Network Solutions Inc. this week rolled out new security features governing changes to an existing domain name.
In the past, if Network Solutions’ customers did not select an
authorization method when they first registered a domain, the authorization
method defaulted to “Mail-From”–a term that indicates that if Network
Solutions received an e-mail “from” one of the domain’s authorized contacts
requesting changes to the domain, the changes would automatically be put
through. Other options for authorization include more secure methods such
as password (Crypt-PW), and secure encryption (PGP).
Previously, a domain owner who had chosen the “Mail-From After Update”
Guardian authentication method would only receive notification of the
changes from Network Solutions after the changes had been put
through. The changes that Network Solutions will be implimenting will mean
that if a customer never chose a method of authorization, they will still
default to “Mail-From,” but that if Network Solutions receives an e-mail
from one of the domain’s authorized contacts requesting changes to the
domain, Network Solutions will send an e-mail to one of those authorized
contacts, and only upon receiving a reply from that contact authorizing the
change, will the change be pushed through.
Changes to the authorization scheme are scheduled for July 8. Additional information about the changes can be found on the
Guardian page of Network Solutions’ Web site, as well as on their contact
form FAQs.
Network Solutions has also indicated that they will continue to enhance
security, with future plans including the use of parent VeriSign Inc.’s certificates for
authentication.
