Web Security, Privacy & Commerce, 2nd Edition

Protecting Your Domain Registration

It’s possible for a corporation to spend hundreds of millions of dollars purchasing hardware and software, build multiple redundant data centers, and have multiple upstream connections and backup power systems—yet have its entire network servicing several million customers go offline because it forgot to pay a single $35 annual fee.

It is important to remember that almost every transaction over the Web begins with a DNS query in which some computer somewhere on the Internet asks a top-level domain name server for the IP address of your organization’s name servers. If your organization’s entry in the .COM or .CO.UK database has been removed, no amount of redundancy or technical wizardry on your part will allow most users to access your services. For this reason, it is vital to ensure the safety of your domain name registration. Here are some suggestions:

• Know the name of the Internet registrar that maintains your domain name. Although many domain names are registered with Network Solutions, there are now more than a dozen registrars open for business, as well as many national organizations operating in countries other than the United States. Maintain a paper file with the name of the registrar and a printout of your organization’s registration.

• Periodically review the registration information for your domain name, making sure that the contact information is up to date and that your bills have been paid.

• Take advantage of any advanced security features ...