How Long Does My Domain Name Registration Last How Do I Renew My Domain
How long your domain registration lasts can vary depending on the domain you purchase. Many domain name registrars will allow customers to register domains for 10 years at a time, but typically customers will register domains for one to three years.
If you want to extend your registration, it’s easy to renew your domain with GoDaddy. You can choose to manually renew or set up auto-renewal, so you ensure it stays registered to you.
Tips To Protect Your Domain And Prevent Email Spoofing
Spoofing is a tactic used in cyber attacks in which crooks try to impersonate a domain in order to lure and deceive others. The reason is obvious: if you know the message sender or the information source, youre much more likely to interact with it. Its merely a matter of trust and security. Of course, attackers know this and take advantage of it. So much so that spoofing is related to social engineering cases, spam campaigns, phishing and spear phishing attacks.
As a result, spoofing can harm you and your business in two ways. First, by using your domain. Indeed, cybercriminals can use your domain, company name and brand to commit scams and frauds, especially via email. Second, by flooding your mailbox with dangerous and unwanted messages. Imagine if a companys employee is deceived by a cybercriminal who has dark interests. As in the first case, the damage can be huge.
Email spoofing has been a common technique used by crooks because the process of sending emails doesnt have advanced messaging authentication mechanisms.
The sending process is based on the SMTP protocol, which isnt too concerned about the senders address. The main SMTP purpose is just to carry the messages, which allows criminals to use other peoples domains.
So its possible that someone may be using your domain and company name right now to spread spam and phishing attacks. No need to say how that may tarnish your reputation and brand.
The primary role of a register is to:
How To Prevent Domain Theft From Happening To You
Experts at Brandnic have suggested some tips, or you can say measures you can take to ensure that your brand domain names remain protected from being illegally moved to another registrar.
- You need to leverage two-factor authentication on your domain contact email because the hackers will target the email linked to your domain name. This is the email you use for executing every domain related queries, such as changing password, making changes to the domain contact, etc.
A weak password will only make it easy for the domain thieves to hack into your account. So, you need to set a strong password that contains the right mix of characters, followed by activating 2FA protection. This ensures that even if the hacker cracks your email, they cant log into your inbox. That means you will be immediately alerted about the attempt. Most importantly, only use 2FA protection that is integrated with Google Authenticator.
Preventing domain name from being hacked
These measures have to be considered if you are the legal owner of the brand domain name. However, this issue also has a different perspective.
Lets take look at it.
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Why You Need To Use Https
1. Improved security
The primary reason to use HTTPS is improved security. When data is transferred over an unsecured HTTP connection, it’s possible for third parties to intercept and view that data. This could include everything from login credentials to credit card information. By using HTTPS, that data is encrypted and much less susceptible to being compromised.
2. Better search engine rankings
Another reason to use HTTPS is that it can have a positive impact on your search engine rankings. Google has stated that they give preference to websites that use HTTPS, so if you’re not using it then you could be at a disadvantage.
3. Enhanced credibility
Using HTTPS also gives your website an air of credibility and trustworthiness. Visitors will see that you’re using the latest and greatest technology to keep their information safe, which could lead to more sales or conversions.
- Check out the best domain registrar services on the market
How Do I Enable Https On My Server
Purchase an SSL certificate. You can do this through a number of different Certificate Authorities , such as Symantec , Comodo , or GoDaddy .
Install the certificate on your web server. This usually involves generating a Certificate Signing Request and then installing the provided files in the correct location on your server.
Configure your server to use the new certificate. Depending on your server type and operating system, this step will vary. For Apache servers on Linux, for example, you’ll need to edit the site’s configuration file to point to the new certificate and key files.
Update your website’s code to use HTTPS for all requests. If you’re using relative URLs, make sure to update them to use the https:// protocol instead of http://.
You should also set any cookies you use to be secure. Once you’ve completed all of these steps, your site will be accessible over HTTPS and all data transmitted between your server and visitors’ web browsers will be securely encrypted.
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How Do I Get A Free Domain Name
Purchase an annual Web Hosting plan or any annual Managed WordPress plan by GoDaddy and you’ll automatically qualify for a free domain.
Once you click Add to Cart for a hosting or WordPress plan, you’ll be given the option to select monthly or annual terms. Make sure to choose an annual term if you want to get the free domain.
Once you’ve found the name you want, just add the domain to your cart and continue to checkout.
Use A Domain Transfer Lock
A domain transfer or registry lock ensures no one can transfer your domain name to another registrar, either accidentally or deliberately. How does it work? At your request, a registrar can put a transfer lock in place so that any requests to transfer to another domain registrar get automatically rejected. Depending on your registrars options, this locks your domain name to that registrar and protects your name against domain hijackers. Normally, registrars allow you to transfer to another account if they also use the same company. But check with your registrar first for policy and procedure specifics.
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Know When Your Domain Name Expires
This might seem obvious, but not knowing when your domain name expires could cost you your domain name. Permanently. Check the seventh line of the WHOIS listing to know exactly when your domain name expires. Then, mark your calendar so you can renew in time.
If you do not renew your domain name before it expires, you might lose it forever. In fact, there are companies that automatically scan domain names and buy up expired names simply to sell them back to the original owner. If they get your address, they effectively can hold your domain name hostage, and charge whatever they want to sell it back to you.
How Do I Secure My Domain Name Forever
When it comes to your domain name, you want to make sure that it is well secured so that no one else can take it away from you. There are a few things that you can do to help secure your domain name forever. The first thing that you need to do is register your domain name with a reputable registrar.
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How To Claim A Domain Name And Secure Your Website Url
Did you come up with your company name and are working on your website? Reserve your name before someone else takes it! Heres how to claim a domain name and how to secure it.
Coming up with a domain name for your website can be confusing and time-consuming. Some people coin domain names from their names, but it does not always work well for businesses.
Once you have decided on a decent name, you need to claim it to prevent anyone else from taking it. You also need to protect it from possible disputes, trademark violations, and domain squatting.
The following guide on how to claim a domain name should help you understand the process.
Claiming a domain name requires strategy. Observe the following practices to invent an appropriate URL for your website.
How To Register A Domain Name: 4 Options
To get a domain name, youll need to call dibs with ICANN. ICANN is a global non-profit authority that maintains records on which domain and IP address belongs to whom and manages access to them.
But ICANN doesnt provide registration services, it only maintains records. Thats where domain name registrars come into play.
The primary role of a register is to:
- Coordinate claims on different domain names.
- Match specific domain names with Domain Name System nameservers.
- Ensure that there are no duplicate domain names.
Technically speaking, you are not buying a domain name from a registrar company, but reserve its usage for a specified time. You can pay to reserve a domain for 1-10 years at a time, depending on the registrar. After your initial subscription expires, youll need to renew it and pay a fee again. You can re-purchase your domain name over and over again.
When registering a domain name, you sign a long-term lease of your domain . You can read more about the domain costs here.
In practice, all of the above is much simpler than you think as we will show below.
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Use A Virtual Private Network
Virtual private networks create encrypted connections that mask your IP address, allowing you to safely and securely browse the Internet. Its sensible to use a VPN when using any public WiFi, and it protects you from hackers, looking to get hold of your personal data.
At Namecheap, we offer FastVPN, which you can set up in seconds. Plus, theres a 30-day free trial, so why not give it a go?
Check Name Server Records Are Resilient
Make sure every .gov.uk domain is set up with:
-
at least 2 name servers
-
all name servers resolving to a different IP address
Name servers should be spread across multiple physical locations for resilience and there should be restricted privileges for different administrators, for example limiting them to certain domains. Where possible you should make sure your domain also has a different class C subnet for these name servers.
This will help you to make sure traffic to services on your domain, including email and web services, continue to work if a single name server, IP address or subnet goes down.
You should have .
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Check Name Servers Are Configured Properly And Working
Make sure all of your .gov.uk domains name servers are:- using a valid domain name- active and responding
Always check name servers to make sure there are no spelling mistakes or typos in the record. Remove any inactive name servers as soon as possible.
Inactive or unresponsive name servers might cause traffic to services on your domain, including email and web, to work intermittently or stop working. If the inactive server is on an unregistered domain, your domain is also at a higher risk of hijacking.
Be Aware Of Your Domain Name Expiration Date
OK! You might be thinking that how not remembering when your domain name expires can breach a security concern.
But the truth is not renewing your domain name regularly can cost you the loss of your domain name PERMANENTLY.
Youll be shocked to know that there are such companies that scan domain names and buy expired ones. Now once they get their hands on your expired domain name, theyll hold your domain name hostage. And, later on, theyll charge whatever they want to sell it back to the original owner.
As a human, it might also slip from our minds to renew our domain name regularly. Hence, it would be better if we set up a reminder in our calendar to remind us to renew the domain on time. In this way, you wont have to monitor the expiration date regularly as the scheduling system will remind you timely.
Likewise, another better option would be to renew your domain name for multiple years rather than annually. Now instead of renewing it every year, you can register it for up to 10 years or less as per your liking.
Not just that, your domain registrar also offers an auto-renew function that automatically renews your domain name before it expires. There are some companies such as Namecheap that allow adding funds to accounts. So that, whenever the service is about to expire, theyll auto-renew and charge the cost from the fund.
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What Happens If Someone Steals Your Domain Name
Contact the person via email and ask them if they are willing to sell the domain to you. If they are willing to sell it to you, make sure to negotiate a good deal. Some web companies offer a service to recover your domain. They will go through the necessary steps in order to regain control over your domain name.
How To Protect Your Domain Name
You have invested the time and money to have a great website that generates revenue for your business. Your domain name has become your brand online and its one of your business most valuable asset. But are you doing everything you can to protect your domain name? There are a number of common mistakes that can result in the permanent lost of your domain name.
In this article, we will explain the most common reasons why domain names are lost and show you how to protect your domain name.
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Assign Domain Ownership To Corporate Entity
Never register a domain name under an individual persons name. To do so is to risk losing it if that individual leaves the company. And reclaiming ownership of your domain could take years and a lot of money. A domain name should always be registered to the name of a corporate entity, so that its continuation is ensured irrespective of the individuals who come and go from the business. If online anonymity is an issue for you, you can always activate domain privacy, a simple and inexpensive way to hide your personal details.
How To Recover Stolen Or Hijacked Brand Domain Names
If your domain names have been hijacked or stolen, the first step you should take is to contact your respective domain registrar. Explain the support team about the entire situation. You will have to complete any required paperwork and provide the relevant details about your stolen domains. If the name has already been transferred to another domain registrar , the registrar itself is of no help. Hence, there is no other way to recover your stolen domain than getting legal help.
Recovering by getting legal help
The only entity that can help you in this situation is ICANN Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. It is a non-profit organization that coordinates the procedures and maintenance of numerous databases related to the numerical spaces and namespaces of the internet. Without this coordination, we would not have one global internet.
When you approach ICANN, as usual, they will ask you several questions, including whether you have contacted your domain registrar, hosting provider, and even law enforcement. You will have to prove or demonstrate that the domain that was stolen or hijacked is rightfully yours.
Unfortunately, many victims who contact ICANN fail to prove that the stolen brand domain is theirs to use.
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How Do I Secure My Domain Name
Its no secret that in todays digital age, your domain name is one of the most important investments you can make for your business. Not only is it how customers find you online, but its also a reflection of your brand.
Thats why its important to take the time to choose a domain name that not only reflects your business, but is also easy to find and remember. Here are a few tips to help you choose the perfect domain name for your business:
1. Keep it short and sweet. A domain name should be easy to remember and easy to type.
Avoid using abbreviations or acronyms that could be confusing to customers. Instead, opt for a name thats short, sweet, and to the point.
2. Make it relevant to your business. Your domain name should be reflective of what your business does.
If you sell handmade jewelry, for example, a good domain name would be something like www.handmadejewelrybyjane.com. This not only tells customers what you sell, but it also helps with search engine optimization which well get to in a minute.
3. Use keywords. Speaking of SEO, one of the best things you can do when choosing a domain name is to include keywords that describe your business. This will not only help customers find you more easily online, but it will also help you rank higher in search engine results pages .
4. Avoid using hyphens. While hyphens can be helpful in some instances like when youre using keywords they can actually do more harm than good when it comes to your domain name.
Use Antivirus And Anti
Antivirus software protects you from viruses that may modify your programs. These viruses are designed to spread from one computer to another, just like a flu virus, stealing passwords, logging keystrokes, and corrupting files.
Anti-spyware aims to detect and remove malicious spyware programs that are used to track online activity and steal valuable information.
Both spyware and viruses can be very damaging, and its worth looking into both antivirus and anti-spyware software to help keep your computer safe. Keep your software updated, as the updates contain the latest files to combat new viruses.
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