Internationalized Domain Names and Homograph Attacks
This, in combination with a more 'professional' email, could trick someone into giving away all of their personal data. And when this happens they will eventually become victims of identity theft. But, how can a scammer acquire a domain name that looks official? It's through the unfortunate practice of the homograph attack.
What is a homograph attack? A homograph attack is when a person makes an internationalized domain name, (also known as an IDN), look like a traditional domain name associated with a popular website. They are able to do this because of the way internationalized domain names work. Basically, internationalized domain systems use a different type of coding system than the ASCII-based domain names Americans are used to.
However, even with a different coding system, some languages have characters that look similar to characters used in American English. Scammers exploit this by taking these letters and creating domain names that look 'new' to browsers and servers, at least in terms of coding. To the human eye, these fraudulent domain names appear to already be taken, which is exactly what a scammer wants. They cause further confusion by creating sites that look pretty much like the sites associated with the original domain name that the scammers are spoofing.
Before and even after internationalized domain names became popular, homograph attacks were expressed through spoofing just English characters. Scammers exploited the visual similarities between 'O' and '0' or 'I' and 'l'. Examples include 'G00Gle.com or 'PayPaI.com.' If a person is not paying attention, they could still become victims, but at least these types of domain names still look unusual. With internationalized domain name homograph attacks, the above-mentioned websites could look just as they are supposed to, fooling even the most vigilant Internet user.
So, how can a person prevent becoming a victim of an internationalized domain name homograph attack? First, they should never click on any domain name that is given through an email. Instead, they should enter the domain name manually into their browser. In situations where one is working with a third-level domain that could be harder to remember, Internet users need to copy and paste the domain name into Notepad. This program will help them determine what character set and coding is being used for the domain name. If it's not English and ASCII, a person should be weary.
In conclusion, internationalized domain name homograph attacks can cause a lot of havoc for Internet users. However, Internet users should find comfort in the fact that while they do need to be aware of the presence of the homograph attack, the traditional method of spoofing which is much easier to spot tends to be more common. This is because a person must be both clever and lucky to land an internationalized domain name that looks that much like a domain name that is already in use. It's much easier for scammers to try and fool people through email hyperlinks.
Comments
He was clearly being provocative for its own sake, which isn't big or clever either.
breitling replica watches - By breitling replica watches - Homepage
12th August 2011 - 2:06am
传奇世界私服
http://www.5248s.com
热血传奇sf
http://www.666er.com
传奇世界sf
http://www.357wan.com
传奇合击
http://www.175hjw.com
http://www.357wan.com - By 传奇世界sf - Homepage
http://www.5248s.com
热血传奇sf
http://www.666er.com
传奇世界sf
http://www.357wan.com
传奇合击
http://www.175hjw.com
2nd January 2012 - 2:35am
Alexander Wang went on to tote garment bags for Vogue and in a classic rags to riches story, the young American-Chinese designer from San Francisco ended up becoming a fashion industry darling within a couple of years.
versace copy luxury handbags - By versace copy luxury handbags - Homepage
5th January 2012 - 9:37pm
if you don’t use your home equity loan to make improvements to your home; and uggs for cheap from nature’s patterns! ipped the dilemma of
http://www.uggsonsale2011-us.com/ - By UGGs On Sale Cheap - Homepage
6th January 2012 - 12:27am
if you don’t use your home equity loan to make improvements to your home; and uggs for cheap from nature’s patterns! ipped the dilemma of
http://www.uggsonsale2011-us.com/ - By UGGs On Sale Cheap - Homepage
6th January 2012 - 12:27am
Menu
My Articles
Domain Name ArbitrationYahoo Domain Names
Scam Domain Names
Domain Names 101
Domain Name Servers: The Basics
Domain Name Generators
Avoiding Trademark Infringement When Choosing A Domain Name
Domain Name Redirect Services
Local Marketing With Geodomains
Internationalized Domain Names And Homograph Attacks
Domain Name Tasting
Cybersquatting And Your Domain Name
Get Traffic With Expired Domain Names
Choosing The Right Domain Name
Domain Name Hacks
Third Level Domain Name
Free Domain Names
Making Money Selling Domain Names
Hyphenated Domain Names
Bulk Domain Name Registration
Misspelled Domain Names
Transferring Domain Names
Cheap Domain Names
Is The .Com Overrated?
My Articles Cheap Domain Names In order for people to access a website, they must first enter in its.. Domain Name Hacks Traditional domain names consist of a word or phrase that.. Choosing The Right Domain Name Domain names are to websites as book covers are to novels. If they.. All About Mobile Domain Names When the Internet first came out it was restricted to a wired.. |
|
|
Related News:
|
