The internet is a fundamental part of the lives of Australians, providing countless benefits. However, alongside the rise in Australians’ reliance on the internet, we are also seeing an increase in people’s exposure to online scams and cybercrime.
The increasing prevalence of online scams doesn’t mean stakeholders – including governments, infrastructure providers, industry, advocacy bodies and end users – aren’t taking effective steps to combat and prevent online scams.
Pictured: auDA CEO Bruce Tonkin.
The internet itself is comprised of different layers which are managed and regulated in different ways across national governments and international bodies. Supporting a more secure online experience for all Australians requires a mutual understanding of how each layer of the internet’s infrastructure works, and how various stakeholders can collaborate to provide the right support and solutions to address specific challenges.
Combating scams
The .au domain name system (DNS) is part of Australia’s critical communications infrastructure. As the administrator of the .au DNS, auDA plays a key role in tackling scams. auDA focusses on mitigating scams that use the following techniques::
- Phishing
- Malware
- Botnets
- Pharming
- Spam (where it’s used to enable the above).
The .au domain is one of the most secure in the world thanks to our robust approach to compliance and proactive approach to combatting scams that take advantage of DNS technical features, leading to significantly lower levels of abuse compared to the global average. auDA works hard to minimise DNS related scams in the .au domain to help Australians feel trust and confidence online.
We drive down scams by monitoring 25 daily threat feeds to detect suspected DNS related scams in .au, and working with registrars and registrants to rectify confirmed cases, which are almost always due to hacked small business or not-for-profit websites with poor security.
We also maintain a robust, accessible complaints process, which includes:
- Encouraging members of the public to submit .au domain names that they believe may be being misused
- Responding to formal requests from law enforcement bodies regarding .au domain names, which can result in takedown action, in accordance with the .au Licensing Rules and applicable laws relevant to auDA’s operations.
auDA is also a member of the Internet Watch Foundation, supporting its work to eliminate child sexual abuse imagery online.
Uplifting anti-scam capabilities in the internet ecosystem
To improve the detection, prevention and removal of DNS related scams beyond .au, auDA supports a range of regional and global initiatives.
We support initiatives driven by our Pacific country-code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) administrator peers to identify and address DNS related scams in their jurisdictions, with the aim to strengthen the overall resilience of the DNS as part of our broader commitment to the region. auDA is also a member of the Netbeacon Advisory Council, which provides free guidance and tools to mitigate DNS abuse, and I work closely with global domain peers by advising ICANN’s Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council on DNS related scam mitigation, based on the best practices implemented in .au.
To tackle scams more broadly, auDA partners with international organisations and supports outcome-driven research.
We are an active member of the Internet Infrastructure Forum (IIF), which brings together technical operators, registries, and civil society members from around the world to strengthen coordination between different providers and operators to reduce online scams. In August this year, auDA will host an Australian IIF, to improve collaboration among Australian providers and support contributions to the global IIF.
auDA’s Public Benefit Program has contributed funding to a range of projects that support scam prevention and response, including a $1.5 million grant to Monash University in 2025 for its CyberAbility project under auDA’s Research and Development Grant Program. The funding is supporting strategies and resources to help people with cognitive disability avoid and recover from online scams, and builds on an auDA Community Grant to the Monash CyberAbility team in 2021.
Through auDA’s Digital Lives of Australians research, we aim to improve our understanding of the experiences of Australian consumers and small businesses online. In our 2026 research, 73% of consumers said they are confident spotting an online scam. Yet when shown examples of suspicious emails, 42% did not identify suspicious links and 52% missed an incorrect or unofficial email address. We share this research with policymakers, industry and the education sector to start discussions and advocate for improvements that will help boost the confidence and capability of Australians online.
Cross sector collaboration is key
Successful, effective scam prevention requires proactive cross-sector collaboration and coordination to build and maintain trust in the internet. A range of coordinated efforts contribute to mitigating scams – from technical solutions, education campaigns and research. Well-considered regulation that reflects the technical realities of the internet, end user needs and multi-stakeholder feedback also plays a part.
auDA is committed to continuing our work combatting DNS abuse in .au and working collaboratively with the many organisations who contribute to reducing the impact and prevalence of online scams.