{"id":2164,"date":"2024-07-12T08:09:59","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T06:09:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/enthec.com\/cybersquatting-what-is-it-and-how-to-protect-yourself\/"},"modified":"2024-11-13T13:08:17","modified_gmt":"2024-11-13T12:08:17","slug":"cybersquatting-what-is-it-and-how-to-protect-yourself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enthec.com\/en\/cybersquatting-what-is-it-and-how-to-protect-yourself\/","title":{"rendered":"Cybersquatting: what is it and how to protect yourself?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cybersquatting: what is it and how to protect yourself?<\/span><\/h1>\n

Cybersquatting is an increasingly widespread cybercrime that exploits the value of brands<\/strong> to make illegitimate profits by squatting on their domain. This cybercrime is becoming commonplace in the digital environment, so it is crucial for organisations to know exactly what cybersquatting is and how to protect themselves against it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What is cybersquatting?<\/h2>\n

Cybersquatting is the act of registering, selling or using a domain name in bad faith<\/strong>, taking advantage of the reputation and commercial value of a famous brand or name with the intention of making illegitimate profits. Essentially, cybersquatting is a form of online piracy that causes harm to businesses and individuals. The term comes from squatting, which is the act of illegally occupying property, with the addition of cyber, to confine it to the digital environment. In this case, the squatted property would be the corporate domain. This is why cybersquatting is also called cybersquatting<\/strong>. Cybersquatters often register domain names or create subdomains that are identical or confusingly similar to popular brands <\/strong>in order to trick users into visiting their website. This leads users to fraudulent websites with various illegal intentions: selling fake goods, scams, data theft… In addition, cybersquatting is also often used by cybersquatters to profit from the sale of squatted domains to legitimate companies at exorbitant prices<\/strong>, in order for them to avoid damage to their brand. To combat cybersquatting, ICANN has developed the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP)<\/strong>. This procedure makes it easier for affected companies to recover domain names registered in bad faith. To find out more about cyber-attacks on businesses<\/strong>, go here\u2192 How to protect yourself in the midst of a wave of cyber-attacks on businesses<\/a>. <\/p>\n

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Differences between cybersquatting and phishing<\/h3>\n

Although both are cybercrimes that involve the misuse of names and trademarks and sometimes go hand in hand in a cyberattack, the cybersquatting and phishing are not exactly the same thing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cybersquatting is the registration, trafficking or use of a domain name that is identical or similar to a well-known trademark. Its aim is to make financial gain through that identical or similar domain name.
It does not necessarily involve deceiving users or stealing personal information<\/strong>; sometimes it is simply used to force the organisation to ransom the domain. Phishing<\/a>, in turn, involves sending fake emails or creating fake websites that mimic legitimate companies or brands in order to trick users into obtaining personal information, financial information or login credentials. It aims to gain access to accounts, steal identities and commit fraud<\/strong>. It involves the use of social engineering techniques to manipulate victims into believing they are interacting with a trustworthy entity. Often, however, the first step in a phishing attack is cybersquatting<\/strong>: a real domain is used to create a fake website or profiles as the basis of the deception. <\/p>\n

Some examples of cybersquatting<\/h3>\n

Some prominent examples of cybersquatting are:<\/p>\n