Domain thefts, or hijackings, as they are often referred to, are becoming increasingly common lately, making them one of the most infamous crimes in the sinister world of cyber criminals.
Losing your domain name is far worse than your website being hacked or data being breached. Domains are an identity, and they represent the authority and reputation you’ve painstakingly built for yourself over months or years to matter in the world of modern-day search engines.
There have been instances of entire businesses collapsing owing to a hijacked domain, making it absolutely essential to take the necessary precautions. So, what is domain protection? It essentially refers to the steps you can take to shield one of the most crucial digital assets of your business from nefarious elements. Here’s a deep dive into the same.
Understanding the Importance of Domain Protection
People often underestimate the importance of domain protection, often because they fail to understand just how hard it is to get back a domain once it gets hijacked. This is if at all it is possible to get it back, which hasn’t been the case for a number of victims over the past few years.
Your domain name represents your digital presence, and given that businesses pretty much bet everything they have on building said presence, it must be guarded and protected as such.
1. Choose a Reputable Registrar
In the battle against domain thefts, the first line of defense is always the registrar. In addition to selling you and helping you manage your domain names, they are responsible for adhering to various best practices for keeping your precious digital assets safe.
When registering or transferring a domain name, work with registrars known for their strong security measures and for going beyond the call of duty to protect their customers from nefarious actors.
A good registrar offers advanced security measures such as two-factor authentication (2FA), which might be the standard right now. This is in addition to DNSSEC support and proactively notifying owners in case of any changes to your domain names and their settings.
2. Lock Down Your Domain
Most registrars offer a feature called ‘Registrar Lock’ or ‘Domain Lock.’ This feature prevents unauthorized transfer of your domain to another registrar. Activating it is a must to fend off hijackers who might try to transfer your domain without your permission.
This means that even if someone gains access to your domain registrar account, they will be unable to do any lasting damage. This essentially puts additional steps in the way of a domain transfer, making it hard for a cyber crook located 1,000 miles away to gain access to your valuables.
3. Use Strong, Unique Passwords
This might seem like a no-brainer, but the importance of strong, unique passwords can’t be overstated. Your domain’s registrar and email accounts, as well as every other account associated with it, should be secured with robust passwords.
Consider using a password manager to generate and store complex passwords so you don’t have to memorize them all.
4. Enable WHOIS Privacy
When you register a domain, your personal info (like name, address, and phone number) gets listed in the public WHOIS database. Not ideal, right?
Enabling WHOIS privacy shields your personal information from prying eyes. It replaces your details with the info of a proxy service. This simple step can deter potential attackers who mine this database for targets.
Most people don’t bother paying extra for this privacy measure, but this makes a huge difference when dealing with social engineering attacks, which often use publicly available information to guess your password and other credentials.
5. Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Whenever possible, enable 2FA. This adds an extra layer of domain protection by requiring a second form of verification (like a code sent to your phone) in addition to your password. It’s a powerful deterrent against attackers who might have stolen or guessed your password.
If your password is weak or you use the same password for different accounts, hackers might get into your account. However, with two-factor authentication in place, they will not gain access unless, of course, they have access to your cell phone or email ID as well, making it a lot harder.
6. Regularly Update Your Contact Information
Keep your registrar and hosting account contact information up to date. If there’s suspicious activity, you want to be the first to know, not the last. Immediate alerts allow you to react swiftly and potentially mitigate damage.
While this aids in prevention, it also comes in handy in the event that your domain gets hijacked and you need to recover it. Keeping your information updated is a great way to make the recovery process easier.
7. Monitor Your Domain’s Status
Stay proactive by monitoring your domain’s status. Use tools that alert you to unauthorized changes to your DNS settings or sudden spikes in traffic, which could indicate a DNS attack. Regular audits of domain and DNS records can catch discrepancies that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Hackers might start with unauthorized changes to disrupt your email service and gain information about your business and its assets to engineer breaches and attacks. With regular audits, however, any such changes can be identified and rectified right away before any serious damage is done.
8. Be Wary of Phishing Attacks
Phishing scams are a common way for hackers to gain access to your domain registrar account. Be cautious with emails that claim to be from your registrar, especially those asking for personal information or linking to external websites.
Always verify the authenticity of such communications by contacting the registrar directly through official channels.
Conclusion
Securing your domain name from cyber threats is an ongoing process that requires diligence and proactive measures.
By understanding the importance of domain protection, choosing a reputable registrar, and implementing strong security practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of cyber threats and ensure your online presence remains secure.
In fact, a reputed domain registrar should take care of most of these things, often at no additional cost. New services such as Crazy Domains offer a lot of value for small businesses in this regard. This comprehensive approach safeguards your domain and builds a robust foundation for the overall security of your online activities.
