The Chinese company responsible for managing domain names ending in “.top” has been given a deadline of mid-August 2024 to implement effective systems for handling phishing reports and suspending abusive domains. Failure to comply may result in the forfeiture of its license to sell domains. This ultimatum follows recent findings that identify .top as the second most common suffix for phishing websites, trailing only .com.
On July 16, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) issued a stern letter to the operators of the .top domain registry. Although ICANN has taken enforcement actions against numerous domain registrars in the past, this instance is particularly notable as it targets a registry managing an entire top-level domain (TLD).
The letter criticizes the .top registry for its inadequate response to phishing attack reports involving .top domains. ICANN’s letter, which has not disclosed the recipient’s name, indicates that the registry lacks a proper process for promptly investigating and acting on reports of DNS abuse.
“Based on the information and records gathered through several weeks, it was determined that .TOP Registry does not have a process in place to promptly, comprehensively, and reasonably investigate and act on reports of DNS Abuse,” the ICANN letter states.
The registry in question, Jiangsu Bangning Science & Technology Co. Ltd., has not responded to requests for comment. The prominence of .top domains in phishing activities was highlighted in a recent report by the Interisle Consulting Group, which draws data from multiple sources, including the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), OpenPhish, PhishTank, and Spamhaus.
Interisle’s latest study, which examined nearly two million phishing attacks over the past year, revealed that more than four percent of new .top domains between May 2023 and April 2024 were used for phishing. With approximately 2.76 million .top domains registered, over 117,000 were identified as phishing sites during this period.
ICANN’s review, based on recent data, underscores a persistent issue. Notably, over a decade ago, the same Chinese registrar ranked fourth among the most common sources of phishing websites, according to APWG data. This was even before Jiangsu Bangning received ICANN approval to manage the .top registry.
The ongoing scrutiny of the .top domain registry highlights the need for stringent measures to combat domain abuse and protect internet users from phishing threats.
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