Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domains
During the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, citizens have been attempting to obtain critical information and directives from official government websites. These are usually hosted on top-level domains, such as coronavirus.mx. There is no reliable mechanism to verify these websites’ authenticity,...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Harvard Kennedy School
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/ambiguity-in-authenticity-of-top-level-coronavirus-related-domains/ |
| _version_ | 1818430457798197248 |
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| author | Nathanael Tombs Eleonore Fournier-Tombs |
| author_facet | Nathanael Tombs Eleonore Fournier-Tombs |
| author_sort | Nathanael Tombs |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | During the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, citizens have been attempting to obtain critical information and directives from official government websites. These are usually hosted on top-level domains, such as coronavirus.mx. There is no reliable mechanism to verify these websites’ authenticity, and the space is also shared by commercial entities selling related (or not) products and advertisements. This loophole is an urgent information security and misinformation problem that can be resolved by registering websites under restricted second-level domains or adopting existing methods of domain registrant identification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:33:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c8029eaeb444fbdb1ea9682a36dad66 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2766-1652 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:33:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | Harvard Kennedy School |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c8029eaeb444fbdb1ea9682a36dad662022-12-21T22:55:48ZengHarvard Kennedy SchoolHarvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review2766-16522020-08-011310.37016/mr-2020-036Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domainsNathanael Tombs0Eleonore Fournier-Tombs1Solarisbank, GermanyFaculty of Law, University of Ottawa, CanadaDuring the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis, citizens have been attempting to obtain critical information and directives from official government websites. These are usually hosted on top-level domains, such as coronavirus.mx. There is no reliable mechanism to verify these websites’ authenticity, and the space is also shared by commercial entities selling related (or not) products and advertisements. This loophole is an urgent information security and misinformation problem that can be resolved by registering websites under restricted second-level domains or adopting existing methods of domain registrant identification.https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/ambiguity-in-authenticity-of-top-level-coronavirus-related-domains/covid-17cybersecurityinformation securityinfrastructurelaw & government |
| spellingShingle | Nathanael Tombs Eleonore Fournier-Tombs Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domains Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review covid-17 cybersecurity information security infrastructure law & government |
| title | Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domains |
| title_full | Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domains |
| title_fullStr | Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domains |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domains |
| title_short | Ambiguity in authenticity of top-level Coronavirus-related domains |
| title_sort | ambiguity in authenticity of top level coronavirus related domains |
| topic | covid-17 cybersecurity information security infrastructure law & government |
| url | https://misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/ambiguity-in-authenticity-of-top-level-coronavirus-related-domains/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nathanaeltombs ambiguityinauthenticityoftoplevelcoronavirusrelateddomains AT eleonorefourniertombs ambiguityinauthenticityoftoplevelcoronavirusrelateddomains |