expired domains a hacking threat – risks of letting your domain lapse.

When it comes to running a business, maintaining an online presence has become increasingly crucial. Websites, email addresses, and other digital assets are all integral components of any modern enterprise, and their upkeep is essential. However, it’s not just a matter of creating and launching a website or email address – it’s equally important to maintain their upkeep, and failure to do so could result in catastrophic consequences. Being unaware of how to adequately safeguard yourself will not yield positive results.

what is a domain.

A domain is essentially the address of a website on the internet. Just like how we use a physical address to find a specific building or location in the real world, we use a domain name to locate a specific website on the internet.

Every domain name is unique, meaning no two websites can have the same domain name. This ensures that each website is easily identifiable and distinguishable from others on the internet.

your domain & your emails.

Domains are also used for email addresses. For example, an email address like “name@domain.com” is comprised of the username (name) and the domain name (domain.com). Just like with websites, every email domain is unique and helps to distinguish one organisation or individual’s email address from another’s.

Having a unique domain name for email addresses is important for branding purposes, as it helps to establish a professional and recognisable online presence. It also makes it easier for others to remember your email address and to associate it with your organisation or personal brand.

domain expiration.

Allowing a domain to expire is one such example, which could put your business at risk. A domain name is the address that people use to find your website or email address, and it is registered to you for a specific period. If you fail to renew the registration when it expires, anyone can purchase the domain, and that’s where the problems begin.

your other domains.

It’s essential to note that protecting your online presence goes beyond safeguarding your primary domain. Sometimes, an old email address associated with a previous domain may serve as the security email for transferring ownership of other domains including your main current business, which you may have forgotten. Failure to secure this email address can result in potential vulnerabilities, leaving your current main domain/business exposed to cyber attacks.

for example.

Our main business domain is perthitcare.com.au, if the security email associated with our domain was paul@morriscomputers.com.au (our old trading name and second domain) and we let morriscomputers.com.au expire without changing the security email address for perthitcare.com.au, than whoever buys the domain morriscomputers.com.au would have access to our main business website and emails.

what can they do with my expired domain?

For example, suppose your business website is “perthitcare.com.au,” and you allow the domain to expire. In that case, anyone can purchase it, including cybercriminals, who can use it to launch phishing attacks, spread malware, or conduct other malicious activities. They can create fake login pages and harvest sensitive information such as passwords and other personal data.

access your email accounts.

Hackers who gain access to your email accounts can go undetected and monitor sensitive or confidential emails. This gives them the opportunity to send out phishing emails, send spam emails pretending to be you, and redirect traffic to another website designed to harvest sensitive information. As a result, your customers may become confused, and may even lose trust in your brand.

disrupt communications.

Compromised domains can also prevent you from sending or receiving emails. This can cause significant disruptions to your business operations and communication, potentially resulting in missed opportunities, lost revenue, and damaged relationships with clients or customers.

how do I get my domain back after a breach.

It’s worth noting that regaining control of an expired domain can be a lengthy process. You will need to go through the governing body for your domain’s extension, which can be a time-consuming and complex procedure. If you are a .au you have a recourse, if you are a .com then there is no governing body you can appeal to.

prevention is better than a cure.

To prevent the negative consequences of an expired domain, it’s essential to stay vigilant about your domain registration and ensure that it is renewed on time. This means keeping track of the domain expiry date and renewing it before it lapses, or ensuring that no security emails are directed to it if you intend to let it expire. Many domain registrars offer automatic renewal services, which can make the process easier by taking the hassle out of manual renewal.

conclusion.

An expired domain can be a significant security vulnerability for any business. It’s essential to keep your domain registrations up to date and avoid exposing your business to malicious activities by failing to renew on time. Always be vigilant and keep track of your digital assets, ensuring that they remain safe and secure.

If you need help with your website, feel free to contact us. We offer website recovery & repair services as well as various website design, optimisation and maintenance packages to get your site back to where it should be.