Why domain parking firms get named on “bad host” lists
Old data leads to parking firms landing on malware lists.
Last October Oversee.net was named the “#1 Bad Host” by HostExploit, a group that compiles data regarding malware and other nefarious things on the web.
It’s not the first time a domain parking firm or registrar has been called out by HostExploit.
So why is it that domain parking firms land on these bad lists?
At a high level, it’s all regarding old data.
“There’s a big misunderstanding regarding the parking industry as a whole,” explains Aaron Kvitek, VP, Marketing & Communications at Oversee.net. “It’s not just on HostExploit’s part, but also their data providers.”
The problem is that domain parking firms frequently park recently expired domain names. These domain names may have been used for nefarious purposes ahead of they expired, and data providers don’t update the change of ownership for around ninety days.
HostExploit and similar groups depend on these data providers for data regarding which domains are being used for bad purposes.
“The parking firms that have the domains parked on their platforms are going to be flagged by those data providers even though the domain has changed ownership and is in no way, shape, or form spreading malware,” stated Kvitek.
Registrars also get dinged for their clients’ activities. While registrars can generally police what happens with domains on their network, it’s impossible to stamp it out.
Since Oversee.net previously owned Moniker, it was penalized with both parked domains and when Moniker registrants were up to no good.
Although Moniker was taken off Oversee.net’s network in May, it will still end up hurting Oversee.net in HostExploit’s next note since of the data lag.
So can’t groups like HostExploit just get their data providers to refresh their data more often or track changes in domain ownership? Kvitek stated it’s just not a high priority for data providers. (Google is one of the largest).
Oversee.net is no longer ranked the #1 Bad Host. Kvitek states the firm took steps to better filter the domain names it was buying to avoid those with known problems.
“They are always going to slip through the cracks, but we got a little better at that,” he stated.
Moniker also worked to move clients off its systems if they were using their domains for bad purposes.
In another positive development, Oversee.net recently signed a deal with security research firm Team Cymru to share data regarding malicious attacks, badware, etc.
Domain parking firms are at a disadvantage when it comes to “bad host” lists. But Oversee.net’s experience shows that parking firms can also take steps to limit their exposure.
