Making a domain name secure
In today’s fast-moving digital world, a domain name is not just your website’s address. It is a real cornerstone of your online presence, and remains a key element for any company looking to increase its digital visibility. A domain name, which takes the familiar form of www.example.com (or .fr, .org, .net) is essential for identifying a website and providing technical access to its pages. However, domain name security is often underestimated, both by individuals and by brands. A compromised domain name can have disastrous consequences for its rightful owner, such as interrupting their business activities, having their data hacked, or even being at risk of legal action. In this article, we discuss the crucial issue of how to make your domain name secure. We’ll take you through step-by-step guidance to strengthen the protection of your domain name– an invaluable asset in today’s digital world.
Why domain name protection is important
In today’s digital landscape, protecting a domain name is not just an option, but a must for running a business. A domain name works like a digital address that guides customers and internet users to your website. Domain security directly affects the credibility and reliability of your online presence, and that’s why the security of your domain name is so important.
Protecting your company’s identity
A secure domain name is your first line of protection against cybersquatting and identity theft. Cybercriminals can reserve similar website names to hijack customer visits, damage your brand reputation, or simply make your website unavailable. By securing your domain name, you’re protecting your business and ensuring the trust of your users.
Data security
On the internet, domain names are often the gateway to sensitive information. An unsecured domain can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks, phishing, or malware. The security of your company data, as well as that of your internet users, could be at risk. Protecting your domain names is therefore essential to ensuring the security of your confidential and sensitive information, protecting you against legal action in the event of data loss.
Maintaining business continuity
The security of your domain name is intrinsically linked to your business continuity. A compromised domain can cause service interruptions, affecting several aspects of your business:
• online presence
• deliverability of your services and products
• internal and external communications
• business transactions
• operational and business management
• productivity
Compliance with confidentiality and security standards
With the increase in the number of data privacy regulations such as GDPR, ensuring the security and confidentiality of your domain is now a question of law and legal compliance. A secure domain prevents sensitive information exchanged via your website from being intercepted by hackers.
Increased confidence for internet users
In a world where cyberattacks are very common, users of your services are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of online security, and more suspicious of websites that they don't trust. A secure domain is a reassuring sign for internet users, who will know that their security is ensured when they are on your domain or one of your web pages.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Search engines promote secure websites by ranking them further up the search results. A properly protected domain name will have a positive impact on your SEO ranking, increasing your website’s visibility and attracting more traffic.
Securing your domain name after creating it is fundamental if you want to protect your business, secure your website’s data, ensure business continuity, protect yourself from legal action, comply with regulations, and optimise your online presence. Ignoring this aspect of digital security could have disastrous consequences for your business, while a well-protected domain will ensure your brand’s long-term success.
Tips for improving domain name security
When building your website, domain name protection is a vital aspect of running your business. After you’ve created your domain name, a series of best practices should be followed. Here are some tips and best practices for improving domain name security.
Choose a trusted registrar
Select a reputable and trusted domain registrar. Ensure it offers robust security policies, relevant certifications, and responsive customer service for optimal protection against fraud and cyber threats. Choosing the best registrar will ensure you have full control over the growth of your business. If you would like to change registrar, you can transfer your domain name to OVHcloud.
Set up two-factor authentication
Set strong and unique passwords
Private WHOIS protection
Private WHOIS protection, also known as "Privacy Protection," strengthens your domain name's security by hiding your personal information in the public WHOIS database. It also helps protect your online privacy, reducing the risk of information gathering by competitors or malicious parties.
Enable domain locking with your registry
When the owner of a domain name thinks they have found the best name for their company’s website, it is understandable to want to protect it. That’s because your domain name is your property. When offered by your registrar, activate the domain locking feature with the registry to prevent unauthorised transfers of your domain name. This step to secure your domain name offers additional protection against:
• the unauthorised transfer of the domain name to another registrar
• the modification of the contacts provided by the domain name
• the modification of the Domain Name System (DNS) servers and associated DNS zones
• the modification or deletion of domain names
Opt for automatic renewal
You can renew your domain name for months or even years. Automatic renewal of your domain name is an effective precaution to avoid accidental expiry. When a domain expires, it becomes available for public registration, which can lead to its loss or acquisition by malicious entities or competitors. By configuring automatic renewal, you can ensure that your domain remains your property and under your control, as if you had bought your domain name permanently, without the risk of it being grabbed by competitors.
Implementing DNSSEC
The DNSSEC, or Domain Name System Security Extensions, is an advanced protocol designed to secure the information provided by the DNS. By validating the digital signatures associated with the DNS data, DNSSEC guarantees that internet users are redirected to the authentic website linked to your domain name, and not to a fake version. This technology is essential for preventing DNS cache poisoning and DNS redirection attacks. It protects your users against phishing sites and other forms of cyberattacks. Enabling DNSSEC may require a technical configuration, but many registrars now offer options that make it easier to implement.
Want to register a domain name with OVHcloud?
Here are some examples of extensions you can use for your domains and subdomains. Check out our complete catalogue for even more choice.
View all our domain extensions
Conclusion
Adding security to your domain name remains an essential strategy to ensuring the longevity and reliability of your online presence. Protecting your domain name is about protecting your company, your company’s rights, your reputation and your digital integrity. By following the tips and best practices outlined in this article, including choosing the best registrar, enabling two-factor authentication, locking the registry and registrar, renewing your domain name, and implementing DNSSEC, you can create a secure digital environment for your company and your users. And by investing in your domain name’s security, you’re ensuring the success of your business services, as well as the long-term protection of your online business.
Protect your domain name with DNSSEC
Protect your domain name from cache poisoning.
In recent years, hackers have developed methods of ‘poisoning’ DNS servers by falsifying the responses given by the DNS, enabling them to divert traffic to their servers (phishing etc.). With our DNSSEC solution, you can now protect your DNS servers.
