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Protecting Your .ee Domain: Insights and Best Practices

"The Estonian .ee domain can be registered for a period ranging from 3 months to 10 years," said Mare Vahtre, Head of Marketing and Communications at EIF. "If the domain registration is not extended in time, the deleted domain will end up in the domain auction, where it can also be acquired by a competitor. Over the past few years, interest in domains up for auction has more than doubled."

A survey conducted by EIF this year revealed the most well-known domain-related threats:

• Domain name hijacking (73% of respondents),

• Domain name forgery (56%),

• Brand reputation damage (56%),

• Data phishing (53%), and

• Malicious use of SEO with domains (51%).

In 2023, 18 421 non-renewed .ee domains went to auction. In recent years, interest in commercially attractive domains at auction has grown significantly. "For example, in October 2022, 5.7% of domains at auction received offers. A year later, this figure had already risen to 12%. In the case of the most popular domains, prices can rise to thousands of euros," added Vahtre.

The number of .ee domains has more than doubled over the past ten years. As of November 22, over 172 768 .ee domains have been registered. Most .ee domains are registered by residents of Estonia, China, the USA, Lithuania, Germany, and Sweden.

In November, EIF launched a domain threat awareness campaign aimed at entrepreneurs. The campaign encourages companies to register .ee domains and renew their existing registrations in a timely manner.

Recommendations to Reduce Domain-Related Threats:

• Register your .ee domain immediately when establishing a company
  Secure your online identity from the start.

• Protect your digital identity
  A domain and a website under your company’s name are among the most secure and effective channels to showcase your activities. If your domain registration expires, you lose a critical part of your digital presence.

• Ensure timely renewal of your domain
  The Estonian top-level domain (.ee) can be registered for periods ranging from 3 months to 10 years. Make sure to renew it on time, as expired domains will end up in the .ee domain auction.

• Maintain access to your email addresses
  Company email addresses are often linked to the domain. If you lose your domain, you will lose access to old emails, and new emails will no longer reach you.