye on the geographic name space and I noticed today that the exact match domain name for the U.S. State of Vermont is for sale on Flippa.com. The sale represents a great opportunity for a business in the State of Vermont to catapult themselves to a position of strength with relative ease by owning this exact match domain name, Vermont.com, but does the opportunity warrant its asking price with a reserve of: … [Read more...]
It’s Only A Matter of Time Until You Need to Be Licensed to Operate A Web Server
PALM BEACH, FL – I have been thinking about this off and on for a few years now, but I have never really posted or written about it. That is because it is an awful prediction that I hate the idea of, but I think it is going to eventually happen. Here it goes…. I predict that to operate a web server sometime in the near future, you will be required to have a license, or have passed a basic course in IT security or Cybersecurity intrusion mitigation. Not at the single site … [Read more...]
Feds Take Down First Coronavirus Scam Site
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The world’s first web site taken down of a fraudulent Coronavirus scam has taken place – and in record time. On Sunday, the US Department of Justice announced it had shut down a website in connection with COVID-19, the disease caused by 2019 Novel Coronavirus. The site, CoronavirusMedicalKit.com, promised visitors a free vaccine from the World Health Organization (WHO) and shoppers needed only to pay shipping costs of $4.95 to receive their cure, … [Read more...]
DOJ Seizes Domain Used to Sell Access to Hacked Personal Info and Account Logins
WASHINGTON – Today, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Justice announced that they have seized the internet domain name weleakinfo.com. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Liu of the District of Columbia and Special Agent in Charge Timothy M. Dunham of the FBI’s Washington Field Office. The website claimed to provide its users a search engine to review and obtain the personal information illegally obtained in over 10,000 … [Read more...]
Biden Staff Sends Email Blast for Feedback on Debate… [Before Debate Takes Place]
PALM BEACH, FL - Former Vice President Joe Biden and his staff are no newbies when it comes to technical blunders, mispronounced domain names, and faulty web strategies - yesterday came more of the same. According to Politico, Biden sent out a fundraising email asking for feedback on his debate performance more than six hours before the debate even began. The email blast, which went out at approximately 3:00 PM was titled: “Did I make you proud?” Unfortunately, for … [Read more...]
12 Years Ago CNET Networks, Acquired 10 Million Articles for Just $20 Million in Cash
PALM BEACH, FL – The day was Wednesday, November 7, 2007, when LookSmart, Ltd, had announced via Yahoo Finance and Business Wire, that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the web site, domain and content associated with “FindArticles.com” to CNET Networks, Inc. in an all cash transaction valued at approximately $20.5 million. What a difference twelve years in technology can make. What was once seen as incredible opportunity by owning such vast amounts … [Read more...]
Wild West Domains Must Still Be on List of Registrars Which Facilitate Email Spam
PALM BEACH, FL – Way, way, way back in 2009, Brian Krebs from Krebs on Security, a popular security website came up with a list of the top ten domain registrars (highlighted in a Washington Post article) which facilitate the majority of spam via email, and Wild West Domains, owned by GoDaddy held a spot on that list. Out of roughly 900 accredited domain name registrars at the time, spammers registered Web sites advertised in junk e-mail mostly through the following top … [Read more...]
Follow the Money: IRS Takes Down Largest Child Exploit Domain by Tracing Bitcoin
PALM BEACH, FL – The largest child exploitation website on the Internet “Welcome to Video” which, according to GitHub was using a dark-web address of “mt3plrzdiyqf6jim.onion” was seized and/or shut down last week resulting in over 300 arrests. According to the Department of Justice, the service was the largest child sexual exploitation market by volume of content. Particularly interesting was the way the sites owners were traced as I have been contemplating my first … [Read more...]
Businesses With 15+ Employees on Hook for ADA Compliance, Growing Lawsuit Trend
PALM BEACH, FL – If your business employs more than 15 people, it might be a good time to ensure your website complies with the rules required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These standards state that all electronic and information technology must be accessible to people with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. Over the past few years, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against websites for … [Read more...]
‘Pointless’ Concern Could Become Domain Investor ‘Reality’ in AU Top Level Domain
WEST PALM BEACH – Back in 2017, I wrote about the likelihood of growing regulation aimed at domain names; the article was titled, “Could Domain Investing Industry End with Legal Provision for Domain Hoarding”. That writing stirred some discussion, with one domainer going as far as considering such a possibility as ‘pointless’ or as he put it, “like planning for when an asteroid hits your house”. Well, such pointless concern is exactly what is being considered by AuDA (the … [Read more...]