Dominion Energy, an offshore wind developer and utility serving Virginia’s “data center alley,” filed suit against the Trump administration this week over its decision to pause federal leases for large offshore wind projects. The move puts a sudden stop to five wind farms already under construction, including Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project.

The complaint Dominion filed Tuesday alleges that a stop work order that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued Monday is unlawful, “arbitrary and capricious,” and “infringes upon constitutional principles that limit actions by the Executive Branch.” Dominion wants a federal court to prevent BOEM from enforcing the stop work order.

The suit also argues that the “sudden and baseless withdrawal of regulatory approvals by government officials” threatens the ability of developers to construct large-scale infrastructure projects needed to meet rising energy demand in the US.

“Virginia needs every electron we can get as our demand for electricity doubles. These electrons will power the data centers that will win the AI race,” Dominion said in a December 22 press release. Virginia is home to the largest concentration of data centers in the world, according to the company.

The rush to build out new data centers for AI — along with growing energy demand from manufacturing and the electrification of homes and vehicles — has put added pressure on already stressed power grids. Rising electricity costs have become a flashpoint in Virginia elections, and in communities near data center projects across the US, as a result. Delaying construction on the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm raises project costs that customers ultimately pay for, Dominion warns.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, who is named as one of the defendants in the suit, said that the 90-day pause on offshore wind leases would allow the agency to address national security risks, which were apparently recently identified in classified reports. The US Department of Interior also cited concerns about turbines creating radar interference.

“I want to know what’s changed?” national security expert and former Commander of the USS Cole Kirk Lippold told the Associated Press. “To my knowledge, nothing has changed in the threat environment that would drive us to stop any offshore wind programs.”

The Trump administration previously halted construction on the Revolution Wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island and Empire Wind project off the shore of New York before a federal judge and BOEM lifted stop work orders. Those projects have now been suspended again. President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum upon stepping into office in January withdrawing areas on the outer continental shelf from offshore wind leasing, which a federal judge struck down earlier this month for being “arbitrary and capricious.”

Dominion Energy says it had already obtained all the federal, state, and local approvals necessary for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm, which broke ground in 2024. The company has already spent $8.9 billion to date on the $11.2 billion project that was expected to start generating power next year. Fully up and running, the offshore wind farm is supposed to have the capacity to produce 9.5 million megawatt-hours per year of carbon pollution-free electricity, about as much as 660,000 homes might use in the US.

Typing a web address directly into your browser feels harmless. In fact, it feels normal. But new research shows that a simple habit is now one of the riskiest things you can do online. A recent study from cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals a troubling shift.

Most parked domains now redirect visitors to scams, malware or fake security warnings. In many cases, this happens instantly. You do not have to click anything. That means a single typo can expose your device.

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What are parked domains? 

Parked domains are unused or expired web addresses. Many exist because someone forgot to renew a domain. Others are deliberate misspellings of popular sites like Google, Netflix or YouTube. For years, these domains displayed harmless placeholder pages. They showed ads and links to monetize accidental traffic. While annoying, they rarely posed serious danger. That is no longer true. Infoblox found that more than 90 percent of visits to parked domains now lead to malicious content. This includes scareware, fake antivirus offers, phishing pages and malware downloads.

Why direct navigation has become so risky

Direct navigation means typing a website address by hand instead of using a bookmark or search result. One missing letter can change everything. For example, mistyping gmail.com as gmai.com does not trigger an error. Instead, it can deliver your email straight to criminals. Infoblox found that some of these typo domains actively run mail servers to capture messages. Even worse, many of these domains form part of massive portfolios. One group tracked by Infoblox controlled nearly 3,000 lookalike domains associated with banks, tech companies and government services.

How these domains decide whom to attack

Not everyone sees the same thing when visiting a parked domain. That is intentional. Researchers discovered that parked pages often profile visitors in real time. They analyze IP address, device type, location, cookies and browsing behavior. Based on that data, the domain decides what you see next. Visitors using a VPN or non-residential connection often see harmless placeholder pages. Residential users on phones or home computers get redirected to scams or malware instead. This filtering helps attackers stay hidden while maximizing successful attacks.

Why parked domain scams are increasing

Several trends are fueling the problem. First, traffic from parked domains is often resold multiple times through affiliate networks. By the time it reaches a malicious advertiser, there is no direct relationship with the original parking company. Second, recent ad policy changes may have increased exposure. Google now requires advertisers to opt in before running ads on parked domains. While intended to improve safety, this shift may have pushed bad actors deeper into affiliate networks with weaker oversight. The result is a murky ecosystem where responsibility is difficult to trace.

Even government domains are being targeted

Infoblox also found typosquatting aimed at government services. In one case, a researcher accidentally visited ic3.org instead of ic3.gov while trying to report a crime. The result was a fake warning page claiming a cloud subscription had expired. That page could just as easily have delivered malware. This highlights how easy it is to fall into these traps, even when doing something important.

Ways to stay safe from parked domain traps

You can reduce your risk with a few smart habits:

1) Use bookmarks for important sites

Save banks, email providers and government portals. Avoid typing these addresses manually.

2) Double-check URLs before hitting Enter

Slow down when entering web addresses. One extra second can prevent a costly mistake.

3) Install strong antivirus software

Strong antivirus software protects your device if a malicious page loads, blocking malware downloads, scripts and fake security pop-ups.

The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

4) Consider a data removal service

Data brokers often fuel targeting by selling personal details. Removing your data can reduce exposure to personalized scam redirects.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

5) Be cautious of scare tactics

Fake warnings about expired subscriptions or infected devices are a major red flag. Legitimate companies do not use panic screens.

6) Keep your browser and device updated

Security updates often close the exact loopholes attackers use to exploit malicious redirects.

7) Consider a VPN for added protection

While not a cure-all, VPNs can reduce exposure to targeted redirects tied to residential IP addresses.

For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt’s key takeaways 

The web has changed in subtle but dangerous ways. Parked domains are no longer passive placeholders. In many cases, they act as active delivery systems for scams and malware. The most alarming part is how little effort it takes to trigger an attack. A typo is enough. As threats grow quieter and more automated, safe browsing habits matter more than ever.

Have you ever mistyped a web address and ended up somewhere suspicious, or do you rely entirely on bookmarks now? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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