Security & Privacy

Domain privacy (also called WHOIS privacy) replaces your personal contact information in WHOIS records with the privacy service's details. This prevents spammers, scammers, and identity thieves from accessing your name, address, phone number, and email. Most registrars offer privacy protection for free or $10-15/year. It's essential for personal domains and recommended for most businesses.

Prevent domain hijacking by enabling two-factor authentication on your registrar account, activating registrar transfer lock (clientTransferProhibited status), using strong unique passwords, enabling privacy protection to hide contact details, setting up monitoring alerts for domain changes, and using a reputable registrar with good security practices. Never click links in domain-related emails; always log in directly to your registrar.

Cybersquatting is registering domains containing trademarked names or typos of famous brands to profit from confusion. Fight cybersquatting through UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) complaints if you own a trademark. UDRP cases cost around $1,500 and take 2-3 months. You must prove: 1) the domain is identical/confusingly similar to your trademark, 2) the registrant has no legitimate rights, and 3) the domain was registered in bad faith.

Yes, GDPR significantly reduced public WHOIS data. Registrars now redact personal contact information for EU registrants and often globally for consistency. You'll see 'REDACTED FOR PRIVACY' instead of email, phone, and address. However, registrar name, creation date, expiration date, nameservers, and status codes remain public. Legitimate requesters can access redacted data through official channels.

It depends on your business goals. Privacy protection hides your contact info from spammers but also from potential customers and partners. Many businesses prefer public WHOIS for credibility and business development. Consider using privacy for domain portfolios, development projects, and personal brands, but display contact info for established business domains. You can always enable privacy later if spam becomes problematic.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires both your password and a second verification method (usually a code from your phone) to access your account. It's absolutely essential for domain registrar accounts. Domain hijacking often succeeds through compromised passwords. 2FA prevents unauthorized access even if your password is stolen. Enable it immediately on all registrar accounts—it's your strongest defense against account takeover.

Act immediately: contact your registrar's abuse department with proof of ownership (payment records, account history), request they lock the domain and reverse unauthorized changes, file a complaint with ICANN if the registrar doesn't help, and consider legal action for high-value domains. Recovery success depends on quick action. Document everything and maintain offline backups of domain records and account credentials.

Essential security features: mandatory or optional 2FA, registrar lock (transfer protection), domain change notifications via email/SMS, account activity logs, strong password requirements, and security question requirements for sensitive changes. Premium features include dedicated security support, domain vault services, and advanced monitoring. Avoid registrars with poor security reputations or frequent breach incidents.

Security depends on registry policies, not the extension itself. Some registries (.bank, .insurance, .gov) require enhanced verification and have stricter security requirements. Country-code TLDs vary widely—some have strong policies, others are lax. Generic TLDs (.com, .org, .net) rely on registrar security practices. Choose based on registrar security features rather than the extension's inherent security.

Typosquatting registers common misspellings of your domain to capture mistyped traffic or phish your users. Protect your brand by registering obvious typos, monitoring for new typosquatting registrations, and filing UDRP complaints for trademark violations. For high-value brands, register hyphened versions, alternate TLDs, and common misspellings. Use trademark monitoring services to detect new registrations targeting your brand.