
Fake domains and why they’re bad
- trick users into sharing their private information, such as banking credentials or other account passwords;
- draw readership from the original website and display alternative content;
- create confusion among a targeted community; or
- serve malware to compromise the original site’s target audience.
The effect of such imitation can be extremely harmful to consumers of media and the supporters of civil society organizations, particularly during elections, critical social demonstrations, and other important political events Attackers have successfully drawn a significant amount of both domestic and international traffic away from victimized domains, limiting access to information or spreading misinformation, inhibiting people’s ability to organize, and undermining individuals’ security.
What we did and found
In 2013, Access Now released “One of These Things Is Not Like the Other — A Report on Fake Domain Attacks” analyzing the use of fake domains to target civil society around the world and outlining mitigation strategies for defending against such attacks.
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