Security in Domain Registration - what's all the hype about?
When it comes to registering your domain name and establishing
your presence online, there are fundamental aspects that need to
be taken into consideration in order to prevent unnecessary
hurdles from affecting both you and your customers.
Whether you are a small or large company, or simply interested
in setting up your own personal website, what you need are
effective solutions and the correct business tools at a
respectable price to offer you peace of mind. I would strongly
recommend not looking for cheap imitations of registrars
offering you the best quality at ridiculously cheap prices as
they don't tend to go hand in hand. You should be looking for a
registrar that will provide you a service that offers guaranteed
performance, support, reliability, user-friendliness and, above
all, SECURITY.
"But surely security is offered by all, right?", I hear you ask.
Although this statement is generally correct, this security
aspect is often neglected by some registrars, even the top dogs
in the business. Below are some key areas that you should
consider regarding registration security, and will hopefully
explain - without all the technical jargon - and assist you in
deciding which registrar company suits your needs and
expectations.
Why is security so important? Security issues adopted by the
principal registration companies guarantee that your domain is
safeguarded against domain highjackers or others who want to
transfer your domain(s) to another registrar without your
specific authorization. The knock-on effects will not only imply
loosing your domain name but will also result in a costly
downtime of yours and your customers´ websites. Furthermore, you
could even look at it as a direct attack on your online
identity, the traffic base you have worked so hard to attract on
the reputation of your service and products.
Password based security Let us take the example of Anakena.com,
a leading European registrar whose company policy places an
important emphasis on security, real-time customer support and a
multilingual service. They use a system whereby all your
communications are encrypted, which means that when you access
your Anakena personal account page you are automatically
transferred to a secured connection using the secured protocol
https. This measure has been put in place to prevent possible
uses of 'sniffers' in your online connection. Furthermore, their
security procedure also prevents anyone using your email to
reset your password. The procedure is simple, and requests that
all those clients who have forgotten their password need to
answer 2 questions before receiving an email to reset their new
one. If that security hurdle isn't enough to keep the most
demanding client satisfied, then knowing that his/her password
is then encrypted on the Anakena servers, where nobody is able
to see it, is just another reassuring and preventive measure. As
the saying goes, it is always better to prevent than to cure
(especially if the curing period comes too late!).
Payment Payment has always been a soft spot, due to the fear of
your bank details, access codes and personal information falling
into unknown hands. Not only this, but the majority of people
who purchase a product or service over the web also want to know
exactly how much it will cost (be sure to read the small print),
what alternative payment methods exist and when you will get
invoiced. This equation might simplify this:
Consolidated Payment Options* + Secure & Automated Invoicing
= RELIABLE PAYMENT PROCESS YOU CAN TRUST
* Direct Debit, Wire Transfer and PayPal
On another note, you probably ask yourself, "Who keeps records
of my credit card details?". Well, Anakena, for example,
doesn't. Every payment is made with your bank directly and they
do not have access to your card details. For them, there is
nothing safer that your own bank processing your personal
banking needs.
Account Lock Another important factor you should consider when
choosing the right registrar for you is the option of locking
your account. The top players in the registration business may
not even offer this feature in their service, resulting in
greater exposure of your site to "domain predators" and
infringing on the safety elements that a registrar might
promise. A lock on the account allows only the website owner to
modify features, personal information, and even transfer domains
to another registrar/customer. This locked status will remain
until the owner wishes to remove it. The only downside to this
is that a registrar cannot modify illicit signups where a
customer doesn't include valid information. In the case of
Anakena, for example, this information is screened upon
registration and the company will contact the customer to
request further information in order to complete the signup
process. Not only is the company looking out for the interest of
the customer but also the partnership it hopes to consolidate in
the future.
Email notification The leading registrar companies, and the vast
majority of service providers online, have automated email
notification systems set up that send you relevant news or
updates to the website, your account interface, etc. However,
there have been examples in the past where companies or
individuals have not been informed instantly of technical
aspects or modifications to the service they receive from the
particular registrar. It may even be a question of days before
they actually realise that something has been modified, caused
by a failure to communicate effectively with their customers.
But those companies who do, and devote paramount importance to
keeping their clients informed are consolidating themselves in
the market thanks to growing customer loyalty and a healthy
increase in their customer base.
Category:
Site Security