EU legislation introduced to ban anonymous domain registration

guest · Oct 13, 2021

EU legislation introduced to ban anonymous domain registration
October 13, 2021
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...roduced-to-ban-anonymous-domain-registration/

The European Union is drafting legislation that could soon end individuals registering domains anonymously on the continent.

When an Internet domain is registered, a registrar will collect information such as the purchaser's name, address, email, and phone number. However, this information is not verified to be accurate and could contain false information.
The EU's new directive will add new provisions regarding how domain registrars collect information from registrants and who will have access to said information.
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Who’s lobbying for this?
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has taken a clear stance in favor of the new directive along with various copyright holder representatives and organizations.

The problem that these entities see with anonymous domains is that they are often used for illegal activities such as distributing malware, the unlicensed dissemination of copyright-protected works, and more.
Even if the domains are reported and taken offline by the registrars, the owners can hop to a new one and start over.
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As MEP Patrick Breyer (Pirate Party) warns, the new directive threatens the safety of activists and whistleblowers by ending their anonymity, which is, in essence, the only layer of protection they have.

This policy endangers website operators, because only anonymity effectively protects against data theft and loss, stalking and identity theft, doxxing, and ‘death lists’.
Germany’s top-level domain (.de) registry DENIC also expressed concerns about the new directive.
In feedback to legislators, DENIC welcomes proposals for enhancing cybersecurity across the EU but feels that new requirements on collecting registration data will not necessarily provide increased DNS security or prevent abuse.
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Floyd 57 · Oct 13, 2021

Ah damn i was just gonna make a website to scam people and infect them, guess i'm out of luck

guest · Oct 22, 2021

EU ban on anonymous domain registration welcomed by threat intel firm
‘This raises the bar and makes it expensive for easy cyber criminality,’ argues DomainTools
October 22, 2021
https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/...in-registration-welcomed-by-threat-intel-firm

Forthcoming European Union regulations that would curtail anonymous domain registration has been welcomed by a security firm despite concerns from some including Germany’s top-level domain registry, DENIC.

Wide-ranging proposals to achieve a “high common level of cybersecurity across the Union” and update the 2016 network and information systems (NIS Directive), would restrict the anonymous registration of domains, among other measures.
Anonymous domain registration is often associated with illegal activities including the distribution of malware and the hosting of phishing sites as well as the authorized distribution of copyright protected works.
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The German registry added: “Identification of the registrant does not provide information about the entity exercising actual technical control over the delegated namespace and even less so about entities providing content or services within that namespace.”

However, Chad Anderson, senior security researcher for DomainTools, a domain-name and DNS-based cyber threat intelligence firm, said access to registration information would offer a vital tool for network security defenders.

“We’ve certainly found other ways of fingerprinting actors based on tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), but taking down large swaths of domains tied to a single individual is much quicker when they can actually be tied to that individual and time is increasingly of the essence,” according to Anderson.
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Concerns that the registration of domain would impacts whistleblowers and activists are misplaced, according to DomainTools’ Anderson.

“They should all be using Tor and pre-built sites anyways to protect their anonymity,” according to Anderson, who added, “if anything this will force their hand to use better operational security”.
Even though once the regulations come into effect cybercriminals can still hide behind corporations or registrars in other countries, the result will still be to make malicious activity more difficult and expensive, DomainTools argues.
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