On December 11, the VK platform of the Safe Information Environment for Children project hosted the 10th webinar organized by the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ, Digital Ecology: For a Clean Runet. The event featured Olga Baskakova, Security Project Manager at the Coordination Center, as a guest speaker. The webinar highlighted the Domain Patrol project, which offers valuable resources on various types of digital fraud, tools to counter them, and the latest updates in the field of information security.
The discussion opened with an examination of the nature of internet malware and the criminal tactics employed, illustrated by real-life examples. Olga Baskakova highlighted that Runet users frequently encounter phishing, which targets not only passport or bank card details but also any sensitive information, such as login credentials for social media accounts or personal accounts on various websites.
“Cybercriminals frequently exploit strong emotions and, more recently, have started leveraging artificial intelligence for this purpose,” Olga noted. “Common phishing schemes include counterfeit websites mimicking banks, major marketplaces, government agencies, and similar entities. According to the Central Bank, monthly losses from phishing attacks reach 1.5 billion rubles. However, since the beginning of 2024, 30 million fraudulent transactions totaling 4 trillion rubles have been successfully thwarted.”
Domain Patrol provides users with several tools to counteract phishing sites, as well as platforms distributing viruses, participating in botnets, or hosting illegal content. One such tool is a feedback form for reporting to expert information security organizations. Users can fill out an electronic request if they suspect they have encountered a malicious website on the Runet. In the Competent Organizations section, users can directly contact the hotline of a chosen organization. Additionally, the Domain Check section allows users to verify whether a website in the .RU or .РФ domain has been flagged for suspicious activity, helping to identify potential threats.
“If you encounter a resource outside the .RU or .РФ domains, such as in another national domain or a public domain like .COM, you can refer to our guide, How to Complain Correctly. This guide includes illustrations and diagrams, explains how to identify the domain name zone and its registrar, and offers detailed recommendations for preparing an application to address domain delegation issues,” Olga explained. “The guide is available in the 'What to do if...' section,” she added.
During the meeting, the results of efforts to combat phishing, viruses, and spam through the Domain Patrol project were presented. The .ДЕТИ domain was highlighted as an exemplary case of one of the safest domain spaces on the Russian internet.
Recordings of all webinars in the Coordination Center’s Safe Information Environment for Children series are accessible in the official VK community of the Coordination Center. These broadcasts are traditionally supported by the .ДЕТИ domain and the Smart Internet Foundation.
