Why are domain names so important for brand protection?

Registering a domain name is an integral part of a company's start-up and brand and strategy continuation. It is the first step in creating a digital identity. The combinations of domain names you can create are nearly endless, as there are billions of combinations of letters and numbers, and as of Q4 2021, some 341.7 million domain names were registered, meaning creating a combination of domain names that stands out is getting even more difficult.

But there is a second, equally important factor to consider - making sure your online business or customers are safe from phishing. Phishing with a domain name that is almost identical to yours can be a major blow to your digital reputation and revenue.

Therefore, being recognizable, able to stand out, and resistant to phishing is key to creating a domain name.

Beyond TLDs

Companies must be able to effectively brand themselves on the Internet. A domain name is one of the keys to your brand. Since its inception in 1984, top-level domains have been a core part of the internet, and along with corporate brands, shape online brands.

However, the options for building a more effective brand in a top-level domain are rather limited. But in the past decade, a new top-level domain name has gained more favor, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises and start-up companies looking for higher brand recognition. In 2012, ICANN announced the introduction of new gTLDs, such as .Ltd, .live, .games, etc. More information can be expressed through descriptive domain names, and the recognition is higher.

A descriptive domain name can be an exact match to a company name, such as Threat.Technology. Or it can reflect what the company does. For example, email providers can use .email domain names to reflect who they are and what they do. Even those who have not heard of them will understand the domain name. Such domains not only boost brand recognition, but can also have a positive impact on SEO.

Especially for young companies, choosing a descriptive domain name has significant advantages when it comes to securing partners and investors. In recent years, many emerging companies created through financing mostly use descriptive domain names, such as api.video, AdA.support, mojo.vision, cellworks.life, etc. This suggests that efficient branding can boost investor confidence and help secure additional financing.

Protecting your domain name is protecting your brand

In the digital age, having a reliable and secure digital identity is essential.

76% of businesses claim to have suffered a phishing attack in the past year. Companies of any size need to protect their digital identities at all stages of their growth, especially from homograph attacks.

The so-called homonyms mean that hackers trick Internet users into clicking suspicious links by registering a similar domain name, thereby attacking users. This can lead to a loss of trust in your business and brand, while costing users.

For companies and enterprises, it is very difficult to prevent phishing websites on their own. The reason is that there are tens of thousands of homographs in a domain name, and some even reach millions. Therefore, a system that automatically and proactively prevents phishing websites becomes key.

When an enterprise registers among the nearly 300 descriptive domain names provided by the Identity Digital Registry, the security algorithm will calculate all common homograph variants of the domain name and freeze them to prevent registration abuse by people with ulterior motives. This enables businesses to establish a real and secure online identity.

How to balance brand and safety

Branding and safety are important parts of a company's online presence. If the work is done at the start of the company, then success is closer to you, otherwise you need to work on it.

What you need to do is to choose a domain name registry that can meet your domain name needs, help you have an accurate and unique domain name, and at the same time provide services to prevent phishing attacks. The Identity Digital registry is an obvious choice, offering free proactive phishing protection while offering nearly 300 descriptive domain names to choose from. This allows you to obtain your favorite domain name while avoiding subsequent high costs for domain name security protection.