Popular Questions

12 May 2025

Some popular questions about the type of signals we collection, sharing options, costs and more.

What signals to you share apart URLs and IP addresses?

The Global Signal Exchange supports a variety of signal types:

  • Domain Name (e.g., domain.com)
  • Hostname (e.g., something.domain.com)
  • Blockchain Internet Identifier ('Blockchain Domains')
  • CIDR block
  • Email address
  • IBAN
  • IP address
  • Phone number
  • URL (e.g., https://something.domain.com/pathname)


At the outset, the GSE is encouraging organizations to share the following signal types as a priority:

  • Domain Name (e.g., domain.com)
  • Hostname (e.g., something.domain.com)
  • IP address


These are typically the least contentious data to collect (with limited, if any, access to Personally Identifiable Information), but they are useful signals to share with others and collate to help identify bad actors in the fight against scams and fraud.

The GSE Platform offers a 'Marketplace' of threat feeds, a service that displays the number of feeds available to consume. Currently, we have a number of 'Open' and 'Commercial' feeds providing threat signals comprising Links and IP Addresses. We also have a number of private feeds which support other signal types:

  • blockchain domain names,
  • telephone numbers,
  • and more.

Accredited organizations can review the 'Sending Signals' section of the GSE Platform to review the latest supported signal data types.

Signal Types Explained

URL

The full address of a web page.

IP Address

A unique string of characters that identifies each computer on the Internet.

Domain Name

The part of a network address that identifies it as belonging to a particular domain.

Hostname

A domain name with a subdomain prefix.

Email Address

A unique identifier used to send and receive emails.

Phone Number

A sequence of numbers that serves as an address for a specific telephone line.

Banking Transaction ID

A unique identifier assigned to a financial transaction between a customer and a merchant.

Card Number

A sequence of numbers that serves as an address for a specific bank account.

Blockchain Domain

A web3 blockchain domain name (also known as a blockchain identifier).

Crypto Wallet

A unique identifier used to send and receive cryptocurrency.

CIDR

A block of IP addresses in CIDR notation.

IBAN

A bank account number in IBAN format.

What is the GSE Index?

The GSE Index is a dynamic, multi-factor benchmarking tool designed to answer the fundamental question: "How is the GSE performing?". Full details of the GSE Index is provided in our Platform Documentation section.

Please note, the GSE Index is for general informational purposes only. Please refer to the full platform disclaimer.

Can I use the GSE to receive private data from others?

Yes. Other users can choose to share their private data with you on the GSE platform.

How capable and powerful is the Global Signal Exchange?

The Global Signal Exchange works together with trusted supply partners to deliver state-of-the-art signals sharing technologies and services. For security purposes we do not divulge all details, but as expected the following general capabilities and technologies are supported:

  • Auto-scalable Cloud Hosted services
  • ⁠Resilient Cloud hosted Infrastructure
  • ⁠Autoscaling resources for consistent performance under load
  • Flexible and mature data analysis engine with rich feature set
  • Optimised query support for performant APIs
  • Rich dashboards for visualisations
  • Powerful enrichment data sets available to enhance signal utility
  • Extensive connectivity to external services e.g. AI
  • Rigorously PEN tested at regular intervals to ensure maximal security and data isolation

Who else apart from Google is sharing threat signals?

As a founding partner, Google is committed to providing signals intelligence to help tackle online scams and fraud. The GSE serves as a single global clearinghouse for Google and other organizations to share signals, reducing the friction and legal complexity of managing numerous bilateral signal-sharing arrangements worldwide.

Currently, Google is rolling out several signal services through its brands (Chrome, YouTube, etc.). In 2025, the first Google signal-sharing service to launch was for Google Shopping, offering cloaking, scam, and spam threat signals.

Follow our blog to keep up with the latest news about feeds as they are made available to users of the GSE Platform.

In addition to the signals provided by Google, the GSE also offers signals from the commercial, open-source, and private sharing sectors.

You can easily view the latest count of GSE signal feeds by visiting the Feed Count widget at the top of the GSE Website Home Page.

Is the GSE Platform very expensive?

The GSE, as a not-for-profit, aims to offer high-quality, global, real-time threat intelligence to tackle online scams and fraud. There are a range of options for gaining access to the GSE Platform and data feeds, including several free options. The joining options and plans are published on our website.

The Global Signal Exchange relies upon a mix of funding from big tech platforms, banking, internet industry suppliers, and others. We ask all organizations to make a reasonable contribution to help fund our services, research, and further development of services to protect consumers.

We are also developing a number of FREE services for those who need help, such as small businesses, public safety organizations, and those who have valuable intelligence to share. In addition to this, we offer FREE public services, such as our internet industry League Tables.

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