The Big Wave Blog

Protecting domain ownership is one of my biggest causes, and has been throughout my internet marketing career. It is also one of the areas that is least understood by the average web user.

When domain owners don’t protect themselves, they provide a red carpet for all the sleazebags who have set out to deliberately hijack their domains. Just when I think I have seen and heard of the worst kind of domain hijacking, another story comes to my attention.

If the internet gods were on Mount Sinai, their Commandments of Domain Ownership would read as follows.

THOU SHALT:

1. ALWAYS own your domain!
   I tell this to every business owner I meet. This is the most important thing you can do to protect yourself from domain pirates. Allowing employees, vendors or design firms to own something that is so personal and so integral to your business is only going to bring heartache in the long term.
2. Renew your domains BEFORE they expire.
   We all have a hundred things to do every day. The expiration date for your domain registration can pass by quickly if you put it off. However, it is well worth making time for, and only takes 2 minutes. If you fail to renew in time, your well-loved and closely developed domain might be auctioned off to anyone, including a competitor, or an agency who is looking to make a quick buck by selling it back to you. Too lazy to remember things? How about registering your domain for 99 years! Or choose to auto renew. There are ways to protect your domain investment, but you have to be aware of them. And make sure you keep track of when your domain is expiring, no matter how long you plan to remain in business.
3. Use a reputable domain registrar.
   Please refrain from buying domains from resellers. Resellers are not under contract with ICANN and are not directly obligated to follow the same transfer confirmation processes that ICANN requires of registrars. Here is a comprehensive list of ICANN-certified registrars. If you have registered with a company that is not on this list, upgrade now! It’s well worth the money to make sure your domains are secure.
4. Keep your contact information up to date.
   Always give correct information to your domain registrar and keep it current. If you recently changed your name to Batman or Superman, take a moment to update your account. Lost your email address? Update the information! When things go wrong and the “WHOIS” information for a domain is inaccurate, it is up to the domain registrar or service provider to determine who the rightful registrant of the domain name should be. Don’t make things difficult for yourself by providing incorrect contact information.
5. Never allow your contact email to expire.
   Email accounts do expire. Did you buy your website with a work email and then change jobs? Did you buy the domain using an email account that you don’t regularly use? All email accounts can expire for a variety of reasons, including inactivity for accounts such as Yahoo Mail or Hotmail. When your domain is about to expire, any reputable registrar will start emailing you as early as 6 months before the expiration warning you of the approaching expiration date. Expired email = No warning for you!
6. Never share your username and password with anyone.
   Ok. This is pretty simple. When a website design company makes/redesigns your website, the only reason they need your login information for the domain is to make a few adjustments: changing the DNS (Domain Name Server) and the MX records for email. At this stage, depending on the reliability of your firm, you can make them the administrator and the technical contact for your website. Or you can make these simple changes yourself by asking them for instructions. NEVER let them take over the registry! Now, if you have trusted your website company to buy your domain for you, make SURE they buy it in your name and NOT in their own name. Change usernames and passwords often, especially after giving anyone any kind of access.
7. Keep your domain registration information private.
   In this world full of domain pirates, making your information private is never a bad investment. Domains are listed in a public “WHOIS” database, like a phone book: making your information private is one way to ensure that it’s not listed in that database. Spend a few extra dollars and make it difficult for someone to attempt to hack your domain using your public information.
8. Always LOCK your domain.
   This is another simple but effective option readily available to you from reputable registrars. It ensures that nobody can transfer your website once it is registered. Sometimes simplicity is the answer.
9. Regularly log in and monitor your domain account.
   Make this a habit, as this will keep you updated on any unauthorized activities. The sooner you discover things, the faster you can fix them. Think of it like identity theft: the sooner you catch it, the less it can hurt you.
10. Always have the phone number of your domain registrar company.
    Things have a way of going wrong. Having the phone number of your domain registrar handy is one way to ensure that you can reach a human in case of emergency.

I hope you share this list of commandments with your friends, family and business acquaintances (only the people you like). Education is the most powerful weapon that can be used against domain pirates. I have seen a wide spectrum of crooks, ranging from some very big “reputable” companies to one-man shows, all of whom are trying to extort business owners for the use of their own domain.

I have rounded my list of Domain Commandments to 10, but if you have any other points please post them in the comments section. I would love to add them to this list.