All About Domain Name Hijacking
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You've almost certainly heard of planes being hijacked, and you've probably also heard of cars being car-jacked, but now we have got a cyber-crime called domain name hijacking. If you've never been a victim of domain name hijacking (and we hope you haven't), you might be wondering what would cause someone to steal somebody else's domain name. (By the way, you can visit my website for good domain name ideas.)
Well, when you think about how valuable some domain names are, domain name hijacking becomes more understandable. Domain names like movies.com, business.com and porn.com have all been sold for millions of dollars during the last 10 years or so.
So, how does someone hijack a domain name, and how can you prevent yourself from becoming a victim? If it happens to you, how can you correct it?
To begin with, understand that domain name hijacking is different from somebody re-registering a domain name in their name after its registration has expired. That practice is perfectly legal. In contrast, domain hijacking happens when a thief tricks or misleads the domain registrar into changing the registration information for the domain and putting it into the thief's name.
Domain hijacking could be the last stage of identity theft, so should you find out that one of your domain names has been stolen, don't stop with getting the domain information corrected. You should also get in touch with your credit cards, banks and so forth to investigate and put a halt to any unusual activity with any of your accounts.
A domain name thief will usually file forged paperwork with the domain registrar to convince the registrar they're now the actual, valid domain owner. Once a domain hijacking has been found out, some domain registrars can be difficult to deal with. Although many are happy to correct the issue, others are unwilling to admit any wrongdoing or that they accepted forged credentials. Unfortunately, you might have to threaten to sue them before the domain registrar corrects the issue.
Some individuals do not do anything when they become victims of domain hijacking. If the domain registrar is not willing to help, a long, complex lawsuit might be necessary. If you are a victim and your registrar isn't cooperating, you need to evaluate the situation. In some cases, getting a domain name back might just be too expensive and time consuming. Another thing to consider is the location of the domain name thief.
The internet is a global phenomenon, and the criminal could be all the way on the other side of the planet - a situation which would make a lawsuit almost impossible to pursue. And, the entire time you're attempting to get your domain name restored to you, the thief can use it any way they desire. They could redirect its traffic to their site, rename the domain's site, make cash on it, and so on.
All this means that when you're choosing a domain registrar, it is very important to ask about the security measures they use. At a minimum, they should use an authorization code. You might have to pay a little more for your domain, but that additional expense could pay off in the long run. If your website represents part of your income, losing it means losing money. You need to protect your domain with security, just as you would your home, car or business.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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