By Rory Gallivan
LONDON--Internet security company NCC Group PLC (NCC.LN) expects
revenue of a million pounds ($1.7 million) this year and GBP5
million next year from a new Internet address ending that it will
offer to banks and other institutions seeking to guarantee the
authenticity of their websites.
The company Friday announced the launch of .trust, a generic top
level domain that it hopes will appeal to companies seeking to
reassure customers that they aren't using fake websites. Generic
top level domains, or gTLDs, are the letters that appear after the
final period in an Internet address.
NCC gained the rights to .trust after previously seeking .secure
but losing out to the online retail giant Amazon.com Inc.
(AMZN).
The Internet's governing body ICANN is overseeing a huge
expansion in the number of gTLDs, to more than 1,000 from a
previously limited pool that includes .com and .org. The first new
gTLDs, which now include .london and .club, launched last year.
"The unprecedented profusion of top level domain names from 22
gTLDs to over 1,400 is changing the shape of the Internet," said
NCC Chief Executive Rob Cotton.
"Cybersquatting and phishing are already big issues but with the
introduction of thousands of new gTLDs, these problems are set to
get exponentially worse," he added.
Cybersquatting means setting up websites with addresses that
infringe trademarks. Phishing means sending emails to people with
links to fake websites to lull them into revealing their passwords
or credit card details.
-Shares at 0831 GMT, up 3 pence, or 1.5%, at 183 pence valuing
the company at GBP379.9 million.
-Write to Rory Gallivan at rory.gallivan@wsj.com; Twitter:
@RoryGallivan
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