DUBLIN — AdSecure, the ad verification solution used by ad networks, ad operations teams and publishers, has announced the launch of a new, dedicated detection option for suspicious top-level domains (TLDs).
According to the company, some suspicious TLDs are considered to be domains that end with: .xyz, .gq, .stream, .download, .xin, and .win.
These TLDs are a regular go-to for spammers and scammers who register a chain of highly similar top-level domains e.g. abcd1.xyz, abcd2.xyz, abcd3.xyz which they use to spread their malicious attacks.
When one domain is flagged and shut down, the attack is moved to the next one in the chain.
“Suspicious TLDs pose a unique challenge for ad quality monitoring, because while many have malicious activity lying in wait, many are perfectly clean,” says a company spokesperson. “This has led some ad verification providers to classify all suspicious domains as malicious, leading to ads being halted needlessly to address a problem that doesn’t actually exist.”
AdSecure brings a clear, precise approach to this challenge by introducing a completely separate, fully dedicated violation classification for “Suspicious TLD.” This gives clients a transparent view of both the suspicious domain and what might or might not be lurking within. AdSecure’s feature provides scan reports that will also flag separately each additional violation attached to the ad campaign.
“The issue with a suspicious domain, like .xyz, is that there can be completely safe activity on some, while others are definitely being used to spread malware or a phishing attack. You also have cases like .xin, which in certain regions will definitely be a suspicious domain, but in China, will be a common TLD used legitimately,” AdSecure’s Technical Director Pierre Brouca says. “Being able to understand not only that the domain is suspicious, but that it also has a serious violation attached to it, makes ad delivery more efficient, saving both time and money for our clients.”
With a complete view of what’s really happening within suspicious TLDs, choice and control over how to proceed are returned and AdSecure clients can confidently take the action that is best for their business.
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