6615 Covid-related domains registered in 2020

January 28, 2020, the vaccinocoronavirus.it domain is registered: from that moment on, the registrations of domains linked to the pandemic have multiplied, reaching 6615 in 2020 alone. The data comes from a survey carried out by the Registry.it, the registry of Italian domains, in order to monitor the impact of Covid on the Web and at the same time keep under control the potential dangers deriving from a malicious use of the domains in question. .

Not only that: anyone wishing to view the individual registered domains can access them through the special bulletin board made available by the Registry.it.

All coronavirus domains

The boom in registrations was recorded in the period February-May, coinciding with the explosion of infections in our country. The analysis took into account all the domains in some way related to significant words such as coronavirus; covid; virus; tampon (or tampons); intensive care; vaccine (or vaccines); respirators (or respirator); fans; masks; self-certification; lockdown; pandemic.

Among all the domains that have returned to the Observatory's radar, some suggest that behind a normal address there may be cyber offenses, such as obtaining personal information or sensitive data, the dissemination of fake news or also, more simply, the prior registration of a given domain with the aim of acquiring its use and then transferring the domain itself to those who wish to use it, following a specific procedure. The other useful aspect of this survey, in addition to the constant control of any fraud, is the possibility of monitoring the progress of a phenomenon that affects everyone, relating it to the Network, to prevent and interpret the needs, reactions and habits of users with respect to a traumatic event such as a global health emergency.

Maurizio Martinelli, First Technologist at the IIT-CNR

In the months of April and May, in particular, there was an increase in registered domains equal to + 44% and + 28% respectively compared to a year earlier: the Covid effect, but also an indirect effect due to the increased proactivity of shops and SMEs that have suddenly realized that they have to be on the Web at all costs in order to bring their identity and services to users.



Not all coronavirus-themed domains have been registered, on the contrary: in many cases they are simply "parked" names (30 % of cases), looking for a buyer or waiting for information that is being worked on behind the scenes. In short, for now the domains only photograph the ferocious activism unleashed by the pandemic, with Lombardy, Lazio and Veneto at the top of the ranking of domains registered in the reference period.