June 7th, 2010
Webculus Domain Theft
Securing a domain name is much more than simply the acquisition. Once you have it in your power you need to make sure it stays in your possession. In the past, hackers will focus on the control of a single computer or home network. Now have the ability to bypass security, hosting and gain control of all web hosting companies overnight. While this may sound unlikely, as has happened before, and an event of this magnitude would not have to happen for your domain name was stolen. All the hacker needs to steal your domain name is a bit of ingenuity and guile.
How do you do?
Often the hacker will be sent a fraudulent email that appears to come from your web hosting company, asking you to renew your domain name. Once you provide the information they need to login to your hosting account, then transfer the domain ownership of themselves, apparently with his permission. This is just one of the ways hackers can steal your identity online. Hackers can hijack the server that handles your hosting account and assume ownership of multiple domains in this way.
What are the results?
Once the hacker has the property of their domain, you can do whatever he wants with it. If it is one of its competitors, which can only decide to close the website down and left abandoned. Or they can take all possible measures to slander and deface your site with images vulgar or socially objectionable content, before recovering their property. The hacker could use the site traffic and redirect it to your site, thus stealing your hard earned customers. The possibilities are literally endless once the hacker has possession of your domain.
Regain ownership and control Theft Prevention
While it may seem as if fixing the situation was going to be easy, in fact be a very difficult process to convince the hosting company that you are the owner of the site, especially if the hacker has transferred ownership, apparently with his consent. You may have to provide a large amount of personal information, and in some cases, still will not be able to recover your domain. The best way to keep your identity online is to prevent this from happening to begin with. You can protect yourself against domain theft by enacting security measures required by your web hosting company to contact you before they make final changes to your hosting account.
Most web hosting companies have the option of receiving the notification or by phone before making changes to your account. Talk with your web hosting company about setting up phone verification, since it is the best way to secure possession occur in its domain.