Recent domain hijackings should remind CIOs of the importance of domain locking says .CA executive

Advanced security measures can mitigate risk of hacking

OTTAWA, Dec. 2, 2014 /CNW Telbec/ - Many website hijackings are avoidable with enhanced domain name system safety measures, says the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), the organization that manages the .CA domain.

"The string of attacks in recent days demonstrates the risk that high-profile website owners are facing from cybercriminal activity targeting their domains," said David Chiswell, Vice President of Product Development at CIRA. "We hope that CIOs will urgently take action to protect their domains with a locking service from their domain registry."

The City of Ottawa and Craigslist join the New York Times, Twitter and the Huffington Post on the list of domain hijacked by malicious actors.

"Media organizations, governments, police forces or political parties are all potential targets for cybercriminals and should be particularly cautious," added Chiswell. "We also know that the risk of domain hijacking increases around the holidays or with significant political events, such as elections."

Website holders who operate high-traffic, high-transaction websites, such as e-commerce or financial services sites that regularly deal with large volumes of personal and confidential consumer information should also ensure they are protected.

Registry Lock adds protection to .CA domains

CIRA's Registry Lock, an advanced security feature available to all .CA website holders, can help website owners mitigate the risk of domain hijacking. Once locked with the service any request to have the domain name redirected, its information altered, or its ownership transferred to another party cannot proceed without verification through the domain's sponsoring Registrar and CIRA.

Architelos, a company offering strategic consulting and managed services for new and existing top-level domain operators, supports Registry Lock as a key security feature that registries should offer to their customers.

"Website owners need to consider the value of their .CA domains and add techniques to help limit threats," said Alexa Raad, CEO of Architelos. "Consider the impact of a short but unexpected site disruption or downtime on your revenue stream, ability to service customers, and even your brand reputation. Registry Lock is a wise investment in protecting your business."

Registry Lock is available to .CA domain name holders through .CA certified Registrars.

Additional resources

.CA Marketplace (find registrars offering Registry Lock)

Registry Lock Product page

About CIRA

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain on behalf of all Canadians. A Member-driven organization, CIRA also develops and implements policies that support Canada's Internet community, and represents the .CA registry internationally.

SOURCE: Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)

Ryan Saxby Hill, Communications Manager, CIRA, [email protected], 613-316-2397