Building Trust in the Domain Name Ecosystem

Background

Internet domains are a major vector for cyberattacks. Every day, thousands of domains are registered with the sole intent of conducting criminal activity such as phishing or distributing malware. They are used by criminals and state-sponsored actors to conduct attacks that deliver malware, defraud people, and conduct other illicit activity. Domains can be registered quickly, cheaply, and in bulk, allowing cybercriminals to move quickly to keep ahead of detection.

The Domain Trust initiative was launched in November 2020, in the context of the global pandemic of COVID-19 and its impact on our digital lives. GCA, taking advantage of its independence as a neutral, convening party across countries, industries, and sectors, partnered with a number of organizations with the capacity to take effective action against malicious domains.

Since its inception, the partners in the project have managed to build a solid information-exchange platform with millions of suspected domains. The effort has attracted actors from different sectors, including a significant number of TLDs. Now that the initiative is well established as a globally recognized effort, we have moved closer to the side of ‘action,’ fostering actual change in the ways domain abuse is addressed by the industry.