Domain takedown: What is it, and why does it matter?

While the internet provides countless opportunities for businesses to reach a wider audience, it also opens the door for malicious actors looking to use a brand’s good name to exploit its unsuspecting customers. One effective way to combat this threat is through a domain takedown — removing harmful websites that could potentially damage your brand’s hard-earned reputation and put users at risk. In this article, we’ll go over what a domain takedown is, why it’s necessary, and what actions a business should take to protect its reputation and customers.

What is a domain takedown, and why is it important?

Cybercriminals often use names of well-known brands to gain a victim’s trust. These fake sites often use the same or similar logos and designs to look like the real deal and trick people into giving away passwords, credit card info, and personal details or even charging them money. For example, a scam site like “amaz0n-support.com” could easily fool someone into thinking it's Amazon customer service. Many people could get scammed if that site isn’t taken down quickly.

As more organizations and individuals rely on the internet to conduct business, the number of businesses targeted by fraudulent websites continues to grow. According to research[1], in the last quarter of 2024 alone, almost 989,123 unique phishing websites were detected — almost 6% more than the previous quarter and 13% more than Q2.

Domain takedown is an important measure in fighting online threats. It helps to protect a brand’s reputation and users from phishing, malware, and other types of domain abuse.

What types of domains are subject to takedown?

Domains can be taken down for a variety of reasons, usually when they’re involved in harmful or illegal activity. As a company, it’s important to be aware of harmful domains that could put your brand, your customers, or your network systems at risk. Here are some of the most common types of domains that can get flagged and taken offline:

• Phishing domains. Domains that are designed to trick users into giving away sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers. Most of the time, they try to mimic legitimate websites to appear legitimate.
• Malicious domains. Sites that are hosting or delivering malicious software such as ransomware, trojans, or spyware. While simply visiting a malicious site typically won’t infect your device, especially with an up-to-date browser, these domains often use tactics like redirect chains, drive-by downloads, or exploit kits to deliver malware.
• Fake store domains. Domains that are used to deceive users through fake services, offers, or products. They aim to steal data or money by pretending to be something they’re not.
• Brand impersonation domains. Domains that are misusing brand names to trick consumers into thinking they’re interacting with a legitimate business. They often host stolen or pirated content, violating intellectual property rights. A lot of the time, these domains rely on typosquatting or slightly altered spellings of real domains (like “amaz0n.com” instead of “amazon.com”).
• Illegal content domains. Sites that are hosting content that violates laws, such as stolen data, pirated media, explicit content, or other prohibited materials.
• Spam and scam domains. Sites used for mass spam campaigns, phishing attacks, and other fraudulent schemes. They’re often part of larger campaigns.

Reasons for domain takedown

Domains can be taken down for various reasons, including but not limited to:

• Copyright violation. Using copyrighted material like text, images, videos, or software without permission.
• Trademark infringement. Impersonating a brand or using a company’s name, logo, or identity in misleading ways that create confusion.
• Fraudulent activity. Running scams, collecting payment or personal information under false pretenses, or setting up fake services.
• Malware distribution. Hosting or distributing malware, spyware, ransomware, or tools that enable data breaches and other attacks.
• Violation of hosting terms. Engaging in harmful, abusive, or restricted activity that breaches the provider’s policies.
• Illegal activity. Publishing or linking to prohibited material such as child exploitation, terrorist content, or criminal activity.
• Cybersecurity threats. Facilitating phishing, hosting stealer logs, or exposing users to different types of data breaches and unauthorized access.
• Violation of local or international law. Domains involved in legally prohibited activity, like fraud, identity theft, or money laundering.

Steps to address suspicious domains

When you come across a suspicious domain, whether pretending to be your brand or spreading harmful content, it’s important to act quickly. Acting fast can prevent scams, protect your customers, and limit damage to your brand. Here are the necessary steps to investigate and take down malicious or fraudulent domains.

1. Analyze domain details

Before taking action, collect as much information about the domain as possible. This information can include details about where the domain is registered (the registrar), records of who owns it, related IP addresses, and active website content. If the domain is hosting a live website, review it carefully. Check for signs of phishing, malware, or brand impersonation.

2. Evaluate the potential risk

Not all suspicious domains pose an immediate threat, so conducting a risk assessment is necessary. Determine whether the domain is hosting phishing websites, distributing malware, or attempting to trick users into thinking it’s your brand. Consider whether it could confuse customers, damage your reputation, or be used in fraudulent transactions. Domains that look very similar to yours or use your branding should be treated as a high risk.

3. Document and collect evidence

You’ll need solid proof to support any takedown requests:

• Screenshots that show how the domain is being used maliciously.
• WHOIS records and DNS information to find out who owns the domain and where it’s hosted.
• User complaints, phishing reports, and real-world examples showing how the domain has caused problems.

This evidence will help when reporting the domain to service providers or authorities.

4. Report to the registrar

Once you have sufficient evidence, the next step is to report the domain to its registrar. Most registrars have an abuse contact or form for this purpose. When reporting, you should:

• Include all the evidence you’ve collected, especially anything that shows the domain is breaking laws.
• Clearly outline how the domain is being misused, like pretending to be your brand, running phishing attacks, or spreading malware.
• Follow up if you don’t hear back in a reasonable amount of time. Some registrars can be slow to respond.

5. Notify the hosting provider

If the domain is hosting harmful content, report it to the hosting company. Hosting providers often have strict policies against phishing, malware, and fraud. When submitting a report, be sure to:

• Provide specific URLs and evidence of the infringing content.
• Reference the hosting provider’s abuse policies that prohibit malicious activity.
• Request action, such as the removal of the offending content or account.

6. File a UDRP complaint

If the domain is using your trademark, consider filing a UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) complaint. This process, handled through domain arbitration organizations like WIPO, can help remove the domain. You’ll need to show:

• Proof of trademark ownership.
• Evidence that the domain was registered and used in bad faith.
• Evidence that the domain is confusingly similar to your trademark.

7. Submit a takedown notice

If the domain is using your copyrighted materials (like your logo or content), you can file a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) takedown notice. You can send it to the registrar and the hosting provider. DMCA is typically faster than UDRP but only applies to copyrights, not trademarks.

8. Report for malicious activity

In addition to contacting registrars and hosting providers, you should report fraudulent domains to cybersecurity organizations, which can blocklist them and warn users. Reports can be submitted to:

• Google Safe Browsing.
• Microsoft SmartScreen.
• National cybersecurity agencies or anti-phishing organizations.

9. Monitor the changes

Even after taking action, keep an eye on the domain. Bad actors often make changes or switch hosts to continue their attacks. Ongoing monitoring helps you catch these threats earlier next time.

Common issues occurring in the domain takedown process

While domain takedown is important to protect your brand’s reputation and keep your customers safe, the process isn’t always smooth. Challenges can come up that slow things down or make it harder to get results fast:

• Slow response times. Registrars and hosting providers may take days or even weeks to process a takedown request, especially if the domain in question is hosted on shared servers or is registered through an international registrar with different time zones or procedures. In many cases, the investigation process can be slow because service providers need to verify the complaint, assess the evidence, and contact the domain account owner.
• Legal jurisdiction barriers. Domains registered in different countries may be harder to take down because of different laws and regulations regarding domain takedown requests. For example, a phishing domain registered in a country with weak cybercrime enforcement or no strong intellectual property protections might be difficult to take down if local authorities do not have the necessary jurisdiction or resources to pursue the case.
• Repeat offenders. Malicious actors often don’t stop after a takedown request is successful. Repeat offenders will sometimes attempt to register new domains under slightly altered names or use a different registrar or hosting provider to continue their malicious activity. They might even re-register the same domain once it expires, bypassing the original takedown and creating a continuous cycle that can be difficult to break.
• Lack of evidence. It’s important to present all necessary evidence to increase the chances of a successful takedown. Registrars and hosts may reject takedown requests without clear and sufficient proof.
• False positives. Legitimate domains can sometimes be flagged incorrectly because of misinterpretation of evidence, confusion over similar domain names, or incorrect assumptions about the domain’s purpose, which may lead to legal disputes. It’s a particularly sensitive issue when dealing with trademarks or intellectual property. If a domain uses a name that is similar but not identical to your brand, you can face legal challenges regarding whether the domain constitutes infringement or not.

Best practices for preventing abusive domains

Taking down fraudulent domains is necessary to protect your brand and customers. However, by taking steps to prevent these issues, companies can lower the chances of facing malicious domains and handle problems more easily when they come up. Here’s how your organization can stay prepared.

1. Choose a trusted domain registrar and enable privacy protection

The first step in securing your domain is picking a reputable registrar. Not all of them are equal, so look for one that has solid security practices, a good track record, and responsive customer support in case something goes wrong.

Once you've registered your domain, enable privacy protection. Without it, your domain’s contact information, like your name, email, and phone number, is publicly listed in the WHOIS database. Hiding this information can make it more difficult for attackers to target you.

2. Strengthen your domain’s login security

Your domain is only as secure as the account protecting it. Use strong, unique passwords that are hard to guess, and turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever it’s available. It’s important to secure all accounts associated with the domain, like those for your hosting provider or DNS manager.

Keep an eye on your account activity, too. Some registrars offer alerts if a login is made from an unfamiliar location or device — turn them on so you’re never caught off guard.

3. Prevent unauthorized transfers with domain locking

Domain locking is a security setting that prevents your domain from being transferred to another registrar without your permission. If someone tries to hijack your domain and move it elsewhere, the lock stops them in their tracks.

This feature is usually called "registrar lock" or "transfer lock," and it can usually be enabled through your registrar's dashboard. Enabling it is a small step that can help you keep control of your domain.

4. Protect your domain’s integrity with DNSSEC

DNSSEC, short for Domain Name System Security Extensions, ensures that the information returned from your domain’s DNS query is authentic and hasn’t been tampered with, thus helping to prevent DNS spoofing and man-in-the-middle attacks. This way, you reduce the risk of visitors being redirected to fake or malicious sites when they type in your web address.

Without DNSSEC, attackers can exploit vulnerabilities in the DNS infrastructure and potentially spoof or hijack those DNS requests, redirecting visitors to fake or malicious websites. Enabling DNSSEC helps protect your users from those kinds of threats and keeps your domain's integrity intact.

5. Maintain long-term domain security and ownership

Security isn’t just a one-time setup. It’s something you have to maintain over time. Always renew your domain before it expires to avoid losing it. Many registrars offer automatic renewal services, which help ensure that your domain is never accidentally dropped or expired.

Also make sure your contact information is always current. The registrar needs to be able to reach you if it ever encounters an issue with payments or suspicious login attempts.

6. Use NordStellar’s threat exposure solution to monitor threats continuously across all top-level domains

Even with strong domain security, threats can still slip through the cracks. NordStellar’s threat exposure platform helps your team spot attacks before they become full-blown incidents. It includes solutions like data breach monitoring, account takeover detection, session hijacking prevention, and dark web monitoring that help you act quickly and stay protected.

Cybersquatting detection, in particular, monitors threats across all top-level domains and uses AI analysis tools to detect and assess suspicious domains. You’ll receive real-time alerts with in-depth insights, including screenshots, redirect chains, WHOIS data, and similarity metrics, so your team can quickly investigate and resolve harmful domains. This way, you can help protect your brand, prevent phishing, and retain customer trust.

References

[1] Phishing Activity Trends Report. (2025) APWG, & Aaron, G. https://docs.apwg.org/reports/apwg_trends_report_q4_2024.pdf