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Frequently asked questions

  • I am looking for a domain name registrant. Where can I look it up?

    The Whois is an easy-to-use tool for checking the availability of a .nl domain name. If the domain name is already taken, you can see who has registered it.

    On the page looking up a domain name you will find more information about what a domain name is, how the Whois works and how the privacy of personal data is protected. Alternatively, you can go straight to look for a domain name via the Whois.

  • I would like to transfer my domain name to another registrar. What is the procedure?

    To get your domain name transferred, you need the token (unique ID number) for your domain name. Your existing registrar has the token and is obliged to give it to you within five days, if you ask for it. The procedure for changing your registrar is described on the page transferring your domain name.

  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date. How can I get them updated?

    To update the contact details associated with your domain name, you need to contact your registrar. Read more about updating contact details.

  • Why is my domain name in quarantine?

    When a domain name is cancelled, we aren't told the reason, so we can't tell you. You'll need to ask your registrar. The advantage of quarantine is that, if a name's cancelled by mistake, you can always get it back.

    One common reason is that the contract between you and your registrar says you've got to renew the registration every year. If you haven't set up automatic renewal and you don't renew manually, the registration will expire.

  • Ik heb een klacht over mijn provider/registrar. Kan ik daarvoor bij SIDN terecht?

    Wanneer je een klacht hebt over of een geschil met je registrar dan zijn er verschillende mogelijkheden om tot een oplossing te komen. Hierover lees je meer op pagina klacht over registrar. SIDN heeft geen formele klachtenprocedure voor het behandelen van een klacht over jouw registrar.

  • What conditions do I have to meet as a registrar?

    Would you like to be able to register domain names for customers or for your own organisation by dealing directly with SIDN? If so, you can become a .nl registrar. Read more about the conditions and how to apply for registrar status on the page becoming a registrar.

More frequently asked questions

How worried should we be about rising cybercrime?

Business awareness is growing

Skull shape in a red digital environment
  • Friday 22 October 2021

Businesses are increasingly concerned about their cyber security. At the start of month, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce reported that one in five businesses suffer cyber-attacks each year. Just a couple of weeks later, the Public Prosecutor's Office released new figures showing that the number of prosecutions for phishing-related offences have almost doubled. And perhaps more alarming than any dry statistics is the steady stream of news reports about organisations hit by ransomware paying out tens of thousands to regain control of their systems and data. So, just how worried should we actually be by this trend?

Business awareness is growing

Early in 2020, we did a survey of cybersecurity awareness within the business community. Of our respondents, 22 per cent said that they had been targeted by a cyber-attack in the previous year. That finding was broadly confirmed by the recently released Chamber of Commerce data. However, the Chamber's figures suggest that awareness has increased considerably. In 2018, a mere 10 per cent of businesses reported seeing cybercrime as a threat, even though 19 per cent had been targeted in the previous year. The most recent survey found that 30 per cent now feel threatened, while the percentage targeted had only edged up to 22 per cent. So it looks as if the shortfall in awareness that existed before the pandemic has been wiped out.

Ransomware is a big factor

Changing perceptions appear to be driven by the rise of ransomware. Although it isn't the most common form of cybercrime, the deployment of ransomware has a huge impact on affected enterprises. Maastricht University and automotive manufacturers VDL serve as striking recent examples. News about such incidents seems to be making businesses sit up and take note. Including the smaller ones. And awareness of cyberthreats is growing across the board as a result.

Type of cyber crime

Percentage

Phishing

59.5

Spam

54.4

Malware/viruses

27.2

Hacking

21.8

Other

16.0

Ransomware

11.6

DDoS attack

6.0

Identity fraud

5.5

CEO fraud

0.5

Social engineering

0.2

Theft of IP/customer data

0.0

Defacing

0.0

Don't know

0.0

Table 1: percentage of businesses that in summer 2020 said they had been affected by cybercrime.

How do cyber scammers pick victims?

Coming to see cybercrime as a threat depends on understanding how internet crooks select their targets. Whereas traditional ('offline') criminals have tended to focus on businesses that handle valuable goods, cybercriminals are mainly interested in how well protected a business is in a technical sense. Is the software up-to-date? Is the website properly secured? No? Then there's a good chance that the company's other security provisions are wanting. Making that business worth targeting.

Don't be a target, be secure

Plenty of online services are available to help make your business more digitally secure. For example, take a look at veilig internetten's business page or visit internet.nl to check your support for open standards. However, the main thing recommended by experts in this field is staff training. Because, where cybersecurity is concerned, people are often the weakest link.