What is a Domain name?

A domain name is a distinctive, easy-to-remember name that identifies a specific website or online service. It acts as a web address that users can enter to visit websites or send emails.

Domain names are part of the Domain Name System (DNS), which converts domain names into the numeric IP addresses that computers use to find and communicate with each other on the Internet.

A domain name has two components:

1. Domain Label

This is the name selected by the website owner or organization and can consist of letters, numbers, and hyphens. For example, in the domain name “example.com,” “example” is the domain label.

2. Top-Level Domain (TLD)

This is the final part of the domain name, which indicates the kind or category of the website or organization. Common TLDs include “.com” (commercial), “.org” (organization), “.net” (network), and country-specific TLDs like “.us” (United States) or “.uk” (United Kingdom). In the example “example.com,” “.com” is the TLD.

Domain names offer a user-friendly and memorable way to access websites than using IP addresses directly. Instead of typing a long sequence of numbers (such as 192.168.0.1), users can simply type the domain name (e.g., example.com) into a web browser to access a website.

Domain names are registered through domain registrars, which are organizations authorized to manage and assign domain names for specific TLDs. Website owners or organizations can choose and register a domain name that is not already in use, usually by paying a registration fee and providing the required contact information.

Besides websites, domain names are also used for email addresses (e.g., john@example.com) and other online services. They play a vital role in branding, online identity, and creating a unique presence on the Internet.

About 2.3M of the domain name IoCs are included in the daily export of our TI data feeds.

Read more: https://falconsentinel.com/faq/what-is-an-indicator-of-compromise-ioc.