Have you ever thought about why your mailbox is less overflowing with spam these days when you register a domain? It has a lot to do with WHOIS privacy and GDPR protection. In the past, the contact details of domain owners were freely available – a real feast for spammers, phishing attacks and other threats. Today, almost seven years after the GDPR came into force, it is clear that data protection makes our digital lives more secure.

What is WHOIS and why was it problematic?

For a long time, WHOIS was a public directory that provided information such as the name, address and email address of the owner of each domain. Anyone could access this data with just a few clicks – including spammers. This led to a massive flood of spam and even targeted attacks, such as phishing or domain hijacking.

This changed radically with the introduction of the GDPR in May 2018. Since then, personal data of domain owners has been anonymized by default. This has not only protected privacy, but also significantly reduced spam.

Convincing figures: What studies reveal about spam and WHOIS

In a one-yearfield experiment, policy expert Tobias Sattler found out how strongly WHOIS anonymization influences spam:

• Domains with anonymized data receive an average of 0.12 spam mails per month.
• For domains with public WHOIS data, the figure is over 12 spam mails per month.

Particularly striking: .com domains attract more spam than other endings such as .xyz or .store. These results show how important it is to pay attention to the protection of your data whenregistering a domain.

Why WHOIS Privacy and the GDPR are relevant for you

The GDPR regulates the protection of your data, but not every registrar implements this consistently. This is where WHOIS privacy services come into play. They offer additional security by making your data completely unrecognizable – regardless of whether you register in the EU or not.

The best thing about using such services is that there are no disadvantages. You retain full control over your domain and can rest assured that spammers don’t stand a chance.

How to protect yourself optimally – our tips

• Choose a registrar that anonymizes WHOIS data by default and offers additional privacy options.

• Choose your domain extension carefully. Generic TLDs like .com attract more spam – alternative endings might be more suitable for you.

• Use additional tools such as DNSSEC and secure e-mail systems to make your domain even more secure.

What happens if problems do arise?

If something goes wrong despite all these measures, you don’t need to worry. Our support team is there for you – personally, quickly and competently. Whether it’s technical issues or the protection of your WHOIS data, we’ll make sure you can work worry-free.

Conclusion: Your protection counts

The GDPR has proven that data protection not only creates privacy, but also security. WHOIS data anonymization and data protection through the GDPR protect you from spam, phishing and other threats. With additional privacy services and security features, you can secure your domains even better.

Test the possibilities for yourself and experience how simple and secure modern domain management can be!