The internet explodes with gTLDs

By Siân John | February 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment

On 12 January the internet made history. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICAAN) – which controls how urls are managed – launched new generic Top Level Domain (gTLD) names.

This represents an explosion in the size of the internet. We will no longer be limited to the likes of .com, .net and .org – soon all types of words and languages will be able to form the end part of domain names. This could be anything from a corporate brand name such as .symantec, to an interest such as .football. The opportunities are endless and this is, undoubtedly, an exciting time for the internet.

However, as the internet grows, so do the potential security threats that need to be addressed. The explosion of domain names could open the door to ‘cybersquatters’ who have managed to register a company’s brand name against a gTLD. This could lead to an increased chance of phishing attacks from what may appear to be bona fide websites, putting both businesses and consumers at risk. Fraudsters may also seize this as an opportunity to avoid law enforcement agencies, by hopping from registry to registry as scam websites are shut down.

To avoid increased online incidents in relation to their brands, organisations may have to resort to strategically registering their brand with multiple gTLDs to try to cover all possible scenarios.

While choice is always good, the huge growth in internet websites could result in security challenges for both businesses and consumers, and reinforces the need to be aware of the risks and of safe online practices.

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