Microsoft 'URL Tracer' Hunts Typosquatters

TonioSop writes "Microsoft Research has released a new tool to help pinpoint large-scale typosquatters that are known to be gaming pay-per-click domain parking services. The lightweight prototype, called Strider URL Tracer, builds on the work within Microsoft's Cybersecurity and Systems Management group to keep tabs on a sophisticated typosquatting scheme that uses multilayer URL redirection to make money from Google's AdSense for domains program. "

Help me understand how this helps me?

[RobertB-DC]

The article sure made a big to-do about how typosquatters target kids, implying that the Bad Guys want to get 11-year-olds to steal their parents' credit cards so that they can visit neopetsporn.com or something.

So, what, I'm supposed to install this on my PC instead of teaching my kids how to hit the "esc" key and then hit "back"? As a parent, I've always figured it was *my* job, not Bill's, to teach my kids to surf safely. Heck, I even gave the rest of my family detailed instructions [magicnumbers.org] on how to respond if they accidentally visited the porn squatter at the dot-com next door to my family's domain name.

Of course, I guess if you're using Internet Explorer, you probably need some sort of blocker for the sites that send you to Popup Hell or otherwise highjack your browser. Strange how I never have this problem myself (coughcough [opera.com]cough).

Is it illegal?

[Camel Pilot]

So once you catch one of these typosquatters what do you do with them. Is it illegal ?

Re:Yay?

[sjwest]

"Stealing Brand Traffic" ? - thats on page 2 of the article if you have not read it - Good heavens you better send these 'terrorists' to Cuba at the same time.

While I cannot spell shakespears-globe.org and always end up at some typosquatter i feel this is my fault not a trademark 'ip theft' - or put another way amzon should have registered that too along with amazon

Looks like standard ms 'fud' here. - Im still blaming my english teachers and 1960's teaching methods. - if these guys had there way billgatesisgay.com would link to microsoft.com - to stop 'theft' or censor the internet. but i dont trust microsoft.

Re:Dupe

[onebecoming]

Here's my favorite misspelling: slsahdot.org [slsahdot.org]

Let's see what the stats look like today.

Jab at Google

[Coward Anonymous]

Google's DomainPark (http://www.google.com/domainpark/ [google.com]) which is what typo-squatters use is a source of a large chunk of Google revenue. This could be the beginning of Microsoft's stab at Google's soft (and sleazy) underbelly.

Re:Yay?

[SpaceCadetTrav]

Google owns oingo.com, one of the largest "parked domain" companies out there.