It seems like a complex solution to an easy-to-solve problem.
IBM has filed a patent application (pdf) for “Guided Word Association Based on Domain Name Detection”.
It’s a system to detect so-called cases of combosquatting, where bad actors use a brand name plus another word in a second level domain name.
For example, someone might set up a phishing attack at Facebook-Security .com.
It’s a common type of cybersquatting, but it’s also one of the easier types to detect. After all, any domain that has facebook in the second level is a candidate and should be scrutinized. It’s much easier to detect combosquatted domains than typosquatted domains, for example, with a simple keyword search.
IBM’s idea seems needlessly complex. It involves creating candidate lists of domains based on relevant words and then checking to see if they are registered. I suppose it could be helpful for proactively registering potential combosquats, which isn’t something I’d really suggest. It might also be helpful for companies with fairly generic or short brands. IBM, for example.
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