Web Hosting Geeks' Blog » domain hijacking http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog Web Hosting Industry News, Latest Trends, and Analyses. Thu, 24 May 2012 11:11:11 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 How to Prevent Domain Hijackinghttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/how-to-prevent-domain-hijacking/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/how-to-prevent-domain-hijacking/#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 20:12:12 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1658 Although a website owner may feel secure upon registering a domain name, many don’t realize that domains are subject to hijacking.  Domain hijacking, or domain theft, is a prevalent nuisance that is on the increase.  Hackers need not to even access the target web server to create havoc.

The process of hijacking a website really doesn’t require a lot of knowledge or even effort.  There are various methods hackers use to hijack domains such as launching Trojan viruses, illegitimately acquiring login information or utilizing software to hack into a web hosting account to reconfigure ownership information.  Once hackers gain access to the targeted web server’s control panel, the chaos and headaches begins for website owners.

While most domain hijacking attacks are illicit, large companies take advantage of their branding leverage citing copyright infringements.   By doing so allows more established companies to legally “hijack” specific domains.  Unfortunately, small companies simply don’t have the necessary resources to defend their domains when toppled by a larger company with the same resources readily available to combat legal battles.

Locking the Hijacking Tool Shed

The truth is hijacking of a domain doesn’t take an arsenal of tools to access an authorized account.  The two basic items needed to hijack a domain is the target domain’s registrar name and the administrative e-mail address for the target domain.  Upon accessing these two essential items, hackers can easily hijack a domain without the knowledge of the authorized owner.  Website owners often don’t realize that this information is available online for the public to view by visiting www.whois.com.  A simple search can reveal the imperative information needed to hijack a domain, however, it’s possible to thwart hacking attempt by opting for a private domain registration.

A private domain registration allows website owners to hide vital information such as personal details including name and administrative e-mail address.  So, when a potential hacker looks up the domain on WHOIS, the information is hidden from public view.  It’s strongly recommended that website owners take the proactive security measures and choose to hide such details to thwart hijacking attempts.

Additionally, website owners should always inquire about the respective registrar’s security policy.  Also, ask about domain locking options as most registrars provide the feature to prevent unauthorized security breaches.

An Ounce of Prevention

Perhaps the best way to protect a domain name from being hijacked, aside from the above suggestions, is to opt for a reliable and trust-worthy provider.  Remember that usually you get what you pay for, so if a proven legit provider costs a few dollars more, it’s worth the extra cost to protect your domain name from hijacking attempts.  The initial proactive security costs are a well-worth investment, especially when compared to trying to undo the chaos created by a successful hacking mission.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/how-to-prevent-domain-hijacking/feed/ 1 What is Reverse Domain Name Hijacking?http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/what-is-reverse-domain-name-hijacking/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/what-is-reverse-domain-name-hijacking/#comments Fri, 12 Nov 2010 01:39:21 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=1219 Reverse domain name hijacking has become a significant security threat that is largely overlooked by the web hosting community. This form of domain theft involves copyright owners asserting expansive trademark rights in order to take ownership of a domain from its rightful owner. In most cases, this form of domain theft is actually practiced by larger companies that want to claim a domain name from a smaller company. The following information describes the process of ‘reverse domain name hijacking’, as well as some of the preventative and proactive measures you can take to protect your domain names from this occurrence.

How ‘Reverse Domain Name Hijacking’ Works

In the case of ‘reverse domain name hijacking’ the offending party will typically file a report in conjunction with the UDRP  (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy), which claims that the current domain owner registered the domain in violation of trademark rights. The goal in filing this report is to have the current domain ownership rights revoked and handed over to the offender.  Unfortunately, even though in many cases the larger companies are overstepping their trademark rights, most small companies do not have the funds or knowledge needed to defend themselves through any type of opposition.

Why Do People ‘Reverse Hijack’ Domain Names?

Although many large companies have the financial resources to legitimately acquire virtually any domain name, it is often more desirable and affordable for them to simply seize a domain from a smaller company by abusing their pre-established trademark rights. The fact is, it is easier and cheaper to contract the assistance of a lawyer and have ‘professional’ documents sent to the deciding panel that will ultimately award the domain to the larger company.

Not only is it a more viable solution for larger companies, it is also a very safe way to steal a domain name. The worst that can happen to the offending party is that they would lose the dispute. As long as a small window for success remains, and there are no legal repercussions associated with ‘reverse domain name hijacking’, you can be assured that companies will continue to file fraudulent and unjust UDRP claims against rightful domain owners.

How to Reclaim the Domain Name After it Has Been ‘Reverse Hijacked’

If you have the financial and legal resources, it is possible to file an action in court against the offending party, which states that your registration of the domain was lawful and in accordance with the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA). The ACPA is basically a law that serves to protect domain registrants from the outreaching and unjust claims of trademark owners, which could potentially lead to illegal monopolization in certain markets.

Sadly, even if the court case is ruled in your favor, you will not receive monetary compensation, as the ACPA is only intended to provide injunctive relief (which simply means you’ll be given back ownership of the domain). Larger companies know that most people will not take them to court, and if they do, the only thing that can happen is that the domain is given back to the original registrant, which is not enough to deter most companies from going after a desirable domain name. Until there are stricter penalties for ‘reverse domain name hijacking’, it is very likely that this trend will continue to grow.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/what-is-reverse-domain-name-hijacking/feed/ 0 Reverse Domain Name Hijacking on the Risehttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/reverse-domain-name-hijacking-on-the-rise/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/reverse-domain-name-hijacking-on-the-rise/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:58:55 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=471 Reverse domain name hijacking has proven to be one of the biggest problems in the domain name industry today.  Most importantly, it is an issue that can have a direct impact on your internet identity and web presence.

What is Reverse Domain Hijacking?

Typically associated with cyber squatting, reverse domain hijacking describes a practice where a company that owns a trademark exercises its trademark rights in attempts to secure a domain name from the legitimate holder.  This is something that has become all too common these days.  More and more, we are seeing small companies and entrepreneurs registering domain names that are also targeted by bigger companies.  In hopes of intimating the little guy, these big spenders have been known to cry the UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute Resolution Policy) and engage in legal battles many smaller companies simply can’t afford.

While domain disputes often boil down to a lot of specifics, it is a known fact that several larger companies rely on their financial resources to wrestles names from the grips of legitimate owners.  Why has this practice become so widespread?  This is because the UDRP does not contain any meaningful literature stating that overzealous and determined trademark owners cannot file complaints.  And despite the monstrous label of reverse domain name hijackers, nothing to this point has been enough to deter the efforts of corporate giants.  As long as these companies continue to enjoy publicized measures of success, such claims could be filed for some time to come.

Fighting Back Against the Bullies

So, what do you do when the big bad corporate bullies come knocking and threatening to seize your domain?  Well, if they have the resources along with the trademark, the company can file an action in court and make the claim that the registration or utilization of the domain is not considered unlawful on their part in accordance to the ACPA (Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act).  This legislation was put in place to balance the rights of domain name holders and trademark owners respectively.  Most importantly, it was enacted to address the growing problem of reverse domain name hijacking.  However, there is only so much the ACPA can do for you.  For instance, you can only win back your domain name as the legislation does not cover any financial damages against the trademark owner.  Equipped with ample resources, this is one of the main reasons trademark owners will continue their abusive practices and keep the pressure on smaller companies.  Unfortunately, even though you can leverage the ACPA to take action in court, very few domain owners have a wallet sizable enough to challenge a bigger company for the domain name they have legitimate rights to.

Change is Needed

There has been much debate on whether the ACPA should be amended to create a greater balance between the rights of domain name and trademark owners.  However, implementing such a change would require the full cooperation of many parties including the domain and trademark holders who already are not seeing eye to eye, and quite possibly a few government bodies as well.  Unfortunately, until the playing field is leveled, trademark owners will continue to pull out their big wallets and strip domain names away from less fortunate, but legitimate registrants.

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]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/reverse-domain-name-hijacking-on-the-rise/feed/ 1 The In’s and Out’s of Domain Nameshttp://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/the-ins-and-outs-of-domain-names/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/the-ins-and-outs-of-domain-names/#comments Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:27:25 +0000 Art http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=127 Domain names are what allow internet users to easily navigate without having to remember IP addresses.  Instead of typing in a long number, you type in a name that is usually much easier to remember.  Domain names are generally referred to by their TLDs (top-level domains) with the most common being .com, .net and .org among others.  The name to the left of the TLD is considered a second-level domain with the levels going as high as third, fourth and so on.

In the Beginning

Domains first surfaced back in 1985, starting with only six.  The popularity of today’s internet and World Wide Web has lead to several types of domains, many of which are still intended to identify certain entities and make it easy for users to find specific content.  When introduced by the World Wide Web, both .com and .org where intended for different purposes. .com was intended to represent commercial entities while .org was to be used by organizations.  The second-level domain was meant to identify a specific entity or business with the third-level usually specifying the location of the host server.  The high demand of .com resulted in a number of non-commercial entities seeking to own website addresses under this TLD.

Domain Abuse

Domain names have been a hot commodity for sometime and are widely abused.  Cyber squatting is one such exploit which describes someone trying to generate traffic to their site by leveraging the name of a well known company.  While laws have been set in place to protect prominent internet companies, another ploy known as reverse domain hijacking emerged and brought forth a slew of new problems.  Reverse domain hijacking refers to a company or individual claiming a domain as their own trademark when someone else actually has legal rights to it.  Despite the internet’s growth and the phenomenon behind domain names, there is still no one organization designated to govern this huge system.

Because domain names have been around for years, many of the good ones are no longer available.  This has caused many people to resort to complicated names or those that don’t necessarily suit their business.  It has also lead some to register unique domains by taking the name of any existing third-level domain and adding different symbols to mimic popular companies.  This is a strategy often employed by scam artists and malicious code writers looking to compromise visitors.

Availability

Domain names are widely available these days, typically sold by companies known as registrars and even web hosting providers.  The price for a domain varies from company to company but the cost is significantly cheaper than past times.  Well known domain registrars such as GoDaddy may sale domains at anywhere from $5 to $10 per year while a web hosting company might offer a free domain and registration for purchasing a monthly plan.

With so many companies offering service, buying a domain is easy, though you may not always get the name you want.  If you have something clever it mind, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to secure it now before its no longer on the market.

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