Domain Watch

Domain Watch is an anti-phishing initiative to further increase the security of the .UK zone and protect end users from malicious phishing activity. Analysis frequently shows that large proportions of abuse seen are related to phishing activity. In response, we developed Domain Watch, a tool to quickly detect, identify, and alert on newly registered domains that are obvious phishing attempts. 

Domain Watch complements other measures in place to maintain a robust and secure .UK, including Domain Lock and Two-Factor Authentication for registrars. It informs Nominet analysts of potential phishing abuse, each instance is reviewed and any high-risk registrations are placed under a ‘Protective Hold Suspension’. 

Process 

• Domain Watch analyses domains at the point of registration using curated algorithms and machine learning. 

• High-risk registrations are alerted to analysts to review the domain. 

• An analyst will review the information and determine the outcome of the case. Then a ‘Protective Hold Suspension’ may be placed.  

• If a domain is suspended, the registrant and registrar will receive an email informing them what has happened, together with the next steps required if they feel the suspension was not correctly applied. 

For more information on the tools and processes that help all .UK registrars to disrupt abuse on domains managed by them, or if you have any questions, please contact us by emailing [email protected].