The Goals of Typosquatting - Know What Typosquatters Aim to Do

1. The Goals of Typosquatting - Know What Typosquatters Aim to Do In the current cybersecurity industry, fraudsters seek the most innovative practices to take advantage of users' mistakes. Phishing attacks are already commonplace for malicious actors to steal private information and money from publishers and marketers. Among the most prominent part of phishing attacks, typosquatting is the most dangerous act today. Also referred to as cybersquatting, typosquatting can benefit fraudsters in a multitude of ways. Welcome to this post, where you are going to learn the key objectives of typosquatters. Typosquatting – A Prominent Act That Reduces Website Traffic URL hijacking is when cybercriminals target a brand knowing that individuals spell its name incorrectly. The act occurs when fraudsters register similar kinds of domain names. These domains usually encompass misspellings of popular websites. For prominent digital establishments, this type of security threat can devalue brand recognition. To make things simplified, let's cite an example: Suppose you want to visit a popular news website where you need to type the abc.org at the website address's end. But mistakenly, you type abc.com. Or, you make a typo while typing the domain address. Or, you forget to give the hyphen that the news website address has. While you may think these errors are no big deal, they can take you to a fraudulent website having malicious software. That might clog your device instantly. You might even end up visiting a URL that looks similar to the news website. When you type your username, password, and account number on the website, you send your private information directly to the cybercriminal. That's how typosquatting can affect the brand reputation, thereby stealing your prospects' valuable information. Typosquatting vs Cybersquatting: Are Both Attacks More or Less Similar? Cybersquatting is the broad category, while typosquatting is a variant of it. Cybersquatting includes other kinds of fraud techniques. On the contrary, typosquatting encompasses the following types. ●Domain parking ●Bait-and-switch ●Imitators ●Giveaways and surveys ●Joke websites Understanding the Fundamental Objectives of Typosquatters VIRUSPOSITIVEVipul Trade Center, Unit#130- Phone + 91 - 124 - 2666031 131,440, Sector-48, Gurugram-122001 Email- sales@viruspositive.com

2. So, what is typosquatting? It begins once the criminal registers for the domain with an intentionally misspelled name of a prominent website. This act augments the possibility of the users misspelling the URL. The basic intention behind such fraudulent acts is to steal information and devalue brand reputation. These are the basic aims that every criminal has behind such acts. And while a majority of typosquatting attacks are mounted with such goals, attackers may also have other intentions. On that note, here are the most common objectives that typosquatters have in their mind. #1 Indulge Customers in Buying Goods That They Don't Receive In a few cases, malicious websites attempt to sell something that users could have bought on legitimate websites that misspell or try to mimic. When customers visit such websites for a purchase, they need to pay for goods that they never receive. It also discloses the users' credit card details to malicious actors. #2 Redirect Traffic to the Competitors In certain instances, typosquatting can redirect traffic meant for real websites to the competitor's website. The typosquatting website's owner then charges competitors for clicks and redirects. To prevent website traffic from reducing, businesses require consulting a trustworthy company for typosquatting protection services. #3 Fake Contests and Surveys The malicious website can operate under the pretense of gathering opinions for popular services or products. But through this act, what the malicious actors do is try to collect private information from customers and steal a business identity. #4 Monetizing Ads Some typosquatters build malicious websites to host pop-ups and advertisements. By doing so, they generate ad revenue from customers who get mimicked into visiting a site. #5 Abuse Affiliate URLs Fake websites can redirect the traffic back to their original website. It uses affiliate links to exploit the official website's affiliate program to earn commission from different buyers. Through typosquatting, cybercriminals can create a fake site that resembles a legitimate website's home page. While scammers aim to learn details of customers' online credit cards, phishers try to leak their card account number, username, and site password. If you want to prevent your business from a typosquatting attack, it's time to hire a professional. Take Assistance from Virus Positive Technologies to Detect Typosquatting Affiliate Traps If you want to detect typosquatting traps and prevent your website from these cybercrimes, consulting a professional is an imperative move. On this note, Virus Positive Technologies can assist your business by protecting it from these kinds of criminal attacks. VIRUSPOSITIVEVipul Trade Center, Unit#130- Phone + 91 - 124 - 2666031 131,440, Sector-48, Gurugram-122001 Email- sales@viruspositive.com

3. Protect your business reputation from attackers who constantly look to hamper it. Let Virus Positive Technologies be your savior in assisting you with disruptive methodologies to identify non-compliant behaviors. The VPT professionals can offer automated solutions to detect and monitor typosquatting traps. VPT's services prevent your organizational reputation and offer the customer an undisrupted and safe experience. VIRUSPOSITIVEVipul Trade Center, Unit#130- Phone + 91 - 124 - 2666031 131,440, Sector-48, Gurugram-122001 Email- sales@viruspositive.com