Why are Abandoned Domain Names So Dangerous?

July 1, 2020 1:32 pm

It may not seem like a big deal to no longer use a specific domain name, especially if it’s something that is not useful to you anymore. However, this seemingly harmless action can be extremely dangerous. How? Let’s try to take you inside a cyber criminal’s mind.

Cybercriminals are using expired domains to obtain sensitive information and commit fraud. Expired domain names are published frequently by domain name registries in the form of lists. These lists can be easily downloaded, and then compared against relevant domains, or even re-registered so it becomes active again. Once the domain is re-registered, and you have the capability to verify the domain name for security purposes, the ability to gain important information is at the criminal’s fingertips.

How long should the old domains be held on to? There is no solid answer to this, however, the cost of keeping a domain name isn’t expensive. Not only that, but it is a safe way to keep your old domain name free of hackers. If you definitely want to abandon an old domain name, setting up a catch-all email service may be beneficial to you. That way, any incoming mail can be forwarded to a trusted source and your sensitive information hopefully won’t slip through the cracks.

Subdomain hijacking is another serious threat to be aware of. But we’ll save that one for the next blog!

Categorised in:

Book Your Free Consultation Today!