In today’s digital world, a domain is an essential asset for any business or personal project, but many owners do not pay enough attention to its protection. Losing control of a domain can lead to data theft, financial losses, and reputational damage. To avoid these risks, you must follow a set of security measures that will protect your domain name from intruders. The first and most important rule is to use a strong password for the registrar’s account. The password must be unique, contain letters in different cases, numbers and special characters, and it must be changed regularly. Never use the same password for the domain and other services. The second critical security element is two—factor authentication, which adds an additional layer of security even in the event of a password leak. Most modern registrars offer this feature via SMS, mobile apps, or hardware keys. Special attention should be paid to the settings of the WHOIS service that stores information about the domain owner. It is recommended to enable WHOIS protection to hide your personal data from public access and avoid targeted attacks. It is also important to regularly check that the WHOIS contact email is up-to-date, as it receives notifications about extensions and possible changes. Another common threat is phishing and social engineering, when attackers try to gain access to an account through fake emails or calls on behalf of the registrar’s support service. Never click on suspicious links or share your credentials by phone or email. For additional protection, it is recommended to enable domain transfer blocking, which prevents unauthorized domain transfer to another registrar. This feature is especially important for commercial projects and large websites. It is equally important to monitor the validity period of the domain and extend it in advance, preferably for several years in advance. An expired domain can be hijacked by cybersquatters or automatically transferred to another owner. Some registrars offer an automatic renewal service that will save you from the risk of forgetting about the registration deadline. DNS record protection deserves special attention. Use DNSSEC, a digital signature technology for DNS records that prevents hackers from replacing them. Check your DNS settings regularly for unauthorized changes and restrict access to the control panel to trusted IP addresses only. For corporate projects, it is worth considering the use of dedicated DNS servers that provide increased security and fault tolerance. If you work with a team or freelancers, provide the minimum necessary access rights to manage the domain. Most registrars allow you to create subaccounts with limited authority, which minimizes the risks of internal threats. It is also recommended to keep a log of all changes related to the domain, so that in case of problems you can quickly track down the source of a leak or unauthorized access. For maximum protection of large projects, it is worth considering distributed domain storage between several accounts with different registrars or using special domain escrow services that act as an independent security guarantor. In the case of legal disputes or hacker attacks, this can be a crucial factor in maintaining control over the domain. Remember that domain security is an ongoing process, not a one—time action. Regular auditing of settings, monitoring of suspicious activity and timely updating of security mechanisms will help you avoid most threats and keep your digital asset safe.
How to protect your domain from cyber attacks and scams: a complete Security Guide
