The growth of fraudulent domains corresponds to the growth of the overall domain landscape, according to Proofpoint.
Between Q1 and Q4 2018, registrations of fraudulent domains grew by 11 percent. Nearly all fraudulent domains detected by Proofpoint remain active and positioned for attack, with more than 90 percent associated with a live server.
Of these fraudulent domains, more than 15 percent have Mail Exchanger (MX) records, indicating that they send and/or receive email. One-in-four also have security certificates – far more than appear in the aggregate domain landscape – which many internet users mistakenly equate with legitimacy and security.
