DNS.BE cancelled 163 domain names last week by order of a magistrate, following their use for fraudulent purposes.
DNS BE had indeed been informed that several .be domain names were used in a so-called ‘fast flux network’ and were redirecting to ‘phishing’ websites.
DNS BE noticed the large number of .be domain names involved could indicate that the possible attack was professionally organised and could harm the .be ccTLD. The cancellation resulted from a close cooperation between DNS BE and the Belgian Federal Computer Crime Unit.
Upon discovering the fraudulent use, DNS BE immediately contacted the Federal Computer Crime Unit and passed on the domain names involved. The FCCU filed it in the court without delay, and yesterday a list of the domain names involved was handed over to DNS BE to be cancelled. The DNS BE technical staff immediately proceeded to deleting the 163 .be domain names.
DNS.BE also gave definitions of phishing and fast flux, and these are:
- Phishing is a fraudulent practice by which the cybercriminal redirects the user to an imitation of a website (usually a bank’s), and where confidential information is requested. Most internet users will not have noticed anything at all because most browsers blocked these pages almost immediately.
- Fast Flux is a technique constantly changing the name servers linked to a domain name. In this way the cybercriminal hopes to keep his site up and running for a longer time.
A news release from DNS.BE on the cancellation is available from:
www.dns.be/en/home.php?n=431
To register your .be domain name, check out Europe Registry here.