A domain processing system is enhanced with a first-pass domain filter configured for loading character strings representing a pair of domains consisting of a seed domain and a candidate domain in a computer memory, computing a similarity score and a dynamic threshold for the pair of domains, determining whether the similarity score exceeds the dynamic threshold, and iterating the loading, the computing, and the determining for each of a plurality of candidate domains paired with the seed domain. A similarity score between the seed domain and the candidate domain and a corresponding dynamic threshold for the pair are computed. If the similarity score exceeds the corresponding dynamic threshold, the candidate domain is provided to a downstream computing facility. Otherwise, it is dropped. In this way, the first-pass domain filter can significantly reduce the number of domains that otherwise would need to be processed by the downstream computing facility.

Various techniques for detecting homographs of domain names are disclosed. In some embodiments, a system, process, and/or computer program product for detecting homographs of domain names includes receiving a DNS data stream, wherein the DNS data stream includes a DNS query and a DNS response for resolution of the DNS query; applying a homograph detector for each domain in the DNS data stream; and detecting a homograph of a domain name in the DNS data stream using the homograph detector.

A content delivery method including the operations of receiving a uniform resource locator resolution request at an authoritative name server for a domain where the uniform resource resolution request is received based, at least in part, on a host name of the uniform resource resolution request where the host name is uniquely related to a resource associated with the uniform resource resolution request. The method further including the operation of tracking a popularity of the resource based on the host name uniquely related to the resource and providing a location within a network capable of delivering the resource where the provided location is based on the popularity of the resource.