Flagged as a Phishing Site for Launching an Ethics Blog
Welcome to the ZeroDumb blog. A safe space for ethical hacking, recon journaling, and—as it turns out—getting immediately flagged by a threat intelligence platform for existing.
What Happened
Within minutes of configuring my custom domain (zerodumb.dev) and pointing it to my GitHub Pages blog, I was greeted by a full-screen Webroot alert:
“Website Blocked: Phishing Site (RT)”
Apparently, my barely-functional skeleton of a blog had already earned a spot in the Red Room of the Internet. You know, the one where you get accused of trying to steal logins and passwords before you’ve even published a contact form.
Why Did This Happen?
Reason #1: I’m Too New
New domains, especially .dev TLDs, are under hyper-scrutiny.
Reason #2: No Public Content Yet
To automated scanners, an empty website is suspicious.
Reason #3: GitHub Pages Host
Some bad actors have used Pages for spam/phishing in the past, so some DNS security services throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Reason #4: The Name Is… A Bit Much
Look, I get it. “zerodumb.dev” does sound like a troll domain, especially if you’re a machine trained on phishing heuristics.
What I Did About It
- Submitted a review request to Webroot’s BrightCloud tool
- Added real content to the blog (including this post!)
- Turned it into a teachable moment instead of a meltdown
What You Should Know
If you’re launching an infosec blog or recon project:
- Use your domain with intent
- Publish some actual non-blank content before pointing DNS
- Be aware that some security vendors will flag you for breathing
- Embrace it—it means you’re doing something interesting
Final Thought
Being flagged as a phishing site within 30 minutes of creating a site about ethics is possibly the most poetic moment in my short-but-intense recon journey.
If nothing else, it proves the need for better context in automated defense systems.
Until then, I remain:
Zero
Human, not phishing bot
zero@zerodumb.dev
Yes, I submitted the site for reclassification. No, I’m not mad. This is the best kind of irony: the kind you can blog about.