In line with WhoisXML API’s goal to help make the Internet a safer and more secure environment, we launched the Data Contribution and Exchange Program. As part of this program, we partner with Internet registries and registrars in various ways, notably to facilitate and expedite critical cyber threat data collection and distribution.

To prevent abuse on the Internet and attain our ultimate goal, we raise awareness about cybercrime trends, threat detection techniques, and threat hunting best practices.

Thus, it was not by coincidence that APTLD invited the WhoisXML API team to share their expertise on cybersecurity with the APTLD community at an exclusive cybersecurity webinar held on 9 June 2021.

The Role of APTLD

APTLD stands for the “Asia Pacific Top Level Domain Association,” an organization comprising country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) registries primarily located in Asia-Pacific. APTLD fosters the exchange of information that helps domain name registries in the region address technological and operational issues. APTLD also acts as an interface to other international Internet coordinating bodies.

Key Learnings from the Cybersecurity Webinar

In the 80-minute-long cybersecurity webinar exclusively held for APTLD Ordinary Members, WhoisXML API’s cybersecurity experts—Alexander Ronquillo, Alexandre Francois, Ed Gibbs, and Ching Chiao—discussed a variety of security-related topics. The central theme of the webinar was the demonstration of practical ways of detecting possible threats posed by suspicious domain names. More specifically, the following questions were addressed:

WhoisXML API Tools and Data Sources Used in the Webinar

The cybersecurity webinar provided a glimpse at an exclusive WhoisXML API cybersecurity study and a technical walk-through of domain threat intelligence tools. Below are some of the data sources and tools showcased during the webinar.

• WHOIS Data Feed: Access comprehensive WHOIS data of more than 774 domain names and learn about a given domain’s ownership contact details and more.
• Typosquatting Data Feed: Monitor bulk registrations of look-alike domain names that appear in the Domain Name System (DNS) on any given day, week, or month.
• Screenshot Lookup API: Check out what a suspicious domain’s live webpage looks like without actually visiting it.
• WHOIS History Search: As part of the Domain Research Suite (DRS), WHOIS History Search gives you access to a domain’s historical domain registration records. The search tool takes you back to more than 10 years of the domain ownership history.
• WHOIS Search: Obtain the current WHOIS registration records of a domain name instantly with this DRS search tool.
• Reverse DNS Search: Uncover all the domains connected to yours via its IP address, mail server, or name server. The DRS tool can facilitate the discovery of artifacts related to specific cybercrime indicators of compromise (IoCs).

WhoisXML API would like to thank the APTLD community for the opportunity to share cybersecurity best practices and demonstrate how ccTLD registries can detect, recon, and facilitate the takedown of malicious Internet properties.

Reach out to us for more information about the Data Contribution and Exchange Program and stay updated with upcoming cybersecurity webinars.