Protecting Your Domain Name
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10 Tips To Keep Others From Stealing Your Domain Name
Domain name theft occurs because someone wants to benefit from your company’s reputation and hard work. But there are ways you can protect your domain name and the following tips should help keep you on the right path.

1. Limit who has access to your domain name account.
   Don’t give your account information to employees, web hosts, web designers, family, or friends. You never know when a solid relationship will go astray. The fewer the number of people who have access to your account the less likely it will be abused or stolen.
   
   
2. Keep your contact information up-to-date.
   If there is a problem with your account, your domain name registrar needs to know how to get a hold of you. If they cannot get a hold of you within a reasonable time frame and your domain name expires, you’ll lose it.
   
   
3. Keep your credit card information up-to-date.
   When you get a new credit card from your existing credit card company, go into your domain name account and update the expiration date and the verification number on the back of your credit card. If your credit card expires, your domain name cannot be renewed.
   
   
4. Never use a free email account.
   If you stop using the free email account for any reason, it will be closed. If you don’t update your email information with your domain name registrar, they won’t be able to get a hold of you when there’s a problem with your account. While we would like to believe the registrar will pick up the phone, many companies rely on email and do not call customers.
   
   
5. If your domain registrar offers a registration lock, put it into action.
   A domain lock protects domain name owners from fraudulent transfers of their domain name. If someone tries to transfer your domain name, the system will notify you and protect your domain name.
   
   
6. Put your domain name on auto renew.
   Auto renew services allows the domain name registrar to charge your credit card when your domain name is up for renewal, without having to contact you for permission.
   
   
7. Mark your renewal date on your calendar.
   Even if you have auto renew services set up for your domain name, it’s a good idea to keep track of your renewal date because technology can sometimes fail.
   
   
8. Never follow a link in your email regarding your account.
   Thieves have gotten pretty savvy with their techniques for tricking innocent out of their domain names. If you receive an email from your domain name registrar regarding your website, go to your account login area and see if there is a note from your registrar. If there is no note in your account, call your registration from the number listed in your account, not the number listed in the email.
   
   
9. Add your domain name registrar to your spam filter.
   Since thieves have gotten smart at masking the email address of the sender to look like someone you know or do business with, it’s still a good idea to place your domain name registrars email address and domain name in the “accept” filter of your email filtering program. Just remember the lesson in tip 8 before you reply.
   
   
10. Get your domain name trademarked.
    Just because you own the domain name doesn’t mean someone else can’t come along and trademark that name for business purposes. If you plan on doing business for a very long time and will be relying on your domain name to be part of your brand, you need to spend the $375 to have it trademarked. Just remember to that your domain name must also be your business name or be used in business practices.