Managing expired and unused domains is essential for maintaining a clean and secure domain portfolio. What steps should businesses take to manage expired and unused domains effectively and ensure proper maintenance of their domain portfolio?
Effective management of expired and unused domains is an important aspect of managing a business's online presence. Domains that aren't used may be security risks, take up resources, and may also present missed opportunities for branding or marketing. Here are some steps that businesses should take to manage their domain portfolios:
Domain Inventory: Maintain a comprehensive inventory of all your domains. If you don't have a clear idea of how many domains you own, their registration and expiry date, then you're at risk of losing control over them. Use a consistent naming or tagging structure to keep this database organized.
Renewal Notifications: Many registrars offer automatic notices when a domain name is nearing its renewal date. Make use of these alerts and set additional reminders in your calendar to prevent accidental lapse of registration.
Automatic Renewal: Use automatic renewal services offered by most domain registrars. Using automatic renewal reduces the risk of accidentally allowing a domain to expire and potentially losing it.
Implement Domain Registrar Locks: Protect your domain portfolio from unauthorized changes or transfers using domain registrar locks.
Consolidation: It's beneficial to manage all your domains in one place, preferably with a single provider. It makes administration easier and reduces the risk of missing a renewal notification or failing to pay a renewal fee.
Assessment: Regularly assess your domain portfolio. Determine whether each domain is active, parked, pointed at a website, or not in use. This will allow you to make informed decisions about which domain names are valuable to your business and which can be allowed to expire without any negative impact.
Implement Domain Privacy Protection: To safeguard your contact information and protect your domains, choose to use domain privacy options offered by domain registrars.
Domain Expiration Policy: Develop a policy for handling expired domains. Whether that means renewing them, selling them, or letting them expire, a clear policy will prevent confusion and maintain consistency.
Security Measures: Make use of two factor authentication, strong passwords, and other security measures to prevent domain hijacking.
Unused Domains: Evaluate your unused domains. If they're not contributing to your presence or brand, consider whether it's worthwhile to continue maintaining them. Unused domains can sometimes be sold or potentially developed into a new web presence.
Remember, the key to managing expired and unused domains lies in both a careful inventory system and a proactive review system. You should always be on top of what you own and when it might lapse in order to protect your online assets.
Dormant domains can be a potential security risk if left unattended. To protect them, adhering to good domain management practices can greatly reduce the risk of unauthorized access:
Maintain a Comprehensive Inventory: An essential part of security is keeping track of what you own. Maintain an up-to-date list of all your domain names, including dormant ones.
Use Strong Authentication: Use strong, unique passwords for your accounts with domain registrars. Also, consider using multi-factor authentication if your registrar offers it. This could involve a code sent to your mobile device or email, a biometric factor, or a physical security key.
Registrar Locks: Make use of the domain locking feature offered by most registrars. When a domain is locked, transfers to other registrars or changes to the domain's settings cannot be made without unlocking it first.
Domain Privacy Services: These services hide your personal information from the WHOIS database, a public repository of domain name registration details. This can reduce the chances of being targeted by cybercriminals.
Routine Monitoring: Regularly check on your dormant domains to ensure there haven't been any unauthorized changes. This includes changes to DNS settings, contact information, or domain status.
Renew Registrations: Even if a domain is dormant, it's important to maintain the registration. Set up auto-renewal for your domains whenever possible, or get notifications about upcoming renewal dates. This prevents the domain from unintentionally expiring and getting registered by someone else.
Implement DNSSEC: Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) can help protect a domain from man-in-the-middle attacks, where the attacker intercepts communication between the party requesting a DNS lookup and the server providing it.
Access Control: Limit the number of individuals who have access to your domain name accounts. The more people who have access, the greater the risk of unauthorized access. Always make sure to immediately revoke access of persons who no longer need it.
Email Alerts: Enable your registrar's option for alert messages every time a change is made to any of your domains. This way, you'll be immediately informed if an unauthorized change occurs.
SSL Certificates: Even if the domain is dormant, securing it with an SSL certificate can help prevent some kinds of attacks or misuse, especially if you decide to activate the domain later.
Use Domain Name System (DNS) Firewall: DNS firewalls can help prevent cybercriminals from redirecting your site's visitors to malicious sites.
Expiration Alerts: Besides enabling auto-renewal, set up additional calendar reminders or alerts to remind you when your domains are set to expire. Some third-party services also offer domain expiration monitoring.
Consider Registrar's Reputation: Always choose a registrar that has a strong reputation for security and customer service. Check for their security practices and protocols before choosing one.
ICANN Verification: For any changes (especially, to the admin contact details) ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
usually sends verification emails to the listed admin contact. Make sure to verify and always have control over the admin contact email.
Regular Audits: Regularly perform security audits to review and mitigate risks to your domain names. This should involve checking ownership records, contact information, permissions, and other settings for any unknown or unauthorized changes.
Emergency Contact: Have a response plan in place in case a domain is compromised. This should include knowing how to contact your domain registrar's support or security teams.
By following these practices, you should be able to significantly enhance the security of your dormant as well as active domains.
Maintaining good domain name hygiene is crucial in managing your online presence, protecting your brand, and securing your digital assets. Here are some best practices for domain name hygiene:
Domain Name Inventory: Keep a complete, up-to-date inventory of all your domain names, including details of the registration and expiry dates, the registrar details, and the key contact person for each domain.
Eliminate Redundancies: If you hold multiple domain names that are essentially the same but with different extensions, assess their relevance to your business. If having many similar domains isn't benefiting your business or SEO, it's okay to let some of them go.
Update Contact Information: Ensure your contact information associated with the domain name is always up to date. If renewal notices or other important information are sent to an outdated address, you could lose your domain name.
Secure Access to Domains: Implement strict control measures like multi-factor authentication, strong passwords and regular password changes to avoid unauthorized access to your domain management console.
Consistent Renewal Policies: Establish a consistent policy for renewals. Stay on top of renewal dates to avoid lapses that could result in domains being snapped up by someone else. Consider using auto-renewal options.
Remove Orphaned DNS Records: Outdated DNS records can pose a security risk. Regularly audit and remove outdated or unused DNS records consistent with your domain maintenance policy.
Private Registration: Consider using privacy protection services offered by registrars. This shields your contact information from the public, reducing your vulnerability to spam, scams, or even identity theft.
Use Registrar Locks: Lock your domain names with your registrar to prevent unauthorized transfers and modifications.
Regular Reviews: Routinely review your domain name portfolio to ensure all domains are still relevant and integral to your business or personal use.
Expire With Grace: If you decide to let a domain name lapse because it no longer fits your portfolio, consider a cooling off period where the domain is just parked and inactive. An immediate drop can lead to domain squatters who might use your previous domain for malicious activities or to siphon off your web traffic.