Domain hijacking explained
Domain hijacking is the process by which internet domain names are stolen from the rightful registrant.
Many people confuse domain hijacking with the reregistration of an expired domain by a new party. One is a legal process and one is not. Domain hijacking is theft, while if a name owner does not renew a name he or she is no longer the owner and it is available for someone else to register.
Domain theft is an aggressive form of domain hijacking that usually involves an illegal act. In most cases, identity theft is used to trick the domain registrar into allowing the hijacker to change the registration information to steal control of a domain from the legitimate owner.
Some registrars are quick to set things right when these cases are discovered. However, it is well documented that some registrars will admit no fault in accepting the forged credentials and will refuse to correct the record until forced by legal action. In many of these cases, justice is not done and the hijacker retains control of the domain. The victims of such theft often do not have the resources or willingness to invest the effort necessary to regain control of their domain, which may require a lawsuit or a lengthy and time-consuming arbitration process, especially if the hijacker and victim are in different countries. Hackers that have hijacked a domain can do anything with that name, including putting up their own website or redirecting those who visit the address to another site.
Extensible Provisioning Protocol is used for many TLD registries, and uses an authorization code issued exclusively to the domain registrant as a security measure to prevent unauthorized transfers.
Many people confuse domain hijacking with the reregistration of an expired domain by a new party. One is a legal process and one is not. Domain hijacking is theft, while if a name owner does not renew a name he or she is no longer the owner and it is available for someone else to register.
Domain theft
Domain theft is an aggressive form of domain hijacking that usually involves an illegal act. In most cases, identity theft is used to trick the domain registrar into allowing the hijacker to change the registration information to steal control of a domain from the legitimate owner.
Some registrars are quick to set things right when these cases are discovered. However, it is well documented that some registrars will admit no fault in accepting the forged credentials and will refuse to correct the record until forced by legal action. In many of these cases, justice is not done and the hijacker retains control of the domain. The victims of such theft often do not have the resources or willingness to invest the effort necessary to regain control of their domain, which may require a lawsuit or a lengthy and time-consuming arbitration process, especially if the hijacker and victim are in different countries. Hackers that have hijacked a domain can do anything with that name, including putting up their own website or redirecting those who visit the address to another site.
Prevention
Extensible Provisioning Protocol is used for many TLD registries, and uses an authorization code issued exclusively to the domain registrant as a security measure to prevent unauthorized transfers.
📣 Latest tweets mentioning Domain hijacking
mynic.my 🏆 Alexa 144,567▲ - 📅 - We'd like to extend another amazing offer! We are giving out *FREE* domain more info and DNSSEC, as… more info
Name Cheap 🏆 Alexa 453▲ - 📅 - Communicate professionally with your own domain! As low as $1.24/mo compared to $5-8 elsewhere. Save up to 32% on… more info
Kenya Web Experts 🏆 Alexa 132,771▲ - 📅 - Get the industry's best prices, start your own online business selling domain names. Partner with the leading whole… more info
Gandi 🏆 Alexa 12,417▲ - 📅 - Until December 31, 2023, the creation of .bzh domain is just $27.00! Give a Breton flavor to your site with .bzh … more info
Name Silo 🏆 Alexa 4,018▲ - 📅 - Get your .CYOU domain name for $2.89 (regular price $9.95) at NameSilo! more info Receive FREE WHOI… more info
📖 Latest blogs mentioning Domain hijacking
🏆 Alexa 493,778▲ - 📅 - Domain Squatting: The Dangers and Strategies for Preventing Domain Hijacking - In the vast landscape of the internet, securing the right domain name for your online business is crucial. However, there … Domain Squatting: The Dangers and Strategies for Preventing Domain Hijacking Read More »
🏆 Alexa 728,919▲ - 📅 - What is Domain Hijacking: How Can You Stay Safe From it? - As the internet continues to grow and evolve, online security has become an increasingly important Read More
🏆 Alexa 448,659▲ - 📅 - How to prevent domain hijacking and cyber attacks - Launching websites has become more easy and efficient due to the access of numerous cheap domains in Pakistan. However, domain hijacking and Cyber Attacks have been a big threat brands and businesses would have to face due to their online web ...
🏆 Alexa 69,970▲ - 📅 - Revisiting How Registrants Can Reduce the Threat of Domain Hijacking - Recent events1,2 have shown the threat of domain hijacking is very real; however, it is also largely preventable. As Verisign previously noted3, there are many security controls that registrants can utilize to help strengthen their security posture.
🏆 Alexa 4,779▲ - 📅 - Secure your domains with this new product feature - We recently debuted a new product offering called Advanced Security to bulk up Whois Privacy with additional security features. One of the most helpful tools included in the product is Domain Lock Plus, which guards against potential domain ...
🏆 Alexa 518,540▲ - 📅 - DNSSEC enabled for domain names on our hosting platform - The Domain Name System (DNS) translates the easy-to-remember domain names into numerical IP addresses. Since the DNS exists for more than three decades (1983), it has gradually become a subject to domain hijacking practices. The DNSSEC technology ...
🏆 Alexa 4,779▲ - 📅 - Prevent domain hijacking with these security tips - If you buy a domain name, it’s rightfully yours for as long as you continue to renew it. But in some unfortunate incidents, domain names are stolen by a hacker and either resold or used for nefarious purposes. Instances like these are called domain ...
📋 Latest news about Domain hijacking
Domain Hijacking Story Still Unresolved - 📅 - According to reports, an investigation into the hijacking of the domain name of New York-based ISP Panix (panix.com), launched on January 18 by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN.org), has yet to make its findings public. The domain name for Panix was reportedly ...