Cybersquatting: understand what that digital authenticity risk is and how to minimize it

Cybersquatting consists of a malicious action in which an individual or organization registers a domain associated with a brand name in order to obtain financial advantages over it.

It is not a secret that nowadays the digital presence of a brand is essential. In fact, having a website is just as important as having a physical store; in some cases, even more.

Well, for many companies, this is the main channel of communication with their customers.

Then, the name of a domain becomes a seal that the brand acquires, since it determines its space on the web and is distinctive.

However, this association between domain and brand is sometimes in danger from the cybersquatting technique , a practice for fraudulent purposes.

Without a doubt, it is necessary to know how this risk can be avoided. Would you like to know how? We'll see it next, so keep reading.

What is Cybersquatting?

Cybersquatting consists of registering a domain name that is very similar to an existing one .

Especially trademarks. This in order to take advantage of the association for illicit purposes. In many cases, it is a kind of fraud to the potential of the brand and its relationship with customers.

According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), cybersquatting applies when : 

• A domain name very similar to a brand name has been registered.

• When the person responsible for such registration has no legitimate rights or interests over the trademark.

• When the registered domain corresponds to fraudulent purposes.

Originally, in the 90s, this was done with the intention of setting aside the domain name, and then selling it to the brand for a higher price, because the same domain cannot be registered twice in the same way on the internet . 

What is the end of cybersquatting?

Currently, the purposes of this practice have changed. Although it basically consists of a scam.

This is because a very similar domain name can attract significant visitor traffic. All thanks to the association with the royal brand.

Once it receives the traffic on your host , the second domain can carry out fraud.

For example, creating pages similar to those of the legitimate brand in order to confuse customers and generate a profit from it.

In other cases, this second domain can be passed off as an extension of the original web page. Also for the purpose of illicitly generating a profit

Similarly, one tactic is to place competitive advertising on this second domain.

So when the user enters by mistake, they come across services very similar to what they are looking for.

What is Typosquatting?

The practice that defines typosquatting is given by registering a domain with some typographical error.

So if any visitor commits it, then they are directed to this malicious website.

It could be said that it serves the same purposes as cybersquatting. Well, its objective is to deceive the visitors of a website.

In what types of situations is Cybersquatting done?

There are many methods used to apply cybersquatting. Here is a list:

• Addition: it is about adding a character to the end of the domain name.

• Substitution: consists of substituting a single character of the domain name.

• Homographic: unlike the previous one, the character that is replaced has a similar shape. Generally, different literacies are used.

• Separation : a hyphen is added as part of the domain name.

• Insertion : the character being added is positioned between the first and last of the domain.

• Omission : A character is omitted when typing the domain.

• Subdomain : the original domain name is registered and characters are added to it.

• Transposition : consists of changing the order of the characters.

• Others : an example could be adding "www" at the beginning or "com" just after finishing.

Examples

Taking into account the previous references, some examples of cybersquatting are the following for the domain “www.bancoelite.com”: 

1. www.bancoelite s .com
2. www.banco-elite.com
3. www.elitebanco.com
4. www.bacoelite.com
5. www.bancoelite.ve.com
6. www.bancooelite.com

How to minimize the risk of suffering Cybersquatting?

Any user of the web is exposed to the risks of suffering cybersquatting.

In this sense, experts consider that there is no complete way to avoid this type of attack. Although it is possible to limit the possibilities. 

Here are a series of recommendations: 

• Verify that you are correctly typing the URL you want to go to .
• Especially when it comes to websites where you must enter personal data. It should even be verified before entering to avoid the action of a potential virus.
• Check your operating systems . Remember that maintenance is essential for optimal safety.
• Do not open emails of dubious origin or open the links that it shows. Well, a common tactic of hackers is to send emails. Simulating the identity of a brand or company with fraudulent URLs.
• Use security software . Thanks to its immediacy you can recognize a fraudulent website instantly.

What to do in a case of cybersquatting?

The good news is that there are several laws that criminalize this type of activity. In fact, they are considered the best alternatives to a case of cybersquatting.

One of them is the Trademark Law.  Which prohibits the use of a domain similar to that of a registered trademark.

On the other hand, there is the Law of Unfair Competition . In this case, any act that may cause confusion for customers is penalized.

This could vary depending on the country where you are.

If the judicial route is not an option, then it is recommended to go to ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers).

This is considered the body to regulate ands olve cybersquatting cases, since it facilitates the execution of the Uniform Policy for the Resolution of Disputes by Domain Names or UDRP.