Protect Your Domain Name
Most inadvertent domain expirations and many fraudulent transfers are due to out of date contact information.
If you have more than one domain, consider consolidating your names with a registrar who offers domain portfolio management features. This will allow you to use one master account to see all of your domain names (and their expiration dates) at a glance, as well as make changes to all of your domains at once. Some registrars are now offering free options such as automatic expiration date tracking and auto-renewal as additional safeguards. Before consolidating, be sure to read our free report on domain consolidation.
You or your organization should always be listed as the organization and administrative contact.
When registering corporate domain names, make sure that the company name is listed as the owner of the domain. Do not allow an outside web site designer or host to be listed as either the domain owner or administrative contact. If possible, the business owner or a senior executive should be listed as administrative contact since this person will be authorized to modify or change ownership of company domain names.
Be careful when using free e-mail addresses from services like Hotmail. Many free e-mail services will automatically suspend or delete your e-mail account if you do not log in frequently enough. Once your e-mail account is deleted, a domain hijacker can sign up for your same e-mail address and use it to give permission to transfer your domains away from you.
If possible, avoid using a free e-mail address on your domain records. If you are using a Hotmail account, you may want to consider paying to upgrade your account to exempt you from their 30 day inactivity policy.
If your domain name is critical to your business and are one you will want for years to come, consider renewing your domain registration in five year increments. This will avoid yearly registration hassles and prevent your domain from accidentally expiring.
There are a number of common mistakes which cause domains to expire, be hijacked or deleted. However, being aware of these mistakes and taking the proper precautions can greatly increase the security of your domain names. Most importantly, keep your domain information up to date and consider consolidating your names with a registrar that provides the tools you need to securely manage and protect your domain names.
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