Domain registrars: The good, the bad and the ugly

ICANN accreditation of domain registrars requires both a strict adherence to the standards mandated by ICANN, and a business approach that understands the complexities of the market.

With that in mind, not all domain registrars are created equal.

This is not a registrar ranking diatribe, however; I’m not judging registrars by anything other than their ability to satisfy urgent and vital registrant requests.

The subject of domain theft is very important, and security varies among domain registrars. A modern, secure domain registrar would implement not just the basic security layers, but would enhance them according to current, ongoing cyber threats.

Unfortunately, when it comes down to domains being moved from Registrar A to Registrar B as the result of domain theft, there are three varieties: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The latter kind, simply refuse to communicate with the party at a loss, and demand that a due process is established. They do that in order to waive any and all responsibility, but in the course of this they acquire a bad name in the domain industry, acting as facilitators to the act of domain theft.

The majority of these ‘rogue‘ registrars are located outside of the United States, in countries where cultural procedures override law and order. It is remarkable how they retain their accreditation despite the use of excuses and untimely responses.

The bad kind pose enough obstacles in the domain reclaiming process to delay any immediate return of stolen domain names; at a time when businesses rely on a 24/7 online presence, such behavior can destroy sales and send a company’s other assets into receivership. Bad domain registrars are typically the product of bad decisions made by their untrained or ill-trained employees and executives.

The good kind is the paradigm of how domain registrars should function: as ‘servants’ of their role and function, employing well-trained personnel, able to perform swift and thorough investigations when accounts are compromised or  domains are stolen.

In today’s Internet-driven world, there is only room for good domain registrars; the rest should either change their approach, or lose their accreditation without further delay.