Gone are the days when choosing a top-level domain meant opting for i .COM, .NET, .ORG and, for Europe, the .IT.
In recent years, in fact, these have multiplied exponentially. The latest arrivals, added in May from Google, are eight new domains. Among them are some with high commercial potential such as .PHD, .PROF e .DADthe latter proposed precisely in conjunction with Father’s Day.
The two domains which, as we will see, could create quite a few problems, however, are different: we are talking about sites .ZIP e .MOV.
The reason for this concern is simple – these are also common file extensions, already widely used for respectively archive data and in the context of file video. All of this could cause confusion for users, with cybercriminals ready to exploit the chaos situation.
For example, suppose you receive a file named setup.zip or to receive a completely lawful .mov video file: when it appears in the e-mail o sui social media could be automatically turned into a clickable link. The opportunity is tempting for scammers, who by purchasing the domain can get free traffic to distribute malware and more.
.ZIP and .MOV sites can help the actions of cybercriminals – here’s why
The vast majority of attacks by phishing use techniques such as spoofing of the e-mail, able to hide the sender address, systems for shorten URLs and domain names with intentional typos, designed to fool hasty users.
What most of these have in common is that these attacks rely on a lack of vigilance on the part of consumers when they open an email or click on a link.
Action before thought, in a frenetic context like today’s Internet, is a real vulnerability of the human mind. When we read a text, for example, we mainly focus on the first and last letter of a word.
With refined techniques and taking full advantage of .ZIP and .MOV sites, cybercriminals can actually create highly effective strategies. In this sense, the advice of the experts always remains the same: never get caught up in the frenzy and always evaluate a link before clicking on it.