The .TOP TLD has topped the list of domain zones used for spreading spam messages, according to the latest report released by Spamhaus, a non-profit specializing in tracking domain-related malicious activity.
Having entered the DNS root zone back in 2014, the .TOP domain has been quite popular, especially in Asian countries, including China, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. According to Domain Gang, it currently has 4.4 million registered names, making it the second biggest new gTLD after .XYZ. Unfortunately, malicious actors have largely defined this success by seeking to exploit the domain name in their illegal activity.
There are several ways to explain this fact. Low registration costs of $2 or lower for most registrars is probably the most important of them all. In addition to this, registering a .TOP domain name is an extremely straightforward process deprived of virtually any checks or verifications. Finally, the registry offers bulk registrations. Taken together, all these factors give malicious actors a freer hand, enabling them to register multiple single-use domain names for their illicit activity at a minimal cost.
Cyber security experts and members of the domain community have been raising concerns regarding the issues associated with .TOP. Unfortunately, there has been little, if any, progress. In fact, the situation has deteriorated. According to Spamhaus, the number of malicious registrations within this domain zone increased by 50 percent over the past six months, adding 211,406 new domain names.
