5 fraudulent domain names detected every second

Fraudulent domain names are a nuisance every IT personal faces. However, do you have any idea about the total number of all fraudulent domain names? A report by Akamai claims the number to be at 79 million!

The report states that Akamai processed 13 million fraudulent domain names every month in the first half of 2022. This turns out to be close to 5 fraudulent domain names per second!

Akamai was able to detect a number of fraudulent domain names that escaped the traps of other cyber security platforms. The reason behind this is Akamai’s unique technique of looking for domain generation algorithms (DGA) patterns in a bunch of domain names.

When a fraudster attempts to target a particular brand. They create a network of domain names and attack the concerned brand. However, in order to avoid predictability and detection they don’t choose the domain name themselves, but use different algorithms to do so.

Akamai has a collection of several algorithms used in these activities. When fraudulent domain names are detected, they are checked against these algorithms and then a decision is made about their genuineness. The company has a very high success rate of 99.99958% on over 79 million domain names.

However, the huge number of fraudulent domain names is shocking as well as fear inducing. Some time ago we had reported that the internet has 351.5 million domain names. The current report states 79 million fraud domain names. This means that more than 20%, or 1 in every 5 domain names, is fraudulent.

Discussion

John

December 9, 2022

I mean i remember reading that Namecheap accounts for 5 percentage of these fraudulent domain names! It’s scary that the famous domain registrars also fall into this trap and ultimately hurt their reputation. I believe there is a need for more stringent rules and regulations to access every domain name and there is also a need to raise awareness regarding such fraudulent activities because, to be honest, domains are expensive. Every penny counts when it comes to business decisions.

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Larry Colt

January 4, 2023

It’s important for individuals and businesses to be aware of the potential for fraudulent domain names and to take steps to protect themselves. This may include using cybersecurity software to block access to known fraudulent domains, as well as being cautious when clicking on links or entering personal information online. It’s also a good idea to keep software and security measures up to date to ensure that any new fraudulent domains are detected and blocked. In addition, it’s a good practice to only visit websites that use secure connections (https) and to verify the authenticity of any website before entering sensitive information. By taking these precautions, individuals and businesses can help to protect themselves from the dangers of fraudulent domain names.

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Mark Beck

January 5, 2023

It is analyzed that these cases have increased after Covid. Cybercriminals view this as not so much of a crisis, but an opportunity. The massive surge in online activity coupled with the widespread adoption of work from home (WFH) arrangements has allowed these criminals to plant “hooks” in the form of deceptive, suspicious domain registrations, resulting in the launching of phishing and fraud attack campaigns.

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David Blake

January 10, 2023

Fraudulent domains look very similar to your organization’s domain name and are used to fool people into thinking they are interacting with you. These domains are often used in phishing attacks, which according to CSO Online, account for more than 80% of all reported security incidents.
If you suspect you’re the target of a phishing attempt, do not click links, open attached files, or share any personal information. Report domain names registered with Google Domains involved in phishing to [email protected].

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