ICANN is about to pull the plug on EstDomains

Estonia-based EstDomains, a notorious domain registrar, blocked on Tuesday by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) from offering Internet registration services. The following day, however, ICANN delayed its decision on account of the company’s response.

ICANN, which accredits companies to manage the Internet's domain-registration process, decided to terminate its contract with EstDomains on the ground of multiple complaints that EstDomains the supporting power of the adverse sites that spread malicious software and botnets across the world web network. Besides, it was revealed that the CEO of the company, Vladimir Tsastsin, was found guilty of credit-card fraud by a county court in Estonia. Moreover, the registrar is supposed to have relations with Russian Business Network, an organized crime group.

In a letter sent to EstDomains's Tsastsin on Tuesday ICANN noted that having officer convicted of a felony is grounds for terminating the Registrar Accreditation Agreement. On Wednesday ICANN decided to "assess the merits of the claims made in EstDomains’ response" to the group's letter. In the response letter the domain company explained that Tsastsin had appealed the country court's verdict to the nation's Supreme Court on June 16, 2008, an act that would delay the legal effects of the verdict. Besides the letter claimed that Tsastsin had stepped down as CEO about a week later, pending the outcome of the appeal.

The decision of ICANN was welcomed by Security firms F-Secure and McAfee. Earlier F-Secure's Mikko Hypponen charged the firm with being a major hub for cybercrime activity.