Domain security represents a critical but often overlooked foundation of digital infrastructure. The financial and reputational consequences of domain compromise extend far beyond the domain itself—hijacked domains can be weaponized to attack your users, damage your brand, or disrupt your entire digital operation. This comprehensive checklist provides a systematic framework for implementing layered domain security that protects against the diverse attack vectors threatening domains in 2025.
Layer 1: Foundational Account Security
The authentication layer represents the critical first defense, as compromised registrar accounts enable attackers to modify DNS settings, transfer domains, or alter contact information without ever touching your domain’s technical infrastructure.
Mandatory Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Requirement: Enable 2FA on all registrar accounts managing domains of any significance.
Implementation Details: Two-factor authentication requires two distinct verification methods before account access is granted. The first is something you know (password); the second is something you have (physical token, authenticator app, or received code).
Critical Distinction: Not all 2FA methods provide equal security. Avoid SMS-based authentication for high-value domains, as SIM swapping attacks specifically target SMS codes by impersonating users to mobile carriers. Instead, use:
- Authenticator Applications (Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy) – time-based one-time passwords that function without relying on SMS infrastructure
- Hardware Security Keys (FIDO2 keys like YubiKey) – physical devices that cannot be remotely compromised and represent the strongest 2FA option
Action Items:
- Enable 2FA on all domain registrar accounts
- Configure authenticator apps for all accounts
- Test 2FA functionality to ensure recovery codes are saved
- Document backup authentication methods
- Train team members on 2FA procedures
Strong, Unique Passwords
Requirement: Each registrar account must have a unique, complex password never reused across any other services.
Password Construction Standards: Generate passwords with minimum 16 characters incorporating uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Password managers like 1Password, Dashlane, or Bitwarden eliminate the burden of memorizing complex passwords while ensuring consistent strength across accounts.
Why Uniqueness Matters: If an employee uses identical credentials across their registrar account and personal email, a breach of the email provider exposes the registrar account. Attackers specifically target password reuse patterns identified through data breach databases.
Action Items:
- Audit all registrar account passwords
- Generate new passwords (16+ characters) using password manager
- Update stored credentials in password manager
- Document password policies for team members
Registrar Account Access Review
Requirement: Limit registrar account access to only personnel requiring domain management responsibility.
Implementation: Use registrar role-based access controls (RBAC) when available to assign minimum necessary permissions. Account types might include:
- Full Administrator: Only for designated domain manager
- DNS Manager: Can modify DNS records but not transfer domains or change registrant info
- Read-Only: Can view domain status but cannot make modifications
- Finance Only: Limited to billing functions
Action Items:
- Audit all registrar account users
- Remove access for former employees
- Assign minimum necessary permissions to each user
- Document role-based access structure
- Conduct quarterly access reviews
Layer 2: Registrar-Level Transfer Protection
Registry locks and transfer locks create technical barriers preventing unauthorized domain transfers, the most common hijacking vector.
Registrar Lock (Transfer Lock) Activation
Requirement: Enable transfer lock on all registered domains preventing transfer to alternative registrars without explicit authorization.
How It Works: When activated, transfer lock prevents unauthorized domain transfers by requiring additional verification steps. Legitimate transfers still proceed through proper authorization workflows but cannot happen through simple account access alone.
Trade-off Consideration: Transfer lock requires advance planning for any domain migration. If you need to transfer domains to a new registrar, you’ll need to unlock domains first (typically a 24-48 hour process), then execute the transfer. This minimal inconvenience provides substantial security benefit.
Verification Requirement: Check that lock activation requires multi-step confirmation including verification codes sent to registered email addresses, preventing password-only bypasses.
Action Items:
- Enable transfer lock on all domains
- Verify lock activation through domain status reports
- Document transfer unlock procedures for future use
- Educate team on transfer timelines when domain migration is necessary
Registrar Alerts and Notifications
Requirement: Configure alerts for all domain-related changes through registrar notification systems.
Critical Alerts: Set up notifications for:
- Domain expiration warnings (90, 30, and 7 days before expiration)
- Domain lock status changes
- Registrant contact information modifications
- DNS nameserver changes
- Domain transfer requests
- SSL certificate issuances for the domain
- Unusual login activities to the registrar account
Notification Delivery: Configure multiple notification channels (email, SMS, Slack/Teams) to ensure alerts reach appropriate personnel even if primary contact methods fail. Consider routing alerts to security team rather than just domain managers.
Action Items:
- Configure all available alerts in registrar account
- Test alert delivery mechanisms
- Create alert response procedures
- Document alert escalation workflows
- Train team on alert response protocols
Layer 3: WHOIS Privacy Protection
Public WHOIS records expose contact information that attackers exploit for phishing, social engineering, and reconnaissance attacks.
WHOIS Privacy Service Activation
Requirement: Enable WHOIS privacy protection on all registered domains.
What WHOIS Privacy Does: WHOIS privacy replaces your personal contact information in public WHOIS records with the registrar’s or privacy service’s contact information. Your actual ownership and control remain unchanged—only public-facing information is masked.
Example Transformation:
Without Privacy: Name: John Smith, Address: 123 Main St, Phone: 555-0123, Email: john@example.com (All publicly viewable)
With Privacy: Name: Privacy Service c/o Registrar, Address: [Registrar Address], Phone: [Registrar Phone], Email: [Privacy Proxy Email] (Actual details hidden from public view)
Important Limitation: WHOIS privacy hides information from public view but does not prevent domain hijacking by itself. It functions as part of comprehensive security rather than a complete solution.
Communication Forwarding: Quality privacy services implement forwarding systems routing legitimate contact attempts to actual registrants while filtering spam. When important communications arrive at privacy proxy addresses, they’re automatically forwarded to the true registrant.
Action Items:
- Enable WHOIS privacy on all domains
- Verify privacy activation through WHOIS query
- Test communication forwarding (contact your domain through privacy address)
- Ensure underlying registrant contact information is accurate and current
- Document that privacy does not equal hijack-proofing
- Monitor for any communications arriving at privacy addresses
Portfolio-Wide Implementation
Requirement: Apply WHOIS privacy consistently across all domains regardless of perceived importance.
Why Uniformity Matters: Inconsistent privacy implementation creates information leakage. An attacker might discover your true contact information through one unprotected domain, then use that information to social engineer a registrar representative regarding a protected domain. Even one exposed domain compromises the entire portfolio.
Action Items:
- Audit all domains for privacy protection status
- Enable privacy on any unprotected domains
- Create policy requiring privacy on all future registrations
- Document unified privacy approach
Layer 4: DNS Security (DNSSEC)
DNS represents a critical attack surface where hijackers redirect users to malicious sites without detection. DNSSEC cryptographically signs DNS records, preventing tampering.
DNSSEC: What It Protects and What It Doesn’t
Critical Understanding: DNSSEC protects DNS record integrity (preventing tampering) but does NOT prevent domain hijacking at the registrar level. If an attacker compromises your registrar account and modifies nameservers to point to different servers, DNSSEC won’t prevent that. DNSSEC protects against different attack vectors (DNS spoofing, cache poisoning) than registrar-level hijacking.
How DNSSEC Works: DNSSEC uses hierarchical digital signing to create a “chain of trust” from root nameservers down to your authoritative nameservers. Each layer cryptographically signs the next layer’s information.
Example Trust Chain:
- Root nameservers sign .COM nameserver keys
- .COM nameservers sign your authoritative nameserver keys
- Your authoritative nameservers sign your DNS records
- Resolvers validate this chain before accepting records
Attack Prevention: DNSSEC prevents common DNS attacks including:
- DNS Spoofing: Attackers inject false records into DNS responses
- DNS Cache Poisoning: Attackers insert malicious records into resolver caches
- Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Attackers intercept DNS queries and provide false responses
- DNS Tunneling: Attackers tunnel data through DNS queries
DNSSEC Activation Requirements
Prerequisite Verification: Confirm that both your registrar and your DNS hosting provider support DNSSEC before implementation.
Implementation Steps:
- Enable DNSSEC at DNS Provider: Most modern DNS providers (Cloudflare, Route 53, NS1, DNS Made Easy) support DNSSEC through simple control panel activation.
- Obtain DNSSEC Keys: The DNS provider generates public and private keys. The private key signs your DNS records; the public key validates the signatures.
- Provide DS Records to Registrar: Delegation Signer (DS) records enable the registrar to verify your DNS provider’s signing. Obtain DS records from your DNS provider and input them into your registrar account.
- Validate DNSSEC Propagation: Use DNSSEC validation tools to verify proper implementation across DNS hierarchy.
Ongoing Management: DNSSEC requires ongoing key management including periodic key rotation, monitoring signature validity, and maintaining consistency between registrar DS records and DNS provider keys.
Action Items:
- Verify registrar DNSSEC support
- Verify DNS provider DNSSEC support
- Coordinate with DNS provider for DNSSEC enablement
- Obtain DS records from DNS provider
- Configure DS records in registrar account
- Validate DNSSEC through online validators
- Document DNSSEC configuration details
- Establish key rotation schedule
- Create monitoring procedures for DNSSEC validation
Layer 5: Email Account Security
Email accounts associated with domain registrar accounts represent critical attack targets. Compromised email enables password resets, authorization verification bypasses, and account takeover.
Dedicated Email Address for Domain Management
Requirement: Use a dedicated email address exclusively for domain registrar accounts, not shared with other services.
Benefit: Limits exposure if other email accounts are compromised. If your primary work email is breached but your dedicated domain management email is secure, attackers cannot use the primary breach to compromise domain accounts.
Implementation: Consider using domain-based email (domains@yourcompany.com) rather than personal Gmail/Outlook accounts, particularly for business domains.
Action Items:
- Create dedicated email address for domain management
- Update all registrar accounts to use dedicated email
- Verify new email address receives all notifications
- Archive old email addresses from registrar accounts
Email Account 2FA and Security
Requirement: Enable strong 2FA on the dedicated domain management email account.
Implementation: The email account protecting domain registrar access deserves the strongest available security:
- Use hardware security key (FIDO2) for highest security
- Use authenticator app as minimum acceptable option
- Avoid SMS-based 2FA given SIM swap risks
Email Forwarding Verification: Review email forwarding rules regularly to detect unauthorized forwarding that could intercept notifications and password reset emails.
Action Items:
- Enable 2FA on dedicated email account
- Configure strongest available 2FA method (hardware key)
- Review email forwarding rules
- Audit recent login activity
- Create backup access procedures
- Test 2FA functionality
Email Provider Security Features
Requirement: Use email providers offering advanced security features.
Recommended Providers: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 both offer strong security including Advanced Protection Program, unauthorized access notifications, and suspicious activity detection.
Advanced Protection Program: Google’s Advanced Protection Program provides extra security including:
- Mandatory hardware security keys for authentication
- Real-time suspicious activity alerts
- Enhanced malware and phishing detection
- Limited third-party application access
Action Items:
- Verify email provider security capabilities
- Enable available advanced security features
- Consider Advanced Protection Program for critical email
- Configure real-time alerts
- Review third-party application permissions
Layer 6: Monitoring and Detection
Early detection of unauthorized changes enables rapid response preventing full compromise.
Regular WHOIS Monitoring
Requirement: Periodically verify WHOIS records remain correct.
Implementation: Conduct manual WHOIS queries monthly to verify registrant information, nameservers, and status codes haven’t changed.
Automated Monitoring: Many security services automatically monitor WHOIS changes and alert owners of modifications. Services like Domainsure, Domaintools, and similar providers track changes across domain portfolios.
Action Items:
- Establish monthly WHOIS verification schedule
- Document current registrant and nameserver information
- Implement automated WHOIS monitoring if managing multiple domains
- Create alert response procedures
- Test monitoring accuracy
DNS Record Auditing
Requirement: Regularly verify DNS records match intended configuration.
Implementation: Quarterly DNS audits should verify:
- A/AAAA records point to correct servers
- MX records route to correct mail servers
- CNAME records match intended services
- TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) are correct
- No unexpected records exist
Automated Tools: Use DNS monitoring tools like DNSViz or monitoring built into DNS management platforms.
Action Items:
- Document current DNS configuration
- Establish quarterly DNS audit schedule
- Create DNS change documentation procedures
- Implement DNS monitoring tools
- Create alert procedures for unexpected changes
SSL Certificate Monitoring
Requirement: Monitor new SSL certificates issued for your domains.
Why It Matters: Attackers often issue SSL certificates for hijacked domains to impersonate legitimate sites. Monitoring unexpected certificate issuances detects compromise.
Implementation: Use Certificate Transparency (CT) monitoring to receive alerts when new certificates are issued for your domains. Many DNS and security platforms provide automatic CT monitoring.
Recommended Tools: Google Safe Browsing, Sectigo Certificate Monitoring, and Hardenize all provide CT monitoring.
Action Items:
- Document legitimate SSL certificate providers
- Implement CT monitoring
- Test alert delivery
- Create response procedures for unexpected certificates
- Establish certificate review schedule
Credential Breach Monitoring
Requirement: Monitor whether registrar account credentials appear in public breach databases.
Implementation: Services like Have I Been Pwned (HIBP) and Breach Alert Monitor track when credentials appear in compromised databases.
Automated Monitoring: For organizations managing multiple domains, implement enterprise credential monitoring solutions that automatically check employee credentials against breach databases.
Action Items:
- Check registrar account credentials against HIBP
- Monitor primary contact email address
- Implement automated credential monitoring if managing multiple domains
- Establish password reset procedures when breaches detected
- Train team on credential compromise response
Layer 7: Incident Response and Recovery
Despite preventive measures, preparation for compromise scenarios enables rapid response limiting damage.
Domain Hijacking Response Procedure
Critical Steps for Compromise Detection:
- Verification: Confirm hijacking occurred (not false alarm) by checking WHOIS records, DNS settings, and registrar account access
- Registrar Contact: Contact registrar support immediately via phone (not email) reporting suspected hijacking. Email can be intercepted; phone confirms identity
- Account Lockdown: If registrar account remains accessible, change password immediately and enable additional security measures
- Communication Review: Check for unauthorized communications in associated email accounts during estimated compromise window
- DNS Records Verification: Verify current DNS records are correct and redirect to legitimate servers
- Documentation: Collect evidence of compromise for investigation and potential law enforcement involvement
Action Items:
- Document registrar support contact information (phone, email, address)
- Create incident response procedures
- Train team on hijacking detection
- Establish communication protocols for emergency situations
- Document evidence collection procedures
- Plan for alternative communication channels if email is compromised
Recovery Procedures
Registrar Account Recovery:
- Verification: Registrars will verify identity through pre-established security questions, documentation, or phone calls
- Password Reset: If account compromised, reset password using recovery email or phone verification
- Domain Restoration: Recover domain by updating nameservers back to legitimate DNS hosts and verifying registrant information
- Timeline: Anticipate 24-72 hours for DNS propagation after nameserver changes complete
External Notification: Contact affected users, partners, and customers about compromise and recovery measures.
Action Items:
- Create detailed recovery checklist
- Document verified recovery procedures
- Test recovery procedures through controlled scenario
- Establish communication templates for incident notification
- Identify stakeholders requiring notification
Comprehensive Security Checklist Summary
Phase 1: Immediate Actions (Complete within 1 week)
- Enable 2FA on all registrar accounts
- Enable transfer locks on all domains
- Enable WHOIS privacy on all domains
- Update registrar account passwords
- Create dedicated domain management email
- Enable 2FA on dedicated email account
Phase 2: Medium-term Implementation (Complete within 1 month)
- Audit and configure registrar alerts
- Implement role-based access controls
- Document all domains and registrar information
- Enable DNSSEC on high-value domains
- Establish monthly WHOIS verification schedule
- Implement SSL certificate monitoring
Phase 3: Ongoing Management (Monthly/Quarterly)
- Monthly: Verify WHOIS records
- Monthly: Check registrar alerts received
- Quarterly: Audit DNS configuration
- Quarterly: Review registrar account access
- Quarterly: Verify DNSSEC validity
- Annually: Test incident response procedures
Phase 4: Advanced Security (Optional, for high-value domains)
- Implement enterprise credential monitoring
- Deploy advanced DNS monitoring
- Register with registrar’s VIP security program
- Establish relationships with registrar security team
- Consider third-party domain security services
Layered Security as Standard Practice
Domain security in 2025 requires moving beyond single-point protections toward comprehensive, overlapping security layers that create resilience even when individual measures are circumvented. The “Sitting Ducks” attack affecting 70,000 domains in 2025 demonstrated that even sophisticated organizations face compromise risks—but organizations implementing these layered protections successfully repel most hijacking attempts.
The financial and reputational costs of domain compromise far exceed the modest effort required for proper security implementation. A domain generating $5,000 monthly revenue experiences $150,000+ in damages from one month of compromise. By contrast, implementing these security measures costs mere dollars annually while preventing catastrophic loss.
Begin with Phase 1 fundamentals immediately, then systematically implement remaining phases. This systematic approach builds genuine security protecting domains and the audiences they serve.