NCSC Issues New Guidelines to Combat Domain Hijacking and Malicious Registrations

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In a bid to strengthen online security, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published fresh guidelines aimed at curbing malicious domain registrations and domain hijacking. With the rise in cyber threats like phishing, malware, and botnets, this new guidance is vital for organizations and individuals in maintaining the integrity of their digital assets. The NCSC’s recommendations focus on enhancing domain registrar security practices to reduce the opportunities for threat actors to exploit domain registration processes. Here, we’ll break down the key points of the guidance and its potential impact on cyber security.

NCSC’s New Guidance:

The NCSC has unveiled updated guidance to address the growing threat of malicious domain registrations and hijacking, issues that pose significant risks to both businesses and consumers. These guidelines focus on two primary groups of domain registrars: those who operate at scale with automated systems and those handling private, brand protection or domain investment portfolios.

The NCSC stresses the importance of addressing domain abuse as a critical first step in mitigating phishing attacks. By reducing the number of malicious domains and the time they remain active, the agency aims to make it more challenging for cybercriminals to exploit these domains.

To achieve this, the NCSC outlined several strategies:

KYC (Know Your Customer) Security Controls: Domain registrars should ensure they perform stringent identity checks. This involves validating source IP addresses, emails, phone numbers, and payment details, ensuring they are not linked to past fraud or abuse incidents.
Security Measures at Domain Registration: Registrars should be proactive in preventing the registration of domains that impersonate major organizations or brands. Additionally, domains registered but not in use should be configured securely by default to minimize exploitation risks. The NCSC also recommends offering DNS security features such as Certificate Authority Authorization (CAA) records as standard.
Enhanced Security to Prevent Domain Hijacking: The guidelines call for stronger protections to prevent unauthorized transfers or hijacking of domains. This includes implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA), domain locking, and change detection mechanisms to protect customers’ domains.
Abuse Detection Tools and Data Sharing: Registrars should collaborate and share threat data to help detect and mitigate abuse. Establishing reporting channels for researchers to notify domain owners about vulnerabilities can also help reduce the number of compromised systems exploited by cybercriminals.

The NCSC defines “domain abuse” broadly, encompassing malicious activities such as malware, botnets, phishing, pharming, and spam—practices that use domain vulnerabilities to launch cyberattacks.

What Undercode Says:

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A significant recommendation is the emphasis on “Know Your Customer” (KYC) checks. This could prevent malicious actors from registering domains under false identities, a tactic often used in phishing and fraud schemes. By scrutinizing IP addresses, emails, and payment information, registrars can filter out a substantial number of potentially harmful registrations before they even enter the system.

Another important element is the push for enhanced DNS security features such as CAA records. This added layer of protection ensures that only authorized certificate authorities can issue certificates for a particular domain, significantly reducing the risk of domain impersonation.

However, while these measures are essential, they will only be effective if properly enforced. Many domain registrars, particularly those in the wholesale and automated sectors, may be resistant to change due to the increased operational burden. Therefore, the challenge will be ensuring that these guidelines are widely adopted and integrated seamlessly into existing systems.

Furthermore, while security features like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and domain locking are crucial for preventing hijacking, they can also be inconvenient for legitimate users. Registrars need to strike a balance between robust security and user experience, ensuring that customers are adequately protected without compromising ease of use.

The recommendation for greater collaboration and data sharing between registrars is particularly noteworthy. Cyber threats are evolving quickly, and no single entity can combat them alone. By pooling threat intelligence and establishing clearer reporting mechanisms, registrars and domain owners can stay one step ahead of malicious actors.

Overall, the NCSC’s guidelines represent a significant shift toward a more secure domain registration ecosystem. While the effectiveness of these measures will depend on widespread adoption and enforcement, they lay the groundwork for a more proactive and coordinated approach to combating domain-based cyber threats.

Fact Checker Results:

The NCSC’s guidelines address the most common vulnerabilities in domain registration systems that lead to phishing and domain hijacking.
By enforcing KYC checks and DNS security measures, these recommendations could significantly reduce the number of malicious domains registered.
The success of these measures depends on registrar compliance and how well they balance security with user experience.

References:

Reported By: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ncsc-urges-domain-registrars/
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