The Importance of Data Accuracy

An accurate registry is essential to the overall operability and stability of the Internet.

When you validate your Point of Contact records with ARIN and keep your registration information up to date and accurate, you’re not only improving the quality of the data in Whois, but you’re also taking two other important steps:

1. You’re helping to prevent the hijacking of your resources. ARIN has increasingly found that registration records that haven’t been updated have become the prime targets of hijackers and other potential criminals. One common approach is to find these dormant resource, organization, and Point of Contact records, and then try to determine if their associated resources are being used by a viable organization. If it appears that the resources aren’t being used or that the registrant is no longer in business, the perpetrators then attempt to emulate the organization so they can take over the organization record and its related resources (including persuading ISPs to begin routing those resources). This type of fraud can eventually lead to a registrant losing control of not only its resources, but also its Org ID and Point of Contact records.

2. You’re assisting law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in obtaining information from the registry needed to accomplish their mission and keep the public safe. Typically, the information that LEAs need is publicly available in Whois, and ARIN staff will assist in locating and interpreting this data. However, there are occasions when LEAs need additional information that ARIN has but does not make publicly available. In these cases, ARIN requires a subpoena or court order to deliver the requested information. Regardless of whether the information is public or not, having access to up to date registration information helps ensure that LEAs can act quickly and confidently when investigating criminal behavior. Encountering any records that haven’t been updated can be a potential hindrance to conducting an efficient investigation.

More information about ARIN and Law Enforcement Agencies can be found on the Law Enforcement Agencies page.