What About Free Ssl Certificates
There are a number of free SSL certificates out there. These are a good option for those with the technical skills to download and install one themselves.
You need a basic understanding of shell commands, as well as shell access to your hosting account.
There are help articles on the web for free SSLs, but no live customer support to lend a hand if you get stuck or have an issue. Read more about the differences between free and paid SSLs here.
Gdpr And Other Protections Change The Environment
Recent high profile incidents of data hacking highlight the importance of hiding personal information from public access on the internet. Those incidents and other events that involve the misuse of sensitive personal data have led to the creation of a number of new data privacy regulations that aim to give internet users more control over personal data and how it can be used.
In the spring of 2018, the European Union implemented a sweeping set of data privacy regulations collectively called the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR. This law has now become the primary means of protecting the personal data of EU citizens in online environments around the world, and companies and other entities that fail to comply can be subject to stiff fines and penalties. Within the EU, some countries, like Germany, have even stiffer laws.
The GDPR isnt limited to regulating the use and availability of personal data solely in the EU. Because the internet is a global network, any website that could be used by EU citizens anywhere in the world becomes subject to the provisions of the GDPR. This includes Whois and other ICANN certified databases for registering websites and IP addresses.
How Can You Get Domain Privacy Protection
You can get domain privacy protection while registering your domain name. The domain registrar or hosting provider offers domain privacy protection with their domain names. This usually includes the add-on features.
If you are still confused then you must go through with reasons which make sense that why there is a need for Domain Privacy Protection?
Recommended Reading: How To Transfer Squarespace Domain To Godaddy
What Is Domain Privacy Protection Bluehost
Domain Privacy is a service that protects your personal information from being visible publicly. This information could be your name, address, phone number, email id, and anything you provided while registering a domain.
Domain privacy protection is a service by Bluehost to protect your information from stolen by anyone. Domain privacy offers by all the domain registration companies out there.
While buying a domain you have to provide your personal information for billing purposes. If somehow you dont opt for privacy protection then this information will be visible to everyone.
Hence anyone can access your information from who.is the website. Thus not having domain privacy can lead you to get unwanted emails and sells pitches from marketers and spammers.
Who.is is a Website to lookup for the personal data of the owner of a certain domain.
- When you opt for domain privacy then Bluehost or any other company replaces your personal information with their official information. In this way, your information is shielded by Bluehosts information.
Let me clarify it,
How is it to give fake information for domain privacy?
Honestly, you should not be doing this, if you do then this goes against the ICANN terms. And as a result, your domain registration could be terminated.
ICANN is an NGO that manages and looks after domain name registrations worldwide.
What Are Some Alternatives
- panthur.com and
- aws.com
For the reasons Ive outlined above, I implore you to avoid GoDaddy and instead aim to use any of the providers you see above.
Namecheap even offers a discount to GoDaddy users who transfer their domains away to make their transparent, good value prices even cheaper.
Just use the coupon code Switch2NC and you will get a year added to your domain for a discount.
Depending on your level of understanding, switching providers might also be a bit difficult. We help clients move away from GoDaddy to other platforms all the time.
So if you need help feel free to simply send me a message. Would be happy to help.
Got any ideas for a blog topic youd like to hear about? Send me a message with a suggestion.
Don’t Miss: How To Change Ownership Of Domain Name
Gdpr And Domain Privacy
For European Union citizens, the personal information connected to your domain name is automatically protected by the General Data Protection Regulation .
ICANN also implemented the Temporary Specifications for gTLD Registration Data to adjust to the regulations of the GDPR. So even if your personal information is private, some data are still available to the public, such as:
- Your Internet Protocol
- Domains registration and expiration dates
You Cant Use Fake Personal Information When Registering A Domain
When it comes to domain registration, you have to use your actual contact details for security purposes. The person or company listed as the registrant of the domain name will always be the legal owner from the standpoint of ICANN.
Using false contact information may lead to a legal dispute about who owns the domain name. Its essential to use legitimate contact information, especially for businesses it can affect customers trust and loyalty to your brand.
Also Check: What Is The Io Domain Used For
Remove Privacy Protection From The Domain
The domain transfer will automatically fail if the privacy protection is enabled on the domain name when the transfer request is initiated. All WHOIS information must be publicly visible for the transfer to go through successfully.
Privacy protection can be removed by clicking Remove privacy at the bottom of the Contact Information section, then confirming that privacy should be removed from the domain.
What Is Domain Privacy And Do I Really Need It
What is domain privacy and do I really need it?
Did you know the contact details attached to your web hosting domain are publicly available thanks to the WHOIS listings? This is why HostPapa and other web hosting providers offer domain privacy for a small surcharge.
Now, you might ask yourself, do I really need it?
The simple answer is no. As a website owner, you do not need to purchase domain privacy. However, the service offers a number of important benefits, including reducing spam and unwanted solicitations. We think any website owner will be better off for making a small investment in his or her privacy. And in fact tens of thousands of HostPapa clients would probably agree!
What is domain privacy?
Every domain name has a WHOIS listing, which is a searchable database of registered domains. It is available to everyone on the Internet. Without domain privacy, or WHOIS privacy protection, all of your contact information is available to the public.
With WHOIS privacy, however, your personal information is shielded and the information belonging to your domain registrar is visible instead.
Even if you have a legitimate postal address and nothing to hide, WHOIS privacy can help:
- Control spam and junk snail mail.
- Hide your website from competitors doing market research.
- Prevent firms from capturing your information to resell to others.
- Avoid stalkers and fraudsters.
- Control your personal information and privacy. Do you really want everyone online knowing your address?
Read Also: How Much Does A Domain Cost
Godaddy Gives Too Little Control
GoDaddys server back end is difficult to use and limited in functionality.
Which basically means that as a developer, it takes me more time to complete tasks.
If I want to deliver results for my client, I need the flexibility and ease of use that an industry standard admin interface, like cPanel, provides.
Unfortunately, GoDaddy gives users a proprietary admin interface that is more interested in selling you more GoDaddy products than in giving you the tools you need.
Godaddy Has Been Inappropriate Just A Few Too Many Times
If the technical explanations arent enough to convince you, then the ethical reasons will surely make you want to avoid GoDaddy.
GoDaddy has notoriously published one of the in the history of the planet.
Furthermore, they have published advertisements that have been overtly sexual in many ways, with AdAge.com labelling their technique as brash, boobs-first advertising.
And to cap it all off, in 2011, GoDaddys CEO Bob Pearson posted a video online of him shooting an elephant. Thats right, you read correctly.
The footage so graphic, that Im not even going to link to it in this blog. Ridiculous behaviour.
You May Like: How Much To Purchase A Domain Name
Domain Privacy: Why You Need It & Where To Find It
The directorys primary purpose is to provide accountability in case of technical or legal issues. More often, though, it acts as a vast repository of convenient contacts for spammers, scammers and legit but annoying marketers.
That is so uncool.
Because theres a legitimate need for the contact information, you cant get out of providing it. But you also dont have to put your name, address and phone number on the internet essentially waiting for just the right Nigerian scammer to come along.
Thanks to proxy registration and domain privacy, you can trust your contact info to a service wholl keep them private. In the event someone has a bona-fide need to contact you, theyll go through the proxy whose information is listed in your record.
Even if someone has an actual product or service to sell, cold-calling contacts found in the WhoIs database is pretty much the internet equivalent of door-to-door sales. Before private registration was available we got those e-mails and calls alltheTIME.
Now? Never.
For years weve bought domain names only from registrars that offer private registration. Since moving to private registration, we have never been contacted by someone who found our info using a WhoIs directory search.
How Do You Get Domain Privacy Protection
Getting Domain Privacy Protection is really simple. You can buy domain privacy protection before or after registering a domain name.
And usually, web hosts and domain registrars will add it to your cart automatically and you can choose to remove it, or theyll suggest purchasing it before you checkout.
We recommend doing it before you register a domain because this way your personal info is never made public in the WHOIS database.
However, if you have already registered a domain and want to hide your information now, you can still purchase privacy protection, though it may take up to 48 hours for the WHOIS database to refresh.
After it does, your info will be removed from public view and replaced with generic details.
People will still be able to see when the domain was registered and when its expiring.
Here are a few domain registrars we recommend that offer privacy protection at affordable rates. These rates may vary depending on the value of your domain name.
Also Check: How Much Should A Domain Name Cost Per Year
Considering Godaddy Protected Registration Dont
I registered my first website back in 2005 and today, after years of trying, I finally prevailed in a multi-year battle with GoDaddy to shut that URL down.
In an effort to spare you my pain, and warn you of what I consider to be some shoddy business practices, Ill give a brief explanation.
I registered my first domain for a small web business that I went into with a good friend. Being my first URL I believed their hype and paid for the optional Protected Registration.
Two years later, after much fun, it was obvious that we couldnt run the project on a part time basis and we closed the company down. The URL, however, lived on and GoDaddy dutifully renewed it the following year, charging the renewal and the Protected Registration feeds to my personal credit card. Heres where things get a little strange.
I tried to cancel future renewals through their web interface but was blocked because the Protected Registration. No problem, I thought, Ill just cancel the Protected Registration.
When I tried to cancel the Protected Registration I was unable to do so because they required documentation from the company that was no longer available because the company was closed. Apparently I needed this to prove that I had the right to cancel, despite the fact that:
Each time I pointed out that, as the person paying, surely that gave me the right to cancel.
What Are The Downsides
One drawback is the extra cost involved in getting privacy protection enabled but I guess it really depends on which company you go with.
Also some people may actually want to have their name displayed, like a company website for example. The information listed may be more of a business nature than a personal one so it doesnt really present the same level of risk.
Recommended Reading: How Much Does A Domain Name Cost Per Year
Why Should You Get An Ssl Certificate
An SSL certificate protects the flow of data from your website to its visitors and vice versa. Maintaining your reputation and your customers trust is essential for doing business in the digital age.
The real question is, why shouldnt you get an SSL certificate for your website? The benefits are significant:
So lets say youre totally set on beefing up your website security with an SSL certificate, you just havent gotten around to it yet. Well, theres no better time than the present to get one.
Anyone who sees the Not Secure message will likely walk away from that website .
Googles initiative is designed to help make the global web more secure. After all, 60 percent of all internet traffic goes through Google Chrome. Google is using the popularity of its browser to prompt a change that will make the internet a safer place.
What Is Whois And Why Is It Important
WHOIS may look like an acronym, but it is actually a collection of information that relates to the owner of a domain.This information includes the owners full name, email address, physical address, phone number, and administrative and technical contacts.
All of this personal information is made publicly available for the world to see, including identity thieves, spammers and more threats.
If you do not wish to have this information readily available, registrars can hide this for a fee. This works by replacing your personal information with information about their company.
Don’t Miss: Where To Get Gg Domains