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Move over .com and .org. Google just introduced eight new top-level domains that can be used for websites or email addresses.

The new top-level domains: .dad, .esq, .prof, .phd, .nexus, .foo, .zip and .mov

Cybersecurity researchers are worried about two in particular

Those are .zip and .mov. Why? Because ZIP and MOV are file types, too.

And using these file types as top-level domains could be risky since websites and social media will convert anything ending in .zip or .mov to a link.

Say, for example, there are instructions on a website that reference a file called “instructionmanual.zip.” The website will now convert this file name to a link automatically.

That means anyone could buy that same name as a URL — and park whatever they want there. Think malware. Hit that link, and you have a keylogger or worse. Yikes.

There are nearly 1,600 top-level domains

You know the ones like .com, .org, .us and .edu. Here are some you probably didn’t know: .actor, .auction, .bible, .buzz, .cheap, .eat, .fish, .guitars, .horse, .kim (really!), .lol, .monster, .pizza, .radio, .skin and .wtf.

Maybe this list will come in handy at your next trivia night.

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Northeastern Maryland Technology Council
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John W. Casner, Executive Director
john.casner@nmtc.org

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