.pw
.pw
Internet country code top-level domain for Palau
.pw is the country code top-level domain for the Republic of Palau.
| Introduced | 12 June 1997 |
|---|---|
| TLD type | Country code top-level domain |
| Status | Active |
| Registry |
|
| Sponsor | Micronesia Investment and Development Corporation |
| Intended use | Entities connected with  Palau |
| Actual use | Dedicated namespace to use as a professional identity on the web; can be registered and used for any purpose. |
| Registration restrictions | None |
| Structure | Registrations can be made directly at second level. |
| Documents | Policies |
| Dispute policies | UDRP |
| DNSSEC | yes |
| Registry website | registry |
The country code top-level domain .pw was delegated to the Pacific island nation of Palau in 1997.[1] It has since been redelegated a number of times. Directi, a group of technology businesses, obtained exclusive rights over .pw from EnCirca in 2004. From 25 March 2013, domains under the .pw TLD are available to the general public. Since then, it is sometimes marketed as a domain for professionals (professional web).
In July 2013 the registry announced that they had passed the 250,000 registration milestone within the first three months, after having 50,000 registered domains in the first three weeks.[2][3]
A few months after opening the registry to the general public, .pw became the target of spammers. Symantec released two reports in April and May 2013 claiming that domains under .pw TLD were a significant source of spam e-mail.[4][5] Directi responded that it had zero tolerance for spam and would be deleting domains accused of violating its anti-abuse policy.[6]
.cc, .com, .pw, and .tk domain names account for 75% of all malicious domain registrations.[7]
- "IANA | IANA Report on Redelegation of the .pw Top-Level Domain". IANA. 30 June 2003. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ".pw Announces Single Character Domain Names Auction | .PW - the Professional Web". registry.pw. Archived from the original on 24 March 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ".PW Crosses 50,000 Domain Registrations In 3 Weeks | .PW - the Professional Web". registry.pw. Archived from the original on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- "Rise of .pw URLs in Spam Messages". Symantec Security Response. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- ".pw URLs in Spam Keep Showing Up". Symantec Security Response. Archived from the original on 15 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
- "Directi fighting "massive" .pw spam outbreak". Domain Incite. 3 May 2013. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
- Judah, Jacob (2 November 2023). "How a tiny Pacific Island became the global capital of cybercrime". MIT Technology Review. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 10 November 2023.