Do I Need Domain Protection?

One of the most common questions I get asked by people starting up their own websites is: ‘Do I need domain protection?’

It makes sense that this question is asked so often. Unfortunately, domain protection, or domain privacy protection, isn’t talked about enough, considering how important it is for domain owners.

Domain protection protects your private information and will protect you from spam and scams. Yes, I would recommend getting domain protection.

Just to be clear, the answer to the question is ‘yes’, and in this article, I’m going to tell you exactly why. 

What Is Domain Protection? 

If you’re still in the very early stages of developing your website, you might not know what domain protection even is. 

In simple terms, domain protection (also known as private domain registration) is a service you can buy as an add-on when you set up your website. 

Domain protection means that people on the internet won’t be able to access your private information easily, so your data will be kept safe. 

Domain privacy protection ensures that the data you submit when purchasing a domain (including identifying information such as your name and IP address) remains hidden from third parties.

Your real contact details will also be replaced with forwarding addresses to avoid unwanted communication to your personal contact information. 

Why Do I Need Domain Privacy Protection? 

In case you’re still wondering why concealing your personal information online is so important, here are several reasons why you should implement domain privacy protection today: 

Authentic Information Is Required 

Let’s say you don’t like the idea of anyone online being able to access your private information but also want to keep your website management costs down. Can’t you just give false information when you sign up?

No, you can’t. In order to register a domain, you need to use authentic data, including real information about yourself. Your personal information will need to be verified before you can officially register your domain. So, you can’t give a false name, address, or contact details. 

Even if you somehow managed to get past verification with fake information, it would likely come out eventually that your registered details don’t match with your actual profile. This would make you look untrustworthy to your audience, which is the last impression you want to give. 

Hacking, Stalking, And Fraud 

The main reason why preventing access to your real, private information is so important is the risks that come with making your personal details public. 

Hacking is a major threat to your domain. Your domain could be hijacked if hackers can access your personal information, which could compromise all your hard work. 

Additionally, there’s a risk of stalking, fraud, or identity theft if you don’t protect your data. Anyone who has anything against you could potentially access your information if you don’t have domain protection.

If they get enough of your data, they could create accounts or make transactions in your name, for example. 

And it’s not just your data you need to worry about. If you don’t have domain protection, your customers’ data could also be stolen by hackers, ruining the relationship of trust and doing irreparable damage to your business. 

Spam Calls And Mail 

A less devastating, but still very annoying, consequence of not protecting the data associated with your domain is the influx of spam calls and emails you’re likely to receive. 

If you don’t have domain protection, your real email and phone number will be listed on the WHOIS Directory for anyone to see. As you can imagine, this typically leads to lots of spam ending up in your inbox, as well as unwanted cold calls. 

So, if you want to be able to get on with your work undisturbed and not have to scroll past endless spam mail in your inbox, you should get domain protection today. 

Scams 

Spam emails and cold calls are very frustrating to deal with, but scam communications are even worse. Unfortunately, scamming is on the rise, and you could fall victim to it if you don’t keep your contact details out of scammers’ hands. 

From convincing emails offering business propositions to nefarious links containing malware, and even AI software that can replicate your voice based on a few words over the phone, scam techniques are making keeping your details under lock and key more important than ever. 

Information Leaks 

When you’re starting a website or a business, one of the most important things is not to let your competition know too much about you. After all, the more information your competitors have on you, the easier it is for them to get the upper hand. 

How to Get Domain Protection 

After reading all the risks of not having domain protection, you’re probably eager to protect your domain if you haven’t already. But how do you get domain protection in the first place? Well, you have a couple of options: 

Purchase When Registering 

It’s quick and easy to get domain privacy protection when you register your domain initially. Just purchase domain ownership protection at the time of registering, and while you’re there, sign up for WHOIS domain privacy. 

Contact Your Hosting Provider 

If you’ve already registered your domain, you can always add domain privacy after the fact. Just get in touch with your hosting provider or the domain registrar and ask to purchase domain privacy. 

Domain privacy doesn’t cost much; in any case, you can’t put a price on the security of your private information and that of your domain users. So, if you don’t already have domain protection, don’t hesitate to buy it.

Conclusion

In this article, I’ve covered what domain protection is and all the reasons why you should buy it for your registered domain. 

Instead of trying to get past verification with false details or leaving your data accessible to hackers and scammers, you should purchase domain privacy protection as soon as possible. This will make your domain much less vulnerable and stop unwanted spam and scams. 

Remember, it’s not too late to get domain protection. Just contact your hosting provider to set it up today!