A Good Domain Registry Protects Both Internet Users And You
Web sites are becoming much more sophisticated than they used to be. Often times though, you may need to create a user account to take full advantage. When it comes to sufficiently powerful features, there's always going to be the potential for misuse and user accounts provide for a reasonable level of accountability to discourage and deal with that kind of misuse. At the very least, a domain registry should provide security for a user account's password so that no third party can ever get access to it. There are even better reasons why security is so important. Sometimes user accounts require that people input personal data like their real name, address and phone number. They may even require financial information like bank account or credit card numbers. A few examples of sites that likely require more information include Paypal, Amazon, Gmail, Ebay, and any online banking site. Your own web site may also need to gather information from users and thus require that the appropriate security measure be implemented.
The best way to ensure that data can be securely transferred back and forth is to make use of security certificate technology, which your domain registry should be able to provide for you. Essentially, using it amounts to encrypting data that gets sent so that only internet users and your site can read the information. Without this kind of technology people may not even want to browse to your site so it pays to make use of it.
You also have your own concerns to worry about. Whenever you register a domain name, you have to divulge some private information, potentially including your name, email address, and phone number. The current system in place specifies that all of this information must be available for anyone to look up using the WHOIS system. Although most of the time regular people might look up who the owner of your site is for legitimate purposes, there are others out there with less than noble intentions. Spammers and hackers could use the WHOIS system to gain access to some of your private information and end up misusing it somehow. Fortunately, your domain registry can help. They can allow you to participate in private registration and usually at an affordable price. This kind of registration allows your personal information to be replaced by a third party's information that will essentially end up screening any inquires that would have come your way. In the end, you'll get a lot less spam but regular people with legitimate concerns will still be able to contact you. Security certificates allow you to look out for others, while private registration allows you to look out for yourself.