EstDomains

EstDomains was a website-hosting provider and domain registrar headquartered in downtown Tartu, Estonia, and organized as a Delaware corporation. It became one of the larger domain registrars in the world before its closure in 2008. The company supplied domain-registration and hosting services, but its public reputation was increasingly shaped by reports that parts of its infrastructure were used to host malware, child sexual-abuse material, and other unlawful content. By 2007, EstDomains had become associated with the hosting of abusive or illicit online activity, raising questions about the effectiveness of its customer screening, abuse response, and cooperation with law-enforcement and registry authorities. Security journalist Brian Krebs, writing for The Washington Post, described EstDomains as appearing to be the registrar of choice for the Russian Business Network, an organization widely associated with cybercrime and malicious online infrastructure. This association did not by itself establish that every EstDomains customer or service was illicit, but it contributed substantially to the company’s negative reputation among security researchers and policy observers. EstDomains’ position in the domain market also meant that the company’s regulatory and compliance problems had consequences beyond an ordinary web-hosting business. The company’s chief executive, Vladimir Tšaštšin, who was also known by the handle “SCR,” was convicted in Estonia on 6 February 2008 for credit-card fraud, document forgery, and money laundering and received a prison sentence. The conviction became the central issue in the registrar’s relationship with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which accredited registrars for generic top-level domains. ICANN announced on 28 October 2008 that it would revoke EstDomains’ accreditation because of the chief executive’s convictions, with the revocation initially scheduled to take effect on 12 November. EstDomains stated that Tšaštšin had resigned in June 2008 and that his conviction was under appeal, but the company had not informed ICANN of his change in status. ICANN briefly delayed the shutdown on 29 October while reviewing the matter. On 12 November, however, ICANN announced that EstDomains would be shut down on 24 November 2008. At the time its accreditation was terminated, the registrar administered approximately 281,000 domain names, making the event operationally significant for registrants and downstream service providers. On 25 November, web-hosting and reseller company ResellerClub announced that it was taking over EstDomains’ business, providing a transition route for at least part of the affected customer base. The company and its former leadership later remained connected to the broader DNSChanger criminal investigation. On 9 November 2011, the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced the arrests of Tšaštšin and business associates Timur Gerassimenko, Dmitri Jegorov, Valeri Aleksejev, Konstantin Poltev, and Anton Ivanov in Operation Ghost Click. The FBI announcement identified Andrey Taame as a further defendant who remained at large at that time. EstDomains itself was no longer an operating registrar by then, but its history continued to be cited in discussions about registrar accountability, domain-abuse enforcement, and the risks created when registration infrastructure is used by criminal networks.

EstDomains operated from Tartu, Estonia, as a Delaware corporation offering domain registration and website-hosting services. Publicly available accounts describe it as one of the largest registrars in the world before its accreditation was terminated. The company’s business model depended on maintaining a large base of registered domains and hosting customers, but the same infrastructure attracted scrutiny because security researchers and journalists reported that it was used by websites distributing malware, hosting child sexual-abuse material, and carrying other unlawful content. The company’s reputation worsened during 2007, when EstDomains became associated with the Russian Business Network. Brian Krebs of The Washington Post characterized EstDomains as appearing to be the registrar of choice for that notorious organization. This association placed EstDomains within wider debates about the responsibilities of registrars and hosting providers when their services are used to support phishing, malware distribution, fraud, or other criminal activity. The available historical record does not establish that all EstDomains customers were involved in abuse, but it records the company as a prominent example of a registrar whose infrastructure was repeatedly linked to harmful online operations. Vladimir Tšaštšin, EstDomains’ chief executive, was known online as “SCR.” On 6 February 2008, he was convicted and sentenced in Estonia for credit-card fraud, document forgery, and money laundering. The conviction directly affected the company’s standing with ICANN. On 28 October 2008, ICANN announced that it would revoke EstDomains’ accreditation because of the conviction, with the measure initially due to take effect on 12 November. EstDomains responded that Tšaštšin had resigned in June 2008 and that his conviction was under appeal. ICANN had not been notified of the executive change, however, and on 29 October it said that the shutdown would be delayed while the issue was reviewed. The review did not preserve the registrar’s accreditation. On 12 November 2008, ICANN announced that EstDomains would be shut down on 24 November. The registrar had approximately 281,000 domain names at the time, so the decision affected a substantial number of registrants and required a transition arrangement. On 25 November, ResellerClub announced that it was taking over EstDomains’ business. EstDomains therefore ended as an accredited registrar, even though parts of its customer and domain portfolio were transferred or handled through another provider. The company’s former chief executive continued to appear in cybercrime investigations. On 9 November 2011, the FBI announced arrests in Operation Ghost Click involving Tšaštšin and business partners Timur Gerassimenko, Dmitri Jegorov, Valeri Aleksejev, Konstantin Poltev, and Anton Ivanov. The FBI also identified Andrey Taame as a seventh defendant who remained at large at the time. By then, EstDomains had already ceased operating as an accredited registrar. Its history is consequently important less as a continuing consumer brand than as a case study in domain-industry governance, executive accountability, abuse management, and the consequences of losing accreditation.

• 2011

  Operation Ghost Click arrests

  [1]EstDomainsen.wikipedia.org

  The FBI announced the arrests of Tšaštšin and several associates in a cybercrime investigation known as Operation Ghost Click.

• 2008

  Chief executive convicted

  [1]EstDomainsen.wikipedia.org

  Vladimir Tšaštšin was convicted on 6 February for credit-card fraud, document forgery, and money laundering.

• 2008

  ICANN revokes registrar accreditation

  [1]EstDomainsen.wikipedia.org

  ICANN announced the revocation of EstDomains’ accreditation in October and later confirmed that the registrar would shut down on 24 November.

• 2008

  ResellerClub takes over the business

  [1]EstDomainsen.wikipedia.org

  ResellerClub announced on 25 November that it was taking over EstDomains’ business following the shutdown.

• 2007

  EstDomains gains a reputation for abusive hosting

  [1]EstDomainsen.wikipedia.org

  The company became publicly associated with the hosting of malware, child sexual-abuse material, and other illegal content. Reporting also linked it to the Russian Business Network.

A large international domain registrar and hosting provider whose market reputation deteriorated because of reported abuse of its infrastructure and regulatory action linked to executive criminal convictions.

• Domain services

  Domain registration

  EstDomains provided domain-name registration through its accredited registrar business. At the time its accreditation ended, approximately 281,000 domain names were associated with the company, indicating a substantial international customer and reseller base.

• Web hosting

  Website hosting

  The company offered website-hosting services alongside registration. Its hosting infrastructure attracted extensive negative attention because reporting linked parts of it to malware, child sexual-abuse material, and other illegal content.

• Channel services

  Reseller services

  EstDomains also operated within the reseller-oriented domain and hosting market. After its accreditation ended, ResellerClub announced that it would take over the company’s business.

• 2011

  Operation Ghost Click

  The FBI announced the arrest of Tšaštšin and business associates in a cybercrime investigation. The arrests occurred after EstDomains had already ceased operating as an accredited registrar.

  Source

• 2008

  Criminal conviction of the chief executive

  Chief executive Vladimir Tšaštšin was convicted of credit-card fraud, document forgery, and money laundering. His conviction triggered ICANN’s decision to revoke EstDomains’ accreditation.

  Source

• 2007

  Association with malware and illegal content

  EstDomains became known for hosting websites associated with malware, child sexual-abuse material, and other unlawful content. Reporting also described an apparent relationship between the registrar and the Russian Business Network.

  Source

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• 2008

  ICANN terminates EstDomains’ accreditationOther

  Background

  ICANN cited the criminal convictions of EstDomains chief executive Vladimir Tšaštšin. EstDomains said he had resigned in June and that his conviction was under appeal, but the company had not notified ICANN of the executive change.

  Action taken

  ICANN announced revocation of the accreditation, delayed the shutdown briefly for review, and then set the closure for 24 November 2008.

  Aftermath

  Approximately 281,000 domain names were affected. ResellerClub announced that it would take over EstDomains’ business on 25 November.

  Source

1. 1EstDomainsen.wikipedia.org