In recent years, many high-profile companies have been victims of domain name hijacking. Hijacking occurs when hackers illegally transfer a domain to a different account.

Domain name hijackers are not always crazed hackers. You may have a competitor who is employing shady tactics to steal your customers, or an irate former client who is trying to get even. In the world of e-business, you cannot be too careful and domain name hijacking is a considerable concern. Read up on Domain Name Basics.

In one case, an Internet service provider had its domain name taken in the middle of the night. More than 5,000 customers lost Web connectivity and lost access to their email accounts. Someone had transferred the domain without the company's knowledge, and the company in charge of the transfer did not go through the mandatory security checks before approving the transfer. The ISP eventually regained its name, but not before relationships with its customers had been severely damaged.