Domain name hijack protection

• US 10,154,060 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Parsons, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pearson, David J
• Application Number:
  US15/710,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 726 23
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/18 Commands or executable codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/302 Administrative registration, e.g. for domain names at internet corporation for assigned names and numbers [ICANN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1466 Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A domain name registering entity (such as a domain registry, registrar, or reseller) or an independent proxy registration service may offer a domain name hijack protection to their actual or potential customers. When a domain name transfer request or notice is received, the domain name registering entity or the proxy registration service may ignore or decline it. Customers may be given an ability to turn the domain name hijack protection service on and off, as well as an ability to adjust a variety of settings associated with the service.

Claims

1. A system comprising a server hardware computing device coupled to a network and comprising at least one hardware processor executing specific computer-executable instructions within a memory that, when executed, cause the system to:

store, within a WHOIS database, a proxy email address associated with a registered domain name;

receive an electronic message at the proxy email address, wherein a content of the electronic message comprises a domain name transfer request; and

automatically;

delete the electronic message;

or

transmit an electronic response message to a Uniform Resource Locator link within the content of the electronic message, the electronic response message declining the domain name transfer request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server hardware computing device is operated by a domain name registering entity or a proxy registration service provider.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system, prior to receiving the electronic message, to:

receive, from a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) form displayed on a web page, a first request to apply a domain name private registration service to the registered domain name;

transmit a proxy contact request to a second server hardware computing device operated by a proxy registration service provider;

receive a proxy contact data; and

automatically store the registered domain name and the proxy contact data in association in a database.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the system, prior to receiving the electronic message, to:

receive, from the HTML form, a second request to receive at least one email message addressed to a proxy email address for the proxy registration service provider;

transmit a proxy email forwarding request to the second server hardware computing device, the proxy email forwarding request comprising;

a registrant email address; and

instructions causing the second server hardware computing device to automatically store, in association, the proxy email address, the registrant email address and the registered domain name;

receive the at least one email message; and

transmit the at least one email message from the proxy email address to the registrant email address.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the instructions further cause the system to automatically forward the electronic message only if the proxy contact data is stored within the WHOIS database.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system to receive, from an HTML form on a web page, a request to forward the electronic message.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system to receive, from an HTML form on a web page, a request to disable forwarding the electronic message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the system to transmit, to a client hardware computing device operated by a registrant of the registered domain name, a notification including a message that the electronic message has been deleted or declined.

9. A method comprising the steps of:

storing, by a server hardware computing device coupled to a network and comprising at least one hardware processor executing specific computer-executable instructions within a memory, within a WHOIS database, a proxy email address associated with a registered domain name;

receiving, by the server hardware computing device, an electronic message at the proxy email address, wherein a content of the electronic message comprises a domain name transfer request; and

automatically;

deleting, by the server hardware computing device, the electronic message;

or

transmitting, by the server hardware computing device, an electronic response message to a Uniform Resource Locator link within the content of the electronic message, the electronic response message declining the domain name transfer request.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the server hardware computing device is operated by a domain name registering entity or a proxy registration service provider.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the server hardware computing device, from a Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) form displayed on a web page, a first request to apply a domain name private registration service to the registered domain name;

transmitting, by the server hardware computing device, a proxy contact request to a second server hardware computing device operated by a proxy registration service provider;

receiving, by the server hardware computing device, a proxy contact data; and

automatically storing, by the server hardware computing device, the registered domain name and the proxy contact data in association in a database.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

receiving, by the server hardware computing device, from the HTML form, a second request to receive at least one email message addressed to a proxy email address for the proxy registration service provider;

transmitting, by the server hardware computing device, a proxy email forwarding request to the second server hardware computing device, the proxy email forwarding request comprising;

a registrant email address; and

instructions causing the second server hardware computing device to automatically store, in association, the proxy email address, the registrant email address and the registered domain name;

receiving, by the server hardware computing device, the at least one email message; and

transmitting, by the server hardware computing device, the at least one email message from the proxy email address to the registrant email address.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of automatically forwarding, by the server hardware computing device the electronic message only if the proxy contact data is stored within the WHOIS database.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of receiving, by the server hardware computing device, from an HTML form on a web page, a request to forward the electronic message.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of receiving, by the server hardware computing device, from an HTML form on a web page, a request to disable forwarding the electronic message.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of transmitting, by the server hardware computing device, to a client hardware computing device operated by a registrant of the registered domain name, a notification including a message that the electronic message has been deleted or declined.