RE: [gnso-rap-dt] Domain name tasting & kiting

["Greg Aaron" <gaaron@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks, Marika.

 

  _____  

From: Marika Konings [mailto:marika.konings@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 1:37 PM
To: gnso-rap-dt@xxxxxxxxx
Subject: [gnso-rap-dt] Domain name tasting & kiting

 

Dear All,

To follow up on my action item, please see below some references from
documents developed in the context of the domain tasting Working Group that
refer to 'domain kiting'. As far as I can see, domain kiting has been used
in the context of the domain name tasting WG as referring to continual
registration, deletion and reregistration of the same names. The language
that I posted in the Adobe Connect window yesterday (also found below),
talks about domain kiting in the context of disposable domains (one time use
and deletion during AGP to avoid costs and detection by cybercriminals). 

With regard to the AGP, you can find the most recent report here:
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-12aug09-en.htm, which
notes that 'there has been a 99.7% decline in domain tasting'. A next status
update is expected in a couple of weeks.

With best regards,

Marika



*       From the ICANN Issues Report on Domain Tasting (14 June 2007)

 

3.6 Domain Kiting

 

Registrants may also use the AGP for continual registration, deletion, and
reregistration of the same names in order to avoid paying the registration
fees. This practice is sometimes referred to as "domain kiting." This term
has been mistakenly used as being synonymous with domain tasting, but it
refers to multiple and often consecutive tasting of the same domain name.
ICANN staff has received anecdotal reports that this type of activity is
occurring, but does not currently have data to demonstrate definitively that
domain kiting occurs or to what extent.

 

The anecdotal reports received by the ICANN staff would indicate that:
1. Very few registrants engage in kiting;
2. Those registrars who facilitate kiting are discovered and warned by the
registry to cease the behaviour;
3. Kiting practices cannot enable a registrant to "keep" a single domain
name. Any name is available to be taken in the drop pool by another
registrant. The activity is only practicable if attempting to maintain a
number of names - some would be lost at each drop.

 

*       In addition, the GNSO Domain Tasting Ad Hoc Outcomes Report contains
some data on the prevalence of kiting:

 

http://gnso.icann.org/drafts/gnso-domain-tasting-adhoc-outcomes-report-final
.pdf (4 October 2007)

 

*       As posted in the Adobe Connect Chat: 'International security firm,
MessageLabs in its monthly Intelligence Report, has assessed overall
security threat levels to be high, though stabilized over past couple of
months. "Disposable domains are becoming a larger problem via a tactic known
as 'domain kiting' in which cyber-criminals acquire domains without paying
for them and use them for illegal gains," says Mark Sunner, the chief
technology officer at MessageLabs.'