.IE Domain Profile Report H1 2022

Cybersecurity – a key focus for the .ie namespace .IE is designated as an Operator of Essential Services (OES) under the Network and Information Systems (NIS) directive. As one of the guardians of Ireland’s national critical internet infrastructure, the .ie namespace, we are acutely aware of helping to protect Irish consumers and SMEs from cyber criminals. We take a number of steps to keep the .ie domain as safe as possible and this ensures that the level of security threat to .ie websites is a lot lower than other top level domains, such as .com. u Manually review .ie applications: Only individuals and businesses with a provable connection to Ireland can register a .ie domain, and applications from new customers are manually reviewed to ensure that they meet this requirement. This process keeps the .ie domain largely free from registrations by bad actors for their quick-moving scams and other illegal activities that unmanaged domains cannot control as easily. u Consumer protection protocols: We have established protocols with regulators to address online illegality and to permit ‘take-down’ of .ie websites under certain circumstances. There is a Regulatory Authority Protocol for dealing with illegal content on .ie websites. The regulatory authorities with whom we engage include the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Central Bank and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau, amongst others. u Monthly scans: We do a scan of the .ie zone file every month, which notifies us of suspicious activity, which is an important control. u Proactively respond to online abuse: We employ Netcraft , who provide internet security services, including cybercrime disruption. These services allow us to proactively respond to online abuse issues, such as websites that are hosting malware, phishing or botnets. Netcraft notifies our Registrars (companies that sell and manage .ie domains on our behalf) and the .ie domain holder. The domain holder can then, with the help of their Registrar or Hosting provider, take the required corrective action. Netcraft will monitor the website post the fix to ensure the issue is resolved. This service is invaluable as it helps innocent victims, such as SMEs who might be unaware that they have experienced a cyberattack and can take the required remediation action. Number of cybersecurity attacks identified 211 January – June 2022 386 June 2021 – June 2022 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 Jul 22 Jun 22 May 22 Apr 22 Mar 22 Feb 22 Jan 22 Dec 21 Nov 21 Oct 21 Sep 21 Aug 21 Jul 21 Jun 21 27 31 29 24 23 29 16 30 37 35 36 51 18 Phishing URL Web Shell Web-Inject Malware URL Shopping Site Skimmer Defaced Web Cryptocurrency Miner Fake Game Scam Phishing Dropsite Other Attack Types Source: Netcraft monitoring service of .ie domains  Phishing URL  Web Shell  Web-Inject Malware URL  Shopping Site Skimmer  Defaced Website  Cryptocurrency Miner  Fake Game Scam  Phishing Dropsite  Other Attack Types .IE Domain Profile Report 2022 - January–June | 3