Online brand protection firm MarkMonitor is now offering Top Level Domain (TLD) Advisory Services to help companies keep up with the changes in the online domain world.

With cyber-squatting continuing to rise and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) rolling out new global top level domains, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to avoid online brand abuse from people snapping up new versions of internet addresses associated with their trademarks and business.

The new service is designed to both help those that plan to acquire and operate a top-level domain and those who want to proactively defend their brands during the application process and beyond.

While the opening up of new TLDs can help offer localised web sites for companies of all sizes, larger organisations trying to manage large internet estates can struggle under the deluge of possibilities.

"Icann's move to allow new top level domains has the potential to drastically change the internet as we know it today," said Frederick Felman, chief marketing officer of MarkMonitor.

"It is very important for companies to create a customised strategy that suits their brands and takes best advantage of this change; whether the strategy involves offensive or defensive actions, or monitoring the top level domain applications during the objection period, it is imperative that businesses devise a plan to navigate this uncharted territory."

The new TLD Advisory Services is broken into two parts. The first is Acquisition and Management Services, in which MarkMonitor's consultants assist businesses through the entire TLD process, from developing a strategy to potentially acquiring, implementing and operating a custom TLD.

The second part falls under the title of Brand Protection Strategies, whereby the company helps firms monitor for and respond to potential threats against their brands before and after new TLDs are launched.