When registering for domain names, your personal information becomes public, including your full name, address, email, and phone number.
While hiding it isn’t practical, safeguarding the personal information provided to your registrar is crucial. It compromises both your privacy and inbox with potential spam.
However, for privacy, one can consider domain privacy protection, often offered as an add-on even by various cheap domain hosting providers.
Some providers include it for free whois protection, making them budget-friendly options. So, in this article, let’s explore some of the tools, services and registrars that offer domain privacy to ensure overall domain safety.
What Are The Top Domain Privacy Services and Tools?
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Your Domain Registrar
When managing your website’s domain, consider domain privacy options from your current registrar.
Most registrars offer tools on a dashboard for general domain management. While some may not have a specific “Domain Privacy” option, they often provide bundled services like Domain Ownership Protection (DOP), which includes WHOIS privacy and additional safeguards.
DOP may come at a premium but offers features like domain locking for added protection against common mistakes. Activation typically occurs during purchase, but dedicated dashboards are available for post-purchase management, with steps varying slightly among registrars.
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WHOIS Privacy Protection Service
Domain registration requires the collection of essential contact information, which includes the information includes the registrant’s name, email, mailing address, phone number, etc.
However, this information is collected and displayed in the global WHOIS system that can be accessible to anyone.
How Does the WHOIS Privacy Service Ensure Domain Privacy?
- Available for domains registered through DNSimple or other registrars.
- It replaces public information with an anonymous proxy identity.
- Anonymous proxy identity includes a proxy email address and information from “Whois Privacy Protection Service, Inc.”
- This replacement ensures personal contact information is not publicly disclosed in the WHOIS database.
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Google Domain Protection
Google Domains offers free Privacy Protection, automatically masking personal information, such as name and contact details, in the WHOIS database during domain registration.
This feature is included at checkout, ensuring user privacy without additional steps. The status of Privacy Protection can be conveniently checked on the Domain Overview page.
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Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC)
Basically, the DNS translates human-friendly domain names to IP addresses. And the original DNS lacks strong authentication due to which the source IP address verification is easily spoofed. It is because each DNS zone has a public/private key pair, and the zone owner signs DNS data with the private key for authentication.
How does DNSSEC provide Domain Security?
- DNSSEC enhances DNS security through cryptographic signatures.
- It ensures data comes from the claimed zone and ensures data remains unaltered during transit.
- DNSSEC requires manual communication of public key material to the parent.
- Automation protocols are expected to streamline the process in the future.
- DNSSEC deployment enhances overall internet security.
- Enables new protocols like DANE, providing cryptographic assurance for applications.
- Greater adoption of DNSSEC is expected for improved cryptographic assurance.
Wrapping Up
Privacy is crucial in web usage and website security. When website owners purchase a domain, personal information is required. Without domain privacy, these details become public, emphasising the importance of keeping them hidden.
Activating domain privacy is typically a simple process, often just a switch toggle with many registrars offering it for free.
However, some may charge for this service during domain renewal. Consider the significance of domain privacy and whether it aligns with your priorities.