We've all heard of dangerous websites; ones that infect your computer with spyware, viruses, and other malware; ones that provide seemingly honest information, but really lure you to present personal information so it can be collected.
It appears that certain top level domains are more likely to be flagged as dangerous. A study by McAfee found .cn (china) , .ro (Romania), .info (information), and .hk (Hong Kong) to be the more common dangerous websites.
It is likely that the high rate of mal-activity is due to the lax registration restrictions on these domains. For example, to register a .ca domain you must be able to prove that you are in some way, a Canadian entity. The same is not true for the above mentioned top level domains. To top off the missing restrictions, these TLDs are relatively cheaper than the more common .com, .net, and .org ones.
As a word of caution next time you see emails involving those TLDs just move the message into the junk bin and carry on.
It appears that certain top level domains are more likely to be flagged as dangerous. A study by McAfee found .cn (china) , .ro (Romania), .info (information), and .hk (Hong Kong) to be the more common dangerous websites.
It is likely that the high rate of mal-activity is due to the lax registration restrictions on these domains. For example, to register a .ca domain you must be able to prove that you are in some way, a Canadian entity. The same is not true for the above mentioned top level domains. To top off the missing restrictions, these TLDs are relatively cheaper than the more common .com, .net, and .org ones.
As a word of caution next time you see emails involving those TLDs just move the message into the junk bin and carry on.
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