A concerning situation recently caught our attention: a study conducted by URLhaus, an organization recognized for specializing in combating digital threats and malware tracking, ended up being used maliciously. The research, which originally aimed to identify and improve response times for removing malicious content among thousands of hosting companies worldwide, was shared on a prominent Russian forum with a perspective completely opposite to its original intention.

The URLhaus study analyzed more than 8,000 hosting providers worldwide, presenting a ranking of the 15 with the longest response times for malicious content removal requests. According to URLhaus, these data are obtained through the average time between the platform’s notification and the hosting companies’ response. The results are quite concerning: while the initial data shared on the forum showed a maximum response time of 50 months, the most recent version available on URLhaus’s website indicates that some providers can take more than 4 years to respond to a takedown notification. Worryingly, a Brazilian company appears among these providers with critical response times.

source: https://urlhaus.abuse.ch/statistics/#avg_takedown
The topic on the Russian forum demonstrates how valuable technical information can be subverted: the malicious user shared the list specifically to help criminals select providers that offer greater “permanence” for malicious content, even mentioning that they already use three of the listed providers for their illegal activities.
This incident brings us an important reflection about the dual nature of security research. Even when conducted by respected organizations like URLhaus, which performs fundamental work in tracking malicious URLs and artifacts, the data can be manipulated for criminal purposes. It serves as a reminder of the need to balance the transparency necessary for advancing digital security with prudence in disclosing sensitive information.
In contrast to these concerning response times, ZenoX maintains its commitment to digital security through a large network of strategic partnerships, allowing us to remove malicious content with exceptional agility in the market. Our established relationships ensure that we can protect our clients with maximum efficiency, even in the face of these growing challenges.