Each year, billions of records containing personal data get compromised. Around 77% of this data breach happens due to data attackers and external hackers. You will be surprised to know that the average cost of bearing each of these data breaches can easily touch the tag of a whopping $3.62 million.
Being a common and grave concern like this one, you need to take the security and privacy of your domain privacy protection as a priority.
These data breaches can be extremely damaging and detrimental for any business, so you need to take domain privacy protection very seriously and thoughtfully.
What Is Domain Privacy Protection?
After registering your domain’s name successfully, your details get saved in a publically accessible database, known as WHOIS. The availability of this data publically is a part of the process, and you are required to buy domain privacy protection if you wish to hide that information.
WHOIS works as a public directory that keeps a record of all the domains that are registered online. This information includes— domain registrar details, verifications, their expiry, renewal dates, and more similar information.
By opting to buy domain name privacy protection, you are choosing to hide your details that are seen in the publically available database — WHOIS.
If you are choosing to buy domain privacy protection, you are opting for an ‘add-on’ service that protects your data to be viewed by the world. This data will include the registrant’s email address, phone number, mailing address, name, and rest of all other details that you added while registering your domain.
For companies that have a larger market share, this might not be a grave problem. However, for companies that run on a smaller scale, they need to be careful about what information about themselves and their business is accessible, and why.
Now let’s get back to the real question. Does your business need domain privacy protection? Despite the amount of risk mentioned above that it mitigates, let’s take a look at the following reasons further to make the decision easier.
Why Do You Need Domain Privacy Protection?
If you don’t choose to mask your data with domain privacy protection, then you will be exposed to several ‘wrongs’ that might happen. To make you understand the value of domain privacy protection, we have listed the best six reasons why you should opt for it.
1. Anyone Can See your Personal Data.
By making your details available on the WHOIS public directory, your confidential information can be easily seen and accessed by everyone. This can include your competitors, hackers, rival acquaintances, and anyone with bad intentions.
Resultantly, it can conveniently lead a small business into a massive risk. Even if you are working hard on some new concept or want to work on a project in stealth mode, it can turn out to be a grim issue for you in no time.
If you do not purchase domain privacy protection, you will choose to expose your data to identity theft and potential hackers. The situation will fall worse when the hackers will hack your site, and subsequently, your customer’s data will also be compromised. You will lose not only your clientele but also all the goodwill and trust that you build during the time.
If you are a small business, bear no doubt that it will be destroyed.
2. You might get scammed with unwanted sales calls.
When your personal information is lying unguarded on the internet, a lot of pushy marketers will get their hands on it. If they are selling something, most probably, you will be bombarded with a ton of calls and messages.
There is a high risk of getting scammed by such people when your Domain Privacy Protection is not activated.
3. Your website and other online assets can get hacked.
Building a website is similar to building a home — brick by brick and with a lot of hard work and effort. If it is not protected rightly, it might fall prey to a fraudulent domain transfer. It means that if you have not opted for domain privacy protection that someone might break into your domain control panel, and without any consent, might transfer your site to their name.
You can easily mask your critically confidential information by shielding it with domain privacy protection.
4. Your sensitive data can be sold.
Some companies are part of practising ‘data scraping’. These companies sell data to third parties, after collecting personal data from publically portals like WHOIS. Everyone remembers the allegations, which recently threw enough shade on Facebook for giving away personal data to advertisers.
This is a trivial issue and needs to pay greater attention.
5. Your competition will know a LOT about you
If you choose to keep your personal information easily accessible, it is more likely that your competitors will stalk you. They will know sensitive and confidential details about you, and it will take them not much time to scrape out more.
As an emerging business or a small start-up, if you leak any viable information to your competitors, it may prove out to be fatal for your business. As you are working with limited resources, and you have not hedged your risk fully yet. It is better never to show all your cards and live vulnerably.
6. You can’t register a domain without providing authentic information.
If you are wondering if you can provide fake data and get your domain registered—let us break it to you, NO. The only way to get registered in the WHOIS is by offering authentic information to the portal.
The information provided by any individual is verified before.
So, what are your options?
To be sure, check if your domain privacy protection is active or not. You can do this by calling your domain registrar or hosting provider’s customer support. Usually, many owners are not aware of whether they are protected or not.
If you have checked and you don’t have domain privacy protection already, you can do either of the two options mentioned below:
1 — Buy domain privacy protection while registering a new domain name. It is never too late to make a fresh and clean start.
2 — in your existing domain name, add privacy protection beginning from today. You have the facility to add it anytime.
To avail domain, privacy protection is an inexpensive, easy and safe step. If your domain is not protected, get it protected now!