Honeypot

In 2007 and 2008 InternetNZ provided funding for the Honeypot Project, a Victoria University scan of the .nz domain name space to detect malicious web content using client honeypot technology. In computer parlance a “honeypot” is a trap set to detect unauthorised use of information systems. It consists of a computer, data, or a network site that appears to be part of a network, but is actually isolated, unprotected, and monitored.

Honeypot Reports

Victoria University's Stage 1, 2 and 3 Honeypot reports can be viewed here in PDF format.

The reports show that there is no elevated risk of drive by download attacks in the .nz as compared with other domains. However, a comprehensive assessment of the .nz domain has shown the existence of malicious web pages across a variety of types of web pages.