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April 23, 2019

5 Reasons Why Cybersecurity Can't Remain Effective Without WHOIS Database Download



With close to two billion websites now in operation and tens of billions of dollars lost to cyber crime each year, companies need all the help they can get to counter the dangers of the Web. Thankfully, here’s where technology, and WHOIS protocol, in particular, comes to the rescue.



You see, despite all the controversy around it, WHOIS continues to play an essential role in the battle for the safer Web. The “Yellow Pages” of the Internet contains all the identifiable information that can shine the entities behind domains out of the shadows. As such, WHOIS database download services offer some crucial leads to track bad actors, take them down, and mark their schemes.

There are many more reasons why WHOIS data can be helpful in pointing the laser sight on malicious entities, but five of them have been standing out lately. Let’s talk about them.

Leading Threat Hunting Efforts

Proactive search for threats based on generating hypotheses is the hallmark of the new cybersecurity approach called threat hunting. WHOIS data can contribute to this practice allowing experts to spot suspicious connections and point out to emerging threats.

or instance, analyzing WHOIS ownership records can help uncover ties between a suspect domain and known malicious ones. Newly-registered domains can also serve as a prelude to an attack, and verifying their registration and expiration dates can confirm hunches.

Unmasking Impersonation

In 2019 hackers continue to actively employ various impersonation scams, notably business email compromise (BEC) attacks, to achieve their nefarious goals. Criminals pretending to be CEOs succeed in inflicting huge company losses and serious data breaches.

Organizations can unmask these perpetrators by leveraging WHOIS information to monitor email senders and confirm their identity. For instance, WHOIS records can be used to compare and verify details of domains whose owners claim to be someone but which records say otherwise.

Reinforcing Threat Intelligence

Insights from WHOIS information such as connected domains and newly-registered websites provide context as threat intelligence specialists gather evidence-based data to strengthen network infrastructure.

Hackers, for example, register multiple domains using the same WHOIS registration data to build the necessary infrastructure for an attack. Threat intelligence analysts can check the entities behind these domains, combine this information with the details from other data feeds, and connect the dots to build a clear picture of the threat.

Confirming the Integrity of Business Partners

Cybercriminals do their homework and study their targets well. One way to get to their victims is through third-party. Bogus suppliers and logistics partners wait for the right moment before running away with a company's funds or stealing confidential information.

This danger can be prevented by examining WHOIS data to verify the domain details of a third-party provider. Any inconsistencies such as dubious registration dates and links with confirmed malevolent entities can foil an attack.

Protecting Intellectual Property

Brand infringers appropriate the financial and reputational benefits from an idea, denying the real owners their rightful dues. Years of planning that lead to a successful breakthrough are wasted, and momentum is lost.

WHOIS database download services can help avoid this unjust scenario by allowing copyright owners to monitor competitive domain activities, paying particular attention to uncanny similarities to their brands. Alerts can also be set up to inform them when registration attempts are made on trademarks or keywords for which they have legal usage rights over.

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It’s not difficult to understand the indispensability of WHOIS database download providers in keeping malicious domains in check and casting a chilling effect on cybercriminals. After all, every bit of WHOIS data can play a crucial role that can help uncover impersonators, provide actionable intelligence information, guide threat hunting efforts, and protect brands. All these can preserve the integrity of the Web.

 

About the Author


Jonathan Zhang is the founder and CEO of Threat Intelligence Platform (TIP) — a data, tool, and API provider that specializes in automated threat detection, security analysis and threat intelligence solutions for Fortune 1000 and cyber-security companies. TIP is part of the Whois API Inc. family which is a trusted intelligence vendor by over 50,000 clients.

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