Most parked domains now push scams and malware

Fox News Flash top headlines for December 26 Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on FoxNews.com. Typing a web address directly into your browser feels harmless. In fact, it feels normal. But new research shows that a simple habit is now one of the riskiest things you can do online. A recent study from cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals a troubling shift. Most parked domains now redirect visitors to scams, malware or fake security warnings. In many cases, this happens instantly. You do not have to click anything. That means a single typo can expose your device. Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide - free when you join my CYBERGUY.COM newsletter. What are parked domains? Parked domains are unused or expired web addresses. Many exist because someone forgot to renew a domain. Others are deliberate misspellings of popular sites like Google, Netflix or YouTube. For years, these domains displayed harmless placeholder pages. They showed ads and links to monetize accidental traffic. While annoying, they rarely posed serious danger. That is no longer true. Infoblox found that more than 90 percent of visits to parked domains now lead to malicious content. This includes scareware, fake antivirus offers, phishing pages and malware downloads. A single mistyped web address can redirect you from a trusted site to a dangerous parked domain in seconds, Kurt Knutsson writes. (PeopleImages/Getty Images) Why direct navigation has become so risky Direct navigation means typing a website address by hand instead of using a bookmark or search result. One missing letter can change everything. For example, mistyping gmail.com as gmai.com does not trigger an error. Instead, it can deliver your email straight to criminals. Infoblox found that some of these typo domains actively run mail servers to capture messages. Even worse, many of these domains form part of massive portfolios. One group tracked by Infoblox controlled nearly 3,000 lookalike domains associated with banks, tech companies and government services. Malicious parked domains often trigger fake security warnings or hidden redirects without requiring any clicks. (CyberGuy.com) How these domains decide whom to attack Not everyone sees the same thing when visiting a parked domain. That is intentional. Researchers discovered that parked pages often profile visitors in real time. They analyze IP address, device type, location, cookies and browsing behavior. Based on that data, the domain decides what you see next. Visitors using a VPN or non-residential connection often see harmless placeholder pages. Residential users on phones or home computers get redirected to scams or malware instead. This filtering helps attackers stay hidden while maximizing successful attacks. Why parked domain scams are increasing Several trends are fueling the problem. First, traffic from parked domains is often resold multiple times through affiliate networks. By the time it reaches a malicious advertiser, there is no direct relationship with the original parking company....

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