Increasingly, Internet users are practicing Direct Navigation—typing a Web address directly into the Web browser address bar instead of using a search engine. Some estimate that nearly 70% of Internet users regularly practice Direct Navigation. The prevalence of this practice and the increased use of mobile Web devices (which are prone to user typo errors) have increased the opportunities for cybersquatters to profit from traffic diversion.

Typosquatting is the use of domain names containing common typographical errors of popular sites. It is the perfect tactic for cybercriminals to siphon errant traffic, deposit malware, or dupe consumers into surrendering sensitive information. For example, the top five misspellings of myspace.com each receive over 3 million visitors per year. If only 1% of those 15 million fall victim to one of these Internet crimes, 150,000 people are directly harmed.