Monitor your domain name and Put an End to Cybersquatters

Jun 5, 2020, 14:01 PM

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During these unprecedented times, the global business landscape has transformed within just a few months; seemingly for good. With many businesses closing their physical offices, stores and warehouses and over 60% of the UK workforce working from home, more emphasis is placed on conducting business online. For example, retail has seen a significant increase in online sales and more companies are rolling out unified communication solutions to support their remote workforce.

However, with many organisations relying on the internet to conduct business, they should also be aware of the risks associated with the web. Official government stats have revealed that over half of UK businesses suffered a cyber attack within the past year; ranging from phishing and viruses to malware attacks. Whatsmore, some organisations claim to experience an attempted cyber attack at least once a week.

In addition, another way a business could experience an attack on their brand is through Cybersquatters or Domain Squatters, whereby an individual or organisation registers a domain name identical or similar to a third party brand or trademark. You may be thinking, why do people carry out such behaviour? The intent for cybersquatters is simple - to make a profit either by holding the domain hostage to a genuine brand or exploit the company’s reputation to drive traffic to the domain and profit from digital ads, or to sell counterfeit goods by way of false affiliation.

Many brands are worth a lot of money and cybersquatters exploit the first-come, first-served nature of domain registration. Unfortunately, unlike malware or phishing attacks, cybersquatters can often go undetected for a matter of months; damaging your company’s reputation and using your status to make a profit in that time.

However, businesses that do fall victim to these types of attacks can fight back. By implementing a domain monitoring and retrieval strategy. Whether a company chooses to send a Cease and Desist or wishes to pursue a more aggressive form of legal action, there are a number of resolutions that organisations can use to stop others from exploiting their Web traffic generated by domains which utilise their trademarks and marketing efforts.

How Does the Domain Retrieval Process Work?

For many organisations, particularly those with limited resources, the idea of domain retrieval can often seem daunting. However, if a cybersquatter is taking advantage of your brand, making money and ruining your reputation in the process, it’s time to take action.

Working with Safenames, we ensure the domain retrieval process is as seamless and cost effective as possible.

1. Safenames will conduct an assessment of the problem and provide comprehensive research on the infringing domain(s) including current and past registrant details, as well as an overview of the existing content on the site and a summary of your legal rights to the domain name.
2. A member of Safenames’ Brand Protection or Legal Team will provide a recommendation on the most effective approach to address the problem(s).
3. Safenames will take the necessary actions and utilise the various options available to the team (such as domain disputes, cease and desist, or a negotiation) in order to retrieve the domain name(s).
4. Safenames will then manage the process to transfer all successfully recovered domains and place them into your ownership within a Safenames account.

Businesses that find they have fallen victim to cybersquatters need to understand there are actions they can take to protect their brand and reputation. To find out more about Safenames’ Domain Monitoring and Retrieval solutions, visit here or contact us.