What is a website's Whois information? As you may have guessed from the meaning of the phrase "Who is," it refers to the identity of a given website's owner, which can be accessed easily and publicly.
We can already see some of you, dear readers, opening your eyes wide and saying: So, our information as website owners is made public?!
Yes, that is the case, and we assure you quickly: it is for your own good and that of your online business. Today, we will explain what the Whois registry is, why it is so important, how it works, and many other useful pieces of information you need to know as an entrepreneur on the web.
Whois, a database open to the public
Almost all registrars offer a free Whois Lookup service on their websites: it is an essential tool for anyone planning to purchase a domain name.
Looking for information on a Moroccan website? Use the Official Whois tool for .MA
WHOIS is a widely used list of records or an internet database that identifies domain owners and how to contact them. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) regulates the registration and ownership of domain names. Whois records have proven extremely useful and have become an essential resource for maintaining the integrity of the domain name registration process and website ownership.
What does a website's WHOIS record contain?
A Whois record contains all the contact information associated with the person, group, or company registering a particular domain name.
In general, each Whois record contains information such as:
- the name and contact information of the registrant (who owns the domain);
- the name and contact information of the registrar (the organization or commercial entity that registered the domain name);
- registration dates;
- nameservers ;
- the last update and expiration date.
Whois records can also provide administrative and technical contact information (which are often, but not always, the domain name holder).
What are the benefits of the Whois protocol?
Over time, since the first version of Whois was implemented during the ARPANET era, the objectives and effective roles of this large database have evolved. They include:
- Strengthening internet stability and security by providing network operators, computer incident response teams, and internet service providers with appropriate contacts;
- Regulating the registration status of domain names ;
- Supporting law enforcement officers involved in national and international investigations;
- Assisting in combating abusive uses of information and communication technologies, including illegal acts and other acts motivated by racial discrimination, violence, hatred, xenophobia, and associated intolerance, all forms of child abuse, child pornography, pedophilia, human exploitation, and trafficking;
- Supporting investigations and measures necessary for brand authorization and helping uncover intellectual property infringements, theft, and misuse in accordance with international treaties and applicable national laws;
- Helping businesses and other users and organizations fight fraud and protect the public interest;
- Maintaining general user trust in the internet as an effective and reliable means of communication by helping users identify the entities or individuals responsible for online services and content;
- Tracking spam or malicious behavior;
- ...
For more information on the history of the Whois database over time, we prefer to redirect you to this WikiPedia entry.
Can we hide a website's Whois information?
It is important to note that, normally, there is no way to hide the existence of a domain registration since anyone can consult the Whois to confirm the status of a domain.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) indeed requires that the contact information of individuals who own and manage a domain name be made public via Whois directories. This includes mailing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Private registration to hide Whois information
owever, some domain registrars offer private registration services (also known as proxy services) in which the registrar's contact information is listed, rather than the registrant's.
With this "private registration", the organization providing the domain privacy service is the domain holder and contact. It is also important to note that even if domain privacy protection services are used, it does not necessarily guarantee true anonymity. Registrars may be legally required to disclose private information.
Specific cases of Whois information protection/disclosure
Some domain extensions, such as .us and .ca domains, even have some "reservations" regarding privacy.
In March 2005, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) stated that all .us domain owners would not have the option to make their information private, and that it must be made public.
This is also the case for extensions .in (India), .ch (Switzerland), .it (Italy), .au (Australia) where the law requires Whois information to be public.
Since June 2008, the Canadian Internet Registration Authority no longer publishes the details of domain holders associated with .ca domains. However, companies and organizations are still required to make their information public.
This is also the case for domain names in .eu (Europe), .fr (France), .de (Germany), .uk (United Kingdom), ... which are offered with default anonymity.
In any case, however, legal entities in each country have the ability to access Whois information of websites within their jurisdiction.
Why should you provide accurate information when purchasing domain names?
Domain name holders play a key role in ensuring the accuracy of WHOIS. As a domain name holder, you are required to provide accurate WHOIS contact information and maintain its accuracy throughout the duration of your registration.
When registering a domain name, you must provide accurate and reliable contact information to your registrar, promptly correct and update it in case of changes during the registration period. This obligation is part of your registration contract with the registrar.
If you knowingly provide false information or fail to update it promptly when changes occur, your domain name registration may be suspended or even canceled. This could also happen if you do not respond to inquiries from your registrar about the accuracy of your contact information.
Every year, your registrar is required to send you an annual reminder of your obligation to maintain accurate WHOIS contact information. Please carefully review the information provided by your registrar in this reminder and make any necessary corrections.
Whois protection: a good defense against cyber-attacks
ICANN generally requires that the mailing address, phone number, and email address of individuals who own or administer a domain name be made available to the public through "WHOIS" directories.
However, this policy may allow spammers, direct marketers, identity thieves, or other attackers to use the directory to obtain personal information about these individuals.
Although ICANN is working to modify the WHOIS protocol to allow for greater privacy protection, there is no consensus among key stakeholders on the type of change to be made. However, due to the private registration services offered by many registrars, some of the risk has been mitigated.
However, this still allows spammers, direct marketers, identity thieves, and other cybercriminals to hide behind anonymous domain registrations, making it difficult or even impossible to identify the perpetrators by their victims.
Whois case for .ma domain names
The ".ma" domain is administered and managed by the National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency since its redelegation by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in 2006.
ANRT is responsible for the administrative, technical, and commercial management of ".ma" domain names, in accordance with Law No. 24-96 on postal and telecommunications services of August 7, 1997, as amended and supplemented by Law No. 29-06 of April 17, 2007.
It should be noted that Whois information protection for a .ma domain name is not allowed by ANRT. This also applies to the extensions .co.ma, .net.ma,.org.ma,.ac.ma, .gov.ma and .press.ma.
Nindohost is an official accredited and approved provider by the ANRT. Check the official list of Moroccan registration providers.
