New TLDs: How to Protect Yourself Against Online Vulnerabilities
:: By Robert Hoffmann, 1&1 Internet, Inc. ::
More than 250 million domains were registered
worldwide, as of last year, (according to Verisign’s
latest Domain Name Industry Brief) and this number
continues to grow each day.
The increased congestion
in the namespace, however, has influenced
the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) to recognize the need for new
domain extensions thus creating more opportunities
for businesses and individuals to claim their
own piece of the Web.
The new top-level domains (TLDs) represent a
paradigm shift in the way businesses are identified
online. Websites will be able to communicate their
website missions better via different themes such as
geographical location (.nyc, .miami, etc.), website
type (.shop, .blog, etc.), business sector (.restaurant,
.doctor, etc.) or hobby (.football, .dance, etc.).
While these new
TLDs should improve
the likelihood
that businesses will
acquire their desired
domains on the
crowded Internet,
implementing them into a brand
strategy will also contribute to a
safer and more secure Internet.
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Cybercriminal abuse cases increase
every year. In fact, Google discovered that an
average of 9,500 new malicious websites were registered
daily in 2012 alone. These sites were either
innocent websites that were compromised by malicious
authors or built with the specific intention of
distributing malware or phishing. This affects trademark
holders whose reputations are at stake.
Furthermore, the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) recorded 2,884 cybersquatting
cases covering 5,084 domain names last year.
The organization defines cybersquatting as “the
pre-emptive registration of trademarks by third
parties as domain names. Cybersquatters often exploit
the first-come,
first-served method
of the domain name
registration system
by registering
names incorporating
trademarks,
famous people or
businesses with
which they have
no connection.” Those that initiate such cybersquatting
then plan to resell the domain name to
the company or person involved at a price much
higher than that of the initial registration cost. The
clear vulnerabilities that lay within the virtual environment
demonstrate the need for businesses and
individuals to stay informed and take necessary precautions against such potential harm to their
online representations.
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In addition to maintaining positive business reputations
driven by security purposes, it is important
to consider the impact that new TLDs may have on
the public perception of a business. For example,
some companies that have applied to become a registry
of .bank are doing so on behalf of the global
banking community. They plan to place restrictions
on those that try to register the domain extension
and only allow those that are a recognized bank and
financial services company to use it. A local bank
would want to consider this option. Potential visitors
may feel a greater sense of trust or comfort visiting
a .bank website, as they can rest assured that
they are working with a secure online bank before
they disclose confidential, personal details.
Although the new TLDs may seem intimidating
to those unfamiliar with the concept, they do offer
many opportunities for trademark holders and
companies to defend their businesses and online
presence from cybersquatters. Developing an extensive
and elaborate domain portfolio is perhaps
one of the most valuable methods to help secure a
business identity on the Web. Consider proactively
registering multiple variations of a professional domain
name and domains that communicate different
products specific to a company, and including
variations of spellings or alternative domain extensions
like .us or .com in your portfolio. These
tactics will prevent others from registering your
trademark or product as a domain and reduce the
chance your brand will lose traffic and confuse
customers, which could be detrimental to a business’s
online reputation and its bottom line.
The first new TLDs available for registration are
planned to be launched by the end of 2013, as of
writing, and a number of new domain extensions
will be introduced per month. With more than 700
new TLDs scheduled, releases will occur gradually
over the next 2-3 years for businesses and individuals
to acquire.
Reserving, and then registering, your domain
within multiple TLDs is a good way to reduce the
likelihood of becoming a victim of cybersquatting
and increase brand protection, improve your
business visibility on the Web and help to capture
more traffic.
About the Author: Robert Hoffmann, CEO Hosting at 1&1 Internet, Inc.


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