Your brand is an asset to your organization, it is the brand that differentiates one organization from another. It is therefore important to spend time investing in your brand and building it. It is the brand that provides a source of confidence, credibility, and trust to the customers. As your brand is important offline so it is online. Many companies and individuals have lost large amounts of revenue due to their failure to protect their brands online.
Registering domains should be viewed as a first line of defense against brand abuse online. Online brand abuse causes substantial brand erosion, lost revenue, reduced marketing ROI, diminished customer trust, and tarnished reputation, therefore everyone has the greatest stake when it comes to protecting brands online. Implementing a comprehensive domain strategy and being vigilant about how your brands are represented online is paramount.
The ccTLD (country code top-level domain) of Kenya is the .KE domain name and KeNIC (Kenya Network Information Centre), we manage .KE domains on behalf of all Kenyans and work every day to build a trusted internet for Kenyans.
Our domain extensions are:.co.ke, .or.ke, .ne.ke, .go.ke, .me.ke, .mobi.ke, .info.ke, .sc.ke, .ac.ke >> see what that means here: https://kenic.or.ke/ke-domains/ke-products/
A domain is your internet/ web address which your customers type in the address bar of a web browser for example yourcompany.co.ke Because the name can be requested by any business, the name may be available for a short time only or maybe already taken. It is therefore of significance to register a domain name that relates to your company name at the earliest time possible.
Your company’s domain names enable customers to interact and transact with you online and, as a result, are a valuable corporate asset that needs protection against cyber crimes such as;
1. Cybersquatting
This is an act where one rides on your goodwill or trademark in bad faith by using your domain name for his profit.
2.Typosquatting/ URL hijacking
Internet users sometimes make typing errors when inputting a website address in the address bar in the browser like repeating a character or omitting a character. This error can lead one to a different website designed to capture users who commit such errors.
3.Phishing attacks
This is a method used by cybercriminals where they send emails pretending to be a credible company with the intention to get personal information or steal money. Phishers use email and channels such as social media, riding on the trust people have in a brand in order to obtain personal details like credit card numbers.
4. Brand hijacking
Is an activity whereby someone acquires or otherwise assumes the online identity of another entity for the purposes of acquiring that person’s or business’s brand equity.
- How to protect your brand online in kenya
First, opt for a .KE domain name. Read on the Benefits of a .KE domain name here; https://kenic.or.ke/importance-of-having-a-ke-domain-name/ Also, go to www.kenic.or.ke/Registrars and use our licensed Registrars. Remember to always give the correct information (Name, Phone number and Email)
Second, register a domain that describes the name of your business as best as possible and register it using all the .KE domain extensions. Why? To protect your brand name. You can use these other domain names to forward/point to your primary domain.
Third, you have to register domains that evolve around your brand or company. For example; Google have registered most of the domains evolving around their name. If you type in the Google address and omit a letter that domain may still fall under Google’s ownership. Just try to type in http://www.gogle.com, or http://www.gooogle.com.
Fourth, use correct information when registering your .KE domain name. We have had numerous occasions where companies no longer know who registered their domain and who is managing it, and they end up registering domains unrelated to their products and losing the relevant domain. Do whatever you must to ensure your organization has a single view of your domains, enabling it to ensure early renewals and quickly assess both opportunities and threats related to the brand.
Was this helpful?