As a business or organization, your domain name is one of your most valuable assets, especially in the world of online marketing and advertising. After all, it isn’t just the link that people use to get to you–it is you! It’s your brand’s name. It’s your business’ identity. It embodies who you are as a company and is the title that headlines everything you work towards.
So with this being one of your business’s greatest possessions, don’t you think that protecting it should be one of your business’s greatest priorities?
Today, we are going to discuss some of the best practices that any business or organization should take to ensure that their domain stays theirs, keeping unneeded stress and problems off your company’s plate.
The Right Choice
While choosing the name of your domain is important, choosing the registrar you purchase it from is equally so. As a business, you want a registrar that is both adept in the marketplace AND has a history of consistent stability. There are many vendors who provide this, such as 101domain, with each registrar having their own personal strengths.
While the decision-making process of choosing the right registrar can be overwhelming for many, it is certainly worth the extra effort to ensure that whatever domain you’re buying is yielding your best deal when it comes to security and price.
What You’re Up Against
In order to keep your business running smoothly and efficiently, we need to talk about security. Depending on how valuable your domain name is, firewalls and security measures are vital in making sure your domain stays yours.
Before discussing measures you can take, let’s talk about the threats that you are facing.
One of the largest threats in the online sphere is domain hijacking. This technique is extremely similar to fraud since it redirects the traffic of one website over to another. The danger is that it puts sensitive information at risk since the user is unaware that he or she is not at the secure site the hijacker is mimicking.
The second major threat that many many domains face is phishing, which is the process of sending an email that impersonates your actual registrar and requests personal details, opening the door for private information to be put in the wrong hands.
These are just a few of the dangers when it comes to domain security. But don’t worry, the simple practices listed below will help protect both your domain and your business.
Counter-Measures
Now that you own your domain and understand the associated threats, the next step is familiarizing yourself with the techniques and practices that keep your domain safe. When it comes to the big-picture, your goal is to ensure that no one is benefitting from your domain unless it is with your knowledge and consent. You can achieve this by implementing new operations and procedures. And difficult is not the word I would use to describe them.
The first of the best practices is using strong passwords. While this may seem like a no-brainer, you would be surprised by the number of people with relatively weak passwords and the resourcefulness the hackers attempting to get past them. In many cases, adding numbers and special characters will stave off a hacker.
The next technique that can help keep your domain and its reputation safe is registering different variations of your domain name. When used correctly, this practice blocks any scammers from registering domain names extremely similar to yours. After all, your main goal is making sure that individuals looking for your site actually find your site.
Lastly, the simplest way to ensure that your domain remains secure is by being smart with your information and conduct. Basically, don’t share your security information with people not involved in your business and take every precaution when setting up your new domain. When it comes down to it, even the smallest missteps can put your domain security in jeopardy, and a little caution goes a long way in making sure your property is secure.
Takeaway
Overall, your domain name is one of your company’s most valuable assets, and protecting it should be no small priority. To many, it can be overwhelming to both setup and manage a domain, but it is well worth it to ensure that your website is both a stable and reputable one.
While there are most certainly threats out there attempting to jeopardize that stability, implementing the practices above can make all the difference between a secure website and a hacker’s dream.
