New Domain Lock Option For .UK Domain Names Offers Enhanced Security

UK registry Nominet is now offering registrars the option of locking high-value .uk domains at the registry level, adding an additional level of security against Domain Name System (DNS) hijacking.

The Domain Lock tool inserts additional, manual authentication requirements into the processes for modifying domain names.

The tool is targeted at high-traffic websites with substantial brand protection and security interests but can be applied to any .uk domain.

DNS hijacking occurs when an attacker gains unauthorised access to the DNS system and modifies registration data for malicious purposes – for example, by redirecting traffic to a different website that could display objectionable material or be used for phishing.

DNS attacks are rare, but on the increase. They have the potential to disrupt business and damage consumer confidence. Nominet is focused on offering increased security in the management and registration of domain names, and helping companies to protect their brands online.

.uk website owners interested in Domain Lock should contact their registrar. More information about the Domain Lock tool is available on Nominet’s Registrar Resources site.

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About Konstantinos Zournas

I studied Computer Engineering and Computer Science in London, UK and I am now living in Athens, Greece. I went online in 1995, started coding in 1996 and began buying domain names and creating websites in 2000. I started the OnlineDomain.com blog in 2012.

6 comments

  1. Not related to this post, but … how much beatufiful is the Eurid’s way? Just transferred a domain picking the auth-code directly from Eurid. My registrar would have deleted the domain from my client area half an hour after, if I did not moved it.

    THIS MUST BE THE STANDARD!

  2. Exactly, and not only. As you well know many registrars do not permit you to approve immediately the transfer and they do not approve it too, they let the approval procedure “expire”, so with them you have to wait usually at least 5 days before having the transfer procedure approved. This of corse require you to start the trasnfer many days before the expiration, so at the end will happen many times that you are forced to renew a domain with the current registrar.

    If the Eurdi’s way will not become a standard, registrars will try to extort huge money from registrants with all the nGTLDS.

    • Yes but there a lot of registrars that allow you to approve transfers: Go Daddy, Fabulous.com, Enom etc.

      But if you start the transfer even a few hours before the domain expires then the transfer is completed.
      Even without approving the transfer and waiting 5 days the transfer is completed.

  3. Yes Konstantinos, you are right, but I use 30 registrars, even if I have a much little portfolio than your. I have been transferring out many domains in the last year from GD, due to renewal prices, absurd privacy price, coupons cut off, etc.etc.. Enom is not a registrar for “normal” domainers, they are in particular for resellers, their standard renewal price for final users, not reseller, is average 3 TIMES the usual price.

    Anyway even few hours is worse than Eurid’s way: with them the transfer as you know is immediate and I think this method saves you A LOT of time and makes management of your domains much more easy.
    Maybe they could add another security layer, if the registrant wants it, but I think registrants should raise their voice, because now they have not a strong control on they own assets, they are still “hostage” of registrars (see what some registrars have been doing in the last years: register.com, network solutions etc. we all know the extortion practices they have been doing in the last years (only to cite a couple of the worst cases, but there are many other tricky registrars out there).

    • You are both right about Go Daddy and EnomCentral.com (retail).
      I have an old Enom.com reseller account (older than 2002) that has good pricing.

      And you are also right again on register.com and network solutions. They are driving away the few customers they have.

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