Protocol
WHOIS
The lookup service for who registered a domain name.
WHOIS records show a domain's registrar, dates and, historically, the owner's contact details. Privacy rules have hidden most personal data since 2018, which matters to investigators tracing phishing and malware infrastructure.
WHOIS in the news
Recent stories that mention it.
Related
Plain-language explainers written by SecurityTabs, matched to stories by name. All terms