What is WHOIS and Why is it There?

WHOIS is a publicly available database that stores information about domain name registrations. It was originally created to maintain transparency on the internet, allowing users to identify domain owners for legal or business purposes. However, this transparency also comes with risks, as some individuals and organizations misuse WHOIS data for malicious activities such as spam, phishing, and cyber-attacks.

Why You Need Domain Privacy Protection

1. Protects Your Personal Information
Without domain privacy, your personal details are available to anyone online. This exposes you to potential threats such as identity theft and phishing scams.
Example: A scammer may find your email in the WHOIS database and send you a fake invoice pretending to be your domain registrar.


2. Reduces Spam and Unwanted Solicitation
Many spammers and marketers scrape WHOIS data to collect emails and phone numbers for unsolicited contact. Domain Privacy Protection prevents your contact details from being misused.
Example: If your phone number is public, you may start receiving spam calls from marketing agencies offering unnecessary services.


3. Prevents Identity Theft and Fraud
Hackers and cybercriminals often use WHOIS information to impersonate domain owners or execute social engineering attacks. Keeping your details private minimizes these risks.
Example: A fraudster might use your public WHOIS information to convince your hosting provider to give them access to your website.


4. Enhances Website Security
When your domain details are public, cybercriminals can exploit them to attempt unauthorized access or launch attacks on your website. Privacy protection adds an extra layer of security.
Example: Attackers could use your email from WHOIS to send phishing emails trying to gain access to your domain registrar account.


5. Maintains Professionalism
If you use your personal address or phone number for domain registration, it might not appear professional for your business. Privacy protection ensures that your domain information remains business-oriented and secure.

What Does WHOIS Protection Do?

WHOIS protection, also known as domain privacy protection, replaces your personal details in the public WHOIS database with generic contact information provided by the registrar. This ensures that your private details - such as your name, phone number, and email-are not visible to the public. Instead, anyone attempting to access your WHOIS information will see the registrar's privacy service details, effectively shielding you from unwanted solicitations and potential cyber threats.

Free WHOIS Protection from Register.lk

When you purchase a domain from Register.lk, we provide free WHOIS protection for supported domain extensions, ensuring that your personal information remains secure at no additional cost. While some registrars charge extra for this essential service, Register.lk offers it completely free for domains that support WHOIS privacy.
However, certain domain registries do not support WHOIS protection due to registry restrictions. In such cases, domain owners must take additional steps to safeguard their information. Even if WHOIS protection is unavailable for a specific domain, you can still implement other security measures to protect your domain and personal data.

Conclusion

Domain Privacy Protection is essential to safeguard your personal information, reduce spam, and prevent cyber threats. If you own a domain, enabling this feature ensures that your details remain hidden from prying eyes. At Register.lk, we offer free WHOIS protection for eligible domains, while many other registrars charge for it. Make sure to take advantage of this feature when registering your domain.