Domain names are easy to lose – though it’s simple to keep them safe.
It pays to make sure you’re taking the time to keep your online assets secure. We’ve found examples within our own industry where highly-used domain names owned by hosting companies are ready to be stolen with ease. It’s a tragedy as they should be setting examples for the rest of our industry. Make sure you’re doing better than that – let’s take a look at what you should (and may already) be doing.
Registrar logins details are just the beginning. Several angles need to be considered.
Here are the main points to consider:
- Domain name registrar login details (first and foremost!)
(Allows for DNS changes, Whois updates, transfers away, etc) - Domain name whois contact details & email address (all contacts)
(Especially important for AU domains – the email has much power) - Domain name DNS delegation to trusted nameservers (more than 1)
(Even if the domain is unused, always keep DNS somewhere trusted) - Contents of the website that loads on your domain name’s “root” page
(This more relates to AU domains where you must be using it properly) - Finally, the invoice/billing recipient (at your registrar) needs to be valid
(Rarely is this posted any longer, so whitelist them & read all emails! - AU domains ONLY – Ensure the legal owning entity is up-to-date!!!
(Sole Trader moved to a Company? Pay for the CoR right now!)
How often should I be checking my domain names for all of this?
Once you’ve given all of your domain names a health check using the above list and any other resources that you find helpful, you should note down when it was done and which domains you checked. That way, provided no details change for any domain names, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve got it all covered. We know that it seems daunting, however it’s quite similar to ensuring that your car is road-worthy (blue/pink slip), insured (CTP at least) and that every party involved (ie. RMS + GIO) will send renewal notices to the right place (email, post, etc).
What about getting help with making sure I haven’t missed anything?
Our local team are quite happy to clarify any concerns that you may have, even if the domain name is registered elsewhere. It’s all about supporting Australians to help them with getting back to what matters. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns, so we can step out what likely applies in your unique situation.
