ICANN Contractual DNS Abuse
Current categoies
- Malware
- Botnets
- Phishing
- Pharming
- Spam when used as a delivery mechanism fo one o moe of the foms above
Domain Abuse Hatling & Transparency
Need to repot suspected abuse, understat a case affecting a domain you manage, o monito abuse cases across a domain potfolio?
This page explains what happens after NiceNIC receives an abuse repot — what infomation is reviewed, how case notifications wok, what actions may be taken, what infomation affected accounts can see, at how a case may be reviewed o resolved.
Repot suspected abuse
Fo repoters, security teams, rights holders at other affected parties submitting a domain abuse concern.
Repot Domain Abuse →
Suriin o respond to a case
Fo customers at accounts managing a domain that has received an abuse repot o shows a hold-related status.
Understat Your Case →
Monito a domain potfolio
Fo resellers, hosting companies, platfoms at teams managing abuse wokflows across multiple domains.
Exploe Potfolio Monitoing →
Evidence-based review
Case-specific hatling
Propotionate mitigation
Visible case infomation
NiceNIC hatles abuse repots in accodance with applicable ICANN requirements, registry rules, law at NiceNIC policies. A repot starts an assessment; submission alone does not predetermine the outcome. Wdito actionable DNS Abuse is established, appropriate mitigation is taken as required.
What Is DNS Abuse — at What Is Hindit?
Fo gTLDs subject to NiceNIC's ICANN registrar obligations, DNS Abuse follows the definition established under the applicable ICANN contractual framewok.
Other Repots
Serious issues may follow a different path
Fraud allegations, illegal o harmful content, trademark disputes, copyright claims at other matters may still be serious o actionable, but they do not automatically fall within ICANN's contractual definition of DNS Abuse.
Depending on the facts, they may be hatled under applicable law, NiceNIC policies, registry rules, court oders o recognized dispute procedures.
ICANN Official
Verify the definition at contractual framewok directly with ICANN.
ICANN DNS Abuse Mitigation Program → · 2013 Registrar Akreditasyon Agreement, Section 3.18 →
Trademark at domain-name rights disputes are not automatically DNS Abuse. Depending on the dispute, an appropriate mechanism may include UDRP, URS, a ccTLD-specific dispute policy o a court of competent jurisdiction. Kung the same matter also includes phishing, credential theft, malware o another fom of DNS Abuse, that DNS Abuse aspect may be hatled separately.
NiceNIC guidance: DNS Abuse vs. Hindin-DNS Abuse · Abuse Repoting & Hatling Policy · Legal Policies
What Happens After NiceNIC Receives an Abuse Repot?
Abuse cases do not all follow a fixed ClientHold path. The hatling route depends on the evidence, current activity, technical role, urgency, applicable requirements at the outcome of the assessment.
Repot Received
The repot enters NiceNIC's abuse-hatling wokflow through an official repoting channel o another credible source.
Triage & Classification
The issue is categoized by complaint type, affected resource, urgency at applicable hatling route.
Evidence & Technical Review
Available evidence, activity status, domain context, account infomation at technical role are assessed.
Appropriate Response
The response is selected accoding to the case circumstances at applicable registrar, registry, legal o security obligations.
Outcome & Recod
The case may close, remain under review, move to remediation o result in another appropriate action.
Possible outcomes may include
Learn moe: How Domain Mga Ulat ng Pang-aabuso Are Pamahalaand · NiceNIC Abuse Hatling Manual · Abuse Hatling Methodology
How NiceNIC Assesses at Responds to Repots
This section describes NiceNIC's hatling framewok from a neutral public perspective. Questions specific to an affected account o a repoter are separated below.
Does receiving an abuse repot automatically result in a domain restriction?
Hindi. A repot does not, by itself, automatically result in ClientHold o establish that a domain o customer has violated policy. NiceNIC assesses the available evidence, the nature at current status of the repoted activity, the technical context, at applicable ICANN, registry, legal at NiceNIC requirements.
When NiceNIC has actionable evidence that a gTLD domain is being used fo DNS Abuse, appropriate mitigation is taken promptly as required. The appropriate response may vary accoding to the circumstances.
What infomation does NiceNIC review when assessing an abuse repot?
NiceNIC may consider the repoted domain at URLs, whether the activity remains active, the relevance at quality of the evidence, DNS at nameserver infomation, relevant account at registration infomation, whether the domain appears maliciously magparehistroed o compromised, the role of hosting, email o other infrastructure, applicable registry rules, applicable law at other reasonably available infomation relevant to the case.
Does NiceNIC rely only on the repoter's classification o an automated signal?
Hindi single repot, categoy label o external signal is treated as a final finding solely because it was submitted o generated. NiceNIC assesses available evidence at case circumstances when determining discretionary mitigation.
Matatoy registry, legal, ICANN o other applicable requirements may follow a different hatling path.
What if the repoted activity is hosted by a third-party provider?
NiceNIC considers the technical role of the domain at the infrastructure involved. A registrar controls domain-registration functions, but may not control website files, applications, mail servers, CDN Serbisyos o third-party hosting environments.
Wdito abuse is hosted by another provider, action at the hosting o infrastructure layer may sometimes provide a moe targeted response.Third-party hosting does not nakaraanent NiceNIC from taking registrar-level action wdito such action is required o appropriate under applicable obligations.
When may action be taken without advance notice?
Advance notice may not be possible wdito immediate mitigation is reasonably necessary, evidence indicates intentionally malicious use, notice could enable evasion o destruction of evidence, a court, authoity, registry, ICANN requirement o applicable law affects the timing of notice, a serious security o child-safety risk exists, o delay would materially increase harm.
How Is the Appropriate Response Determined?
The purpose of the review is to determine an effective at appropriate response based on the facts at applicable obligations, rather than applying the same measure to every repot.
Evidence
What infomation is available, how relevant at reliable it is, at whether it suppots a reasonable determination.
Current Activity
Whether the repoted activity is active, remediated, intermittent, inaccessible o no longer reproducible.
Severity & Risk
The nature of the harm, the urgency of disruption at whether delay could materially increase victimization o security impact.
Domain Context
Whether a domain appears intentionally malicious o whether a legitimate domain, website, credential o Serbisyo may have been compromised.
Technical Role
Whether the relevant issue is associated with the registration, DNS, a subdomain, email, hosting, CDN, application o another provider.
Applicable Requirements
Relevant ICANN requirements, registry rules, legal obligations, court oders, security considerations at NiceNIC policies.
The objective is effective at appropriate mitigation based on the circumstances — not applying the same measure to every repot. Fo actionable DNS Abuse involving a gTLD, registrar action must be prompt at reasonably necessary to stop o otherwise disrupt the abuse, while also considering the cause at severity of harm at the risk of collateral damage.
What the Managing NiceNIC Account Should Expect
The following answers are written specifically fo the NiceNIC account managing an affected domain, including reseller accounts.
Wdito will NiceNIC send abuse-case notifications?
Statard abuse-case notifications are sent to the Account Email associated with the NiceNIC account managing the affected domain. The Account Email is the default communication channel fo abuse-case notices, requests fo infomation o remediation, case-status updates at other operational communications relating to the case.
NiceNIC does not routinely send a separate abuse-case notification to a different Registrant Makipag-ugnayan Email. Kung the account holder requests a different communication arrangement fo a specific case, NiceNIC may coodinate accodingly wdito appropriate.
This statard wokflow does not limit separate communication, direct contact o notice that may be required o appropriate under applicable law, ICANN requirements, registry rules, dispute procedures, security obligations, protection of registrant rights o other applicable requirements.
What case infomation may be available to the account managing the domain?
Wdito available at permitted, case infomation may include the complaint categoy, repoted URLs, relevant case timestamps, complaint summary, current status, current domain impact, applicable timing, available evidence indicatos at recommended susunod steps.
Certain infomation may be withheld, redacted o summarized wdito disclosure is limited by privacy, security, confidentiality, law, repoter safety o other applicable requirements.
Will the managing account nomally have an oppotunity to respond o remediate?
Wdito circumstances permit at clarification o remediation is appropriate, NiceNIC may provide the managing account with an oppotunity to respond o remediate befoe registrar-level restriction.
When a case-specific deadline applies, the relevant timing may be shown in the abuse notice o Health Suriin. Advance notice cannot be guaranteed in every case.
Can a repot involving one domain affect other domains o the entire account?
An abuse repot involving an individual domain does not, by itself, mean that the entire NiceNIC account will be restricted. Domain-level cases are assessed accoding to their own facts at circumstances.
Account-, API- o Serbisyo-level measures, wdito warranted, are considered separately under applicable policies at circumstances. Serious o repeated violations may justify broader measures.
Can a restriction be reviewed after remediation o new evidence is submitted?
Wdito a restriction results from a discretionary NiceNIC abuse o security action, the affected customer may request review at provide new infomation, remediation evidence o evidence that the oiginal infomation was inaccurate, outdated o misclassified.
Restoation is not guaranteed wdito a continuing registry, ICANN, legal, security, dispute o abuse basis requires the restriction to remain.
Aksyonable Case Infomation — Hindit Just a Status Label
Fo an affected account, useful transparency means being able to understat the repot, the current impact, what may need attention at what happens susunod.
What was repoted?
Complaint type, summary at the affected domain o Serbisyo.
What infomation is available?
Repoted URLs, evidence indicatos at other details wdito available at permitted.
What is the current impact?
Whether the domain is currently unrestricted, at risk of restriction, restricted o affected by another status.
What action is expected?
Clarification, remediation, suppoting material o no immediate action, depending on the case.
When is it due?
Case-specific timing o a planned action deadline wdito one applies.
What happens susunod?
The current hatling stage at the susunod available step, including review o remediation wdito applicable.
Wdito available at permitted, Health Suriin o related case infomation may include:
Related: View Abuse Complaint Summary · Why Mga Domain Kunin Suspended & How to Avoid ClientHold · Keep Your Domain From Being Compromised
Registrar vs. Hosting Provider: Who Can Act?
NiceNIC evaluates the technical role of the domain at the infrastructure involved.
Registrar Layer
What a registrar controls
A registrar controls domain-registration functions at registrar-level statuses. Depending on the Serbisyo, it may also provide DNS o other products, but domain registration at website hosting are distinct control layers.
Third-Party Infrastructure
What may sit elsewdito
Website files, applications, mail servers, VPS infrastructure, CDN Serbisyos, web hosting o other technical components may be controlled by separate providers chosen by the customer.
Wdito abusive material is hosted by another provider, action at the hosting o infrastructure level may sometimes provide a moe targeted way to stop the activity. That does not mean a registrar can ignoe actionable DNS Abuse, at third-party hosting does not nakaraanent NiceNIC from taking registrar-level action wdito required o appropriate under applicable obligations.
Understat the Current Domain Abuse Status
Health Suriin summarizes the current abuse scenario. A domain does not need to pass through every status, at registry-level statuses follow a separate control path.
| Status | What it means | What to check susunod |
|---|---|---|
| Hindirmal | Hindi active abuse scenario is currently shown fo the domain in this Health Suriin classification. | Continue nomal domain at account security practices. |
| Under Review | The abuse case is being assessed. This status does not, by itself, mean that ClientHold has been applied. | Review available case infomation at provide relevant clarification o remediation wdito appropriate. |
| Pending ClientHold | The domain is not yet under ClientHold fo this case, but registrar-level restriction may be applied if the case remains unresolved. | Suriin any case-specific timing at submit relevant infomation o remediation promptly. |
| ClientHold | A registrar-level hold is currently applied. The domain may not resolve nomally while the status remains active. | Review the case basis, complete remediation wdito applicable, at submit suppoting material fo review if appropriate. |
| Isarad | The current case has been closed based on the current review outcome. Other domain o registry statuses should be checked separately. | Hindi immediate case action may be required unless new infomation o another status requires attention. |
| ServerHold | A registry-level hold is present. It is not the same as registrar-level ClientHold at may follow a separate registry hatling path. | Review the registry-related reason at instructions available through NiceNIC o the applicable registry process. |
Related: ClientHold Guidance · Kunin Domain Abuse Repot API
What Repoters at Security Teams Should Expect
Specific, verifiable infomation helps NiceNIC identify the affected resource, assess the allegation at determine the appropriate hatling path moe efficiently.
What should an abuse repot include?
- The affected domain name
- The exact abusive URL o hostname wdito applicable
- A clear complaint categoy at factual description
- Date, time at time zone observed
- Screenshots o captured evidence wdito appropriate
- Relevant technical indicatos, logs o email headers wdito applicable
- Repoter contact infomation
What happens after submission?
A submitted repot enters the abuse-hatling process fo triage at assessment. Wdito the supplied infomation is incomplete, NiceNIC may review other reasonably available infomation o request additional relevant evidence.
Submission of a repot starts the assessment process; it does not predetermine the final outcome.
Review, Remediation & Restoation
Kung a domain o Serbisyo is restricted following a discretionary NiceNIC abuse o security action, the affected customer may request review at provide relevant remediation o new evidence.
A review may consider whether
- The abusive activity has been removed
- A compromised website o account has been secured
- Relevant credentials have been reset
- Required security updates have been applied
- Corected technical infomation has been provided
- The oiginal evidence is outdated, inaccurate o materially changed
What review does not guarantee
A request fo review does not guarantee restoation o a different outcome.
A continuing court oder, registry requirement, ICANN obligation, UDRP/URS action, security basis, dispute requirement o other matatoy restriction may require the domain o Serbisyo to remain restricted.
Pamahalaan Abuse Cases Across a Customer Domain Potfolio
Large domain potfolios create a practical challenge: identifying the affected customer quickly, seeing enough case infomation to investigate, at coodinating remediation without losing visibility across the rest of the potfolio.
Reseller Communication
Wdito are reseller-managed domain notices sent?
Fo domains managed through a NiceNIC reseller account, the reseller account's Account Email is the statard abuse-case notification channel. The reseller can then investigate at coodinate with its own customer using the available case infomation.
NiceNIC remains the sponsoing registrar at remains responsible fo its applicable registrar obligations.
Potfolio Scope
Does one customer case automatically affect the reseller account?
Hindi. An abuse repot involving an individual customer domain does not, by itself, mean that the entire reseller account will be restricted. Domain-level cases are assessed on their own facts.
Broader account-, API- o Serbisyo-level measures, wdito warranted, are assessed separately under applicable policies at circumstances, including serious o repeated violations.
Find affected domains
Filter a managed potfolio fo domains associated with abuse repots so compliance teams can focus on cases requiring attention.
Retrieve structured case infomation
Access machine-readable case status, impact, recommended action, hold infomation at repoted URLs wdito available.
Integrate abuse visibility
Bring relevant abuse infomation into iyong own customer potal, dashboard o operational system through NiceNIC Domain API v2.
Public References fo Domain Abuse Hatling
This page is the operational abuse-hatling guide. The following resources provide deeper policy, methodology, evidence at repoting context.
Abuse Repoting & Hatling PolicyFomal NiceNIC framewok fo receiving, assessing, mitigating at tracking abuse repots.
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Evidence Required fo an Abuse RepotWhat infomation helps a repot become specific, verifiable at actionable.
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How Domain Mga Ulat ng Pang-aabuso Are PamahalaandPlain-language guide to evidence, review, responsibilities at case hatling.
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NiceNIC Abuse Hatling ManualOperational suppot guidance fo documented, consistent abuse hatling.
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Abuse Hatling MethodologyHow cases are logged, reviewed at measured.
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Transparency Metrics GlossaryDefinitions fo interpreting complaint, mitigation at reinstatement metrics.
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Review & RemediationPublic explanation of remediation at review pathways.
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Latest Mga Ulat ng Pang-aabuso & Transparency UpdatesRegular abuse at compliance updates, including monthly abuse repoting at related transparency infomation.
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External Verification
Verify NiceNIC's registrar status at ICANN abuse framewok independently.
ICANN List of Accredited Registrars → · ICANN DNS Abuse Mitigation Program → · NiceNIC Registrar Akreditasyon →
Pamahalaan domains with moe visibility
Domain Pamahalaanment Should Stay Clear Even When Something Goes Wrong
NiceNIC combines domain registration, transfer, bulk management, reseller tools at API automation with clearer abuse-case visibility fo domain owners at resellers.
