Verifying against the live site and live WHOIS/DNS…
Common questions
Is pacinst.org legit or a scam?
AboutUs doesn't label sites "legit" or "a scam": this page lists the dated registration, DNS, HTTPS, mail-authentication and safety checks we could verify, each with its source, so you can decide for yourself.
Who owns pacinst.org?
Nobody has completed AboutUs's owner verification for pacinst.org. That's true of most sites here — it isn't itself a warning sign.
Correct a description, link or other detail. Submissions are reviewed before publication.
Lifeline · pacinst.org over time
Checked in the last 30 daysOlder, dated recordFrom registration records
Registered 31 years ago · on AboutUs since 2006 · one registrar since Jan 23, 2014 · 1 ownership change since 2014 · last checked Oct 5, 2026.
Registration
RegisteredNov 21, 1994pacinst.org was registered on Nov 21, 1994.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 22, 2026
AboutUs record
AboutUs wiki pageAboutUs wiki pageJun 21, 2006 – Nov 14, 2013An AboutUs wiki page described pacinst.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 14, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Registrar
Network Solutions, LLCNetwork Solutions, LLCJan 23, 2014 – Oct 16, 2026 (latest)Registrar Network Solutions, LLC (IANA 2) in the registration data recorded, first on Jan 23, 2014 and most recently on Oct 16, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 22, 2026
Ownership
Ownership recordsJan 23, 2014 – Feb 11, 2026Registration records for pacinst.org are held from Jan 23, 2014 to Feb 11, 2026 (47 records). 1 change of registrant name or organization is marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Zone file
No nameserver records held, Feb 2026 – Oct 2026Nameservers: sonic.netNameservers: sonic.netJan 23, 2014 – Feb 11, 2026Registration records listed sonic.net nameservers (a.auth-ns.sonic.net, b.auth-ns.sonic.net, c.auth-ns.sonic.net) for pacinst.org from Jan 23, 2014 to Feb 11, 2026.Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Certificate
Let's EncryptMay 24, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026 (latest)Let's Encrypt issued 10 certificates for pacinst.org from May 24, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 17, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 5, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 5, 2026
200020102020Jan ’26Oct ’26← last 12 months, drawn wider
Every dated fact on this lifeline (9)
Nov 21, 1994Registration: pacinst.org was registered on Nov 21, 1994.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 22, 2026
Jun 21, 2006 – Nov 14, 2013AboutUs record: An AboutUs wiki page described pacinst.org from Jun 21, 2006 to Nov 14, 2013 (2 edits).Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006–2023
Jul 1, 2006AboutUs record: “Founded in 1987 and based in Oakland, California, we provide independent research and policy analysis on issues at the intersection of development, environment, and security.”Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Jan 23, 2014 – Oct 16, 2026Registrar: Registrar Network Solutions, LLC (IANA 2) in the registration data recorded, first on Jan 23, 2014 and most recently on Oct 16, 2026.Source: RDAP, fetched Aug 22, 2026
Jan 23, 2014 – Feb 11, 2026Ownership: Registration records for pacinst.org are held from Jan 23, 2014 to Feb 11, 2026 (47 records). 1 change of registrant name or organization is marked. Privacy-service and redaction changes are not counted.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
Jan 23, 2014 – Feb 11, 2026Registration records listed sonic.net nameservers (a.auth-ns.sonic.net, b.auth-ns.sonic.net, c.auth-ns.sonic.net) for pacinst.org from Jan 23, 2014 to Feb 11, 2026.
Said about itself in 2006
Jul 1, 2006
“Founded in 1987 and based in Oakland, California, we provide independent research and policy analysis on issues at the intersection of development, environment, and security.”
Source: AboutUs wiki archive, 2006
Current AboutUs recordJul 4, 2026 – Aug 22, 2026 (latest)Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 22, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
Ownership change
Aug 23, 2020
The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Aug 23, 2020. Who it changed to is in the full report.
Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
1 ownership change, 2014–2026
Zone file:
Source: From registration records (WHOIS / RDAP archive, who.is)
Aug 23, 2020Ownership: The registrant name or organization in the registration record changed; first recorded Aug 23, 2020. Who it changed to is in the full report.Source: WHOIS / RDAP archive (who.is); counted by registrant name and organization only
May 24, 2026 – Oct 26, 2026Certificate: Let's Encrypt issued 10 certificates for pacinst.org from May 24, 2026, the latest valid until Jan 17, 2027. Seen in use on Oct 5, 2026.Source: Certificate Transparency logs (AboutUs's own certificate-log reader); TLS check, Oct 5, 2026
Jul 4, 2026 – Aug 22, 2026AboutUs record: Authority and Safety last refreshed Aug 22, 2026.Source: AboutUs checks
3 of 4 safety checks passed (Oct 26, 2026).
Registered 1994 · site is live · HTTPS valid
Pacinst.org do research about environment protection & economic development
Founded in 1987 and based in Oakland, California, we provide independent research and policy analysis on issues at the intersection of development, environment, and security.
Add the HSTS, Content-Security-Policy, and X-Frame-Options response headers.
AboutUs has not vetted this site. Everything below is what we could measure automatically. Anything you do on the site — paying, sharing personal details, downloading — is between you and the site, not AboutUs.
Current facts
Latest available measurements; dated entries retain their dates. These are measurements, not an endorsement of the site.
latest result
Domain registered Nov 21, 1994 — 31 years old.
latest result
Registrar on record: Network Solutions, LLC — unchanged since AboutUs began tracking (Sep 4, 2026).
latest result
HTTPS request succeeded for pacinst.org.
checked Sep 30, 2026
The site names Pacific Institute as the organisation behind it.
checked Sep 30, 2026
The live front page reads as a non-profit, association or religious site that is funded by donations or members.
Authority 67/100— ahead of 67% of the August 2026 scored sampleClear
Why this authority score
67 is a percentile: higher than 67% of sites we score.
How it's calculated
Prominence (Tranco rank #182,359)+6
Verified continuity: 31.9 years (RDAP registration)+11
Identity corroboration (capped)+4
Security & email hygiene+3
Calibration adjustment (published map)+10
Model score: 34/99 — what these reason lines add up to.
Published Authority (percentile): 67/100 — this site's rank against the August 2026 scored sample. Public Authority is capped at 99.
What pacinst.org said about itself, 2006
Quoted from the site's AboutUs wiki page in each year it changed (1 version). These are the page's own words at the time, not AboutUs's assessment. New words · dropped words
2006
Founded in 1987 and based in Oakland, California, we provide independent research and policy analysis on issues at the intersection of development, environment, and security.
Site history
Dated record — historical facts always carry their date.
✓ domain continuity 31 years registered✓ live verified Oct 26, 2026
Safety evidence
No unexpired threat-feed result; name-similarity check available (recorded about 65 days ago); 3/3 transport and email checks available (oldest recorded about 65 days ago). This is evidence coverage, not a probability that a website is safe.
No caution flags in the available scoring observations; this is not a complete safety assessment