How to Protect Your Domain Name

Without domain-name protection, hackers can hijack your domain name and temporarily disrupt your business. Without protection, hijackers can even impersonate you or someone in your company, then transfer your domain name to their own server and ruin your business. Fortunately, domain-name protection can thwart these hijackers and keep your information safe.

Instructions

1. Use the same name for administration, technical and payment accounts. If someone attempts to change change your information, you will be contacted by email.

2. Use anonymous WHOIS information that protects your company's administration, technical and billing information.

3. Turn off the transfer settings for your domain name. Transfer settings allow your website domain name to transfer to another hosting company. If you turn transfer settings off, you must manually initiate a transfer from within your control panel. Manual transfers prevents hackers from initiating a transfer.

4. Set up a very strong password for your domain-name registration account that consists of eight or more letters, and consists of numeric characters and odd characters such as exclamation points (!), pound signs (#) or asterisks (*).

5. Set your domain name to auto-renew so it won't expire. If your domain name expires, other people have the right to purchase the domain after 90 days. Avoid this scenario by automatically renewing your domain name.

References

• Search Engine Land: How to Protect Your Domain Name
• Security Skeptic: How to Protect Yourself Against Domain-Name Hackers
• I Gold Rush: Protecting a Domain Name

Resources

• Research Your Domain Information and See If You're Protected