The Domain name is nothing but identity of your business or your online presence. We can say that people will recognise you or your business and will reach up to you using your domain name. Therefore, protecting your domain name is a very important task in terms of security and reliability.
It guides users to find the location of your business on the internet. Domain names should be unique and human readable as they prove to be helpful means in rising brand awareness, marketing products, and growing sales.
Another important thing is a “Subdomain”. Subdomain is a part of your main domain. For example, “support.webhosting.com”. (Here in this domain name, “support” is the subdomain. To distinguish a component of your website, a prefix is added to the main domain name called a subdomain. Web Hosting Service also helps owners of large websites that need their own content hierarchy, like online stores, blogs, location, audience, language, or support platforms, typically utilise subdomains to administer these areas.
Let us explore a few domain name types-
1) .com- Commercial businesses (this is the most widely used TLD)
2) edu- Educational institutions.
3) mil- Military organisations.
4) net- Network technology organisations.
5) org- organisations, it is typically used for non-profit websites such as NGOs, charities or educational platforms.
6) int- Intergovernmental organisations.
7) gov- Government agencies.
Let us follow a few steps in protecting domain names-
1. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)-
2FA is the best practice these days to protect our accounts, as it provides double layer of security. It reduces the risk of cyber-attacks such as malware, phishing, and ransomware. Did you know? 80% of cyber-attacks happen because of stolen password.
2. Choose a Strong Password-
Use a unique and complex password for your domain registrar account to prevent unauthorised access. Include a combination of letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers, and special characters. You should always choose a strong password with special characters and numbers, so that hackers will find it difficult to steal your password. Let us take an example of strong password-
m#J52s@at$V
Password generators are best for generating passwords. They are difficult to remember but that is ok. In addition, one more thing, you should always save your passwords in a safe place and password protect them.
3. Keep Registrar Account Information Confidential-
Avoid sharing your domain registrar account details with others unless necessary. Be careful of phishing attempts and ensure you are accessing your registrar’s official website when making changes. All have to fill out WHOIS information for the domain. The information contains name, email address, phone number, and physical address.
4. Use Privacy Protection-
Consider enabling privacy protection or WHOIS privacy for your domain. This masks your personal information in the WHOIS database, reducing the chances of your contact details being exposed to spammers or malicious actors.
5. Regularly Update Contact Information-
Keep your domain registrar’s contact information up to date, including your email address and phone number. This ensures you receive important notifications and can be contacted regarding any domain-related matters. Updating information regularly is a good exercise.
6. Monitor Domain Expiration-
Set up reminders or enable auto-renewal for your domain to prevent unintentional expiration. Losing control of an expired domain can lead to security risks and potential loss of your online presence.
7. Use Secure DNS-
Ensure that your domain’s DNS (Domain Name System) settings are secure. Use reputable DNS providers and consider implementing DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) to protect against DNS spoofing and tampering.
8. Implement Registry Lock or Transfer Lock-
Some domain registrars offer additional protection features like registry lock or transfer lock. These features add an extra layer of security by preventing unauthorised transfers or modifications to your domain settings. Settings such as DNS server changes, transferring the domain to another registrar and removing domain name at registry level. The domain name can be unlocked only after the owner’s authentication. This feature is a great protection from getting your domain snatched.
9. Regularly Monitor Domain Activity-
Keep an eye on your domain’s activity and monitor for any suspicious changes, such as unauthorised DNS modifications or domain transfers. Promptly report any suspicious or unauthorised activities to your domain registrar.
If possible, make sure your domain is set to automatic renewal. In addition, register domain for longer periods, more than one year. Like, always register for 2, 5 or 10 years. This way, you can save a lot of money and no need to worry about renewal every year. This ensures a lot of security.
10. Maintain Backups-
Regularly backup your website’s files, databases, and other critical data associated with your domain. In the event of a security incident or accidental loss, having backups ensures you can restore your website and data. Backups defend against human mistakes, failure of hardware, attacks by viruses, power blackout, and natural calamities. In this way, if such failure occurs, backups help in saving time and money.
By following, the above outlined steps, you can enhance the security of your domain and reduce the risk of unauthorised access or misuse. It is essential to stay attentive, keep your domain name registration account secure, and promptly address any security concerns that may arise.