FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
NetBeacon provides the industry’s easiest system to ways to report DNS Abuse, but we have answers to some common information requests below. Reach out to us if you have any other inquiries using our contact form.
What online abuse can I report with NetBeacon?
Currently, NetBeacon accepts and distributes reports of malware, phishing, botnets, and spam. As we bring more features online, we will expand the list of reportable harms.
What abuse can’t I report with NetBeacon?
You CANNOT use NetBeacon to attempt to report Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). Doing so could be a crime and you will be reported to law enforcement. If you have CSAM to report, please visit https://www.iwf.org.uk/report/
Who can report online abuse?
Anyone anywhere can use NetBeacon to report malware, phishing, botnets, and spam. You do not need to be in cybersecurity or law enforcement. You will need to provide a working email address, and you will need to provide specific pieces of information to submit a report.
What happens when I file a report?
Your report is converted into an Internet industry standard format called XARF. The URL you submit is then checked across a number of online abuse databases, and the results appended to your report. This standardized, enriched report, including your email, is then sent to the appropriate domain registrar or registry for investigation, and potentially, action.
Is this service related to law enforcement?
No. NetBeacon is not a service for law enforcement investigations or judicial processes. It is a service for simplifying the generation of reports to disrupt online harms.
You may receive a request for clarification for more information from the organization that NetBeacon submits your abuse report to.
Are there any risks in reporting online abuse to NetBeacon?
No. Thousands of people report online harms everyday. Failure to use this service responsibly by submitting false or vexatious abuse reports may get you blocked from using the NetBeacon service, and limit your ability to report to domain registries and registrars in the future.
THE TYPES OF ABUSE
You can use NetBeacon to report a wide variety of online abuse, including the following:
Phishing
Phishing attempts to trick people into sharing important personal information—banking information, logins, passwords, credit card numbers.
Malware
Malware is software that is created to gain access to a user’s computer to steal information or turn the infected device into a drone in a larger botnet.
Botnets
A botnet is the name given to a network of personal computers or other devices that are infected with malicious software without the individual user’s knowledge.
Spam
Spam is a volume game and is broadly defined as messages that are sent en masse to as many people as possible.
Take Action
HOW TO REPORT ONLINE ABUSE
If you suspect or have witnessed online abuse, sharing a NetBeacon report is the single most impactful action you can take. A NetBeacon report ensures that the information gets into the right hands.
1
Sign In
Sign up or login to the NetBeacon abuse reporting tool with your email or SSO.
2
Submit
Identify the type of abuse and share any details that might help investigators.
3
Done
Your report will be reviewed and shared with the appropriate bodies for action.
