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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  • The details registered about me/my company are incorrect or out of date.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

Online security awareness improving in the Netherlands, but more progress needed

Findings of annual Alert Online cybersecurity survey published

Hands typing on desktop computer keyboard in a dark room
  • Wednesday 4 October 2023

Amongst Dutch consumers and businesspeople, interest in digital security and willingness to take related action continues to rise year on year. That's the central conclusion of Alert Online 2023, the annual cyber-awareness survey carried out for the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. However, we can't afford to relax, according to the Ministry's outgoing minister Micky Adriaansens. Greater vigilance and targeted action by consumers and businesses, supported by the government, are vital for doing business securely online.

Incidents not reported

As in 2022, three quarters of people in the Netherlands rate their own awareness of online risks such as phishing, hacking and malware 'reasonable' or 'good'. Nevertheless, more than two thirds of Dutch consumers and 59 per cent of workers don't report cyber-attacks or cybercrime to the police or an anti-abuse body. And, although the figure is down on 2022, 1 in 5 SMEs still don't do anything to keep themselves secure online.

Greater awareness

"It's good to see that an increasing number of people in the Netherlands are aware of cybersecurity risks," says outgoing minister Adriaansens. "The importance of things such as login security and keeping devices updated is better understood. And the government is committed to playing its part. For example, I've been working with my counterparts in other EU countries to develop the Cyber Resilience Act, which requires device manufacturers to meet stricter digital security standards. In other words, to assure security by design."

The 5 basic principles of doing business securely online

With the aim of helping businesses get the security fundamentals right, the Digital Trust Centre has defined 5 basic principles of doing business securely online. Enterprises that follow the principles are less vulnerable to cyber-threats that have the potential to disrupt business operations. The 5 principles are: identify vulnerabilities, use secure settings, update promptly, restrict access and guard against viruses and other malware.

Operational integration

"The importance of awareness can't be stressed often enough," adds the minister. "Once again, therefore, I'd like to urge everyone to report online threats. I would also urge all businesses to make digital security integral to their operations. And to make use of the support we're offering, such as the Digital Trust Centre's grant scheme, My Cyber-Resilient Business."

Phishing still the main threat encountered by Dutch internet users

Phishing remains the most common form of cybercrime that people in the Netherlands come up against, with 21 per cent of survey respondents saying they'd encountered it. Nearly all forms of cybercrime are familiar to a majority of the population. Only social engineering remains relatively unknown to the public. The term is applied to deceitful digital 'patter' aimed at eliciting personal or confidential information, such as a scammer posing as a helpdesk worker and trying to pique the curiosity of a target.

Businesses worry about data breaches

ICT managers at surveyed businesses say that their biggest worry is a data breach: 24 per cent of them labelled it a serious or very serious concern. The managers are also more concerned about online security than they used to be. Yet they are less likely to think that reporting incidents to the police or an anti-abuse body is worthwhile: 25 per cent say they see no point. One in three big businesses now deny staff access to some social media sites, in the interest of digital security.

Download the survey report

The full report on the 2023 Alert Online survey of nearly 1,100 ordinary members of the public and 1,000-plus ICT workers and managers from the business community is available to download from the national government's website. The survey was carried out by I&O Research for the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. Alert Online is a partner network that uses European Cybersecurity Month in October as a vehicle for promoting digital resilience and security for businesses, government bodies and consumers in the Netherlands. Across the Netherlands, the network partners organise a range of activities aimed at, for example, raising awareness.

Alert Online partner

As a long-time partner of Alert Online, SIDN is organising a range of activities during the campaign month of October:

SeniorWeb webinar

On 10 October, we delivered a webinar for SeniorWeb titled "Using websites and e-mail safely", explaining how cybercriminals operate and how to foil them. In partnership with SeniorWeb and the Fraud Help Desk, a series of real-life cases and examples were presented, demonstrating what to look out for, how to avoid falling victim, and what to do if abuse is detected.

Publications

In October, we're publishing the results of an SIDN Panel survey on the topic of phishing. Several articles highlighting phishing trends are also planned, drawing partly on the findings of the 2023 Alert Online survey. They're being published both using our own channels and through .nl registrars.

Promotion of internet standards

In the field of open standards, we'll continue promoting internet.nl, with particular emphasis on securing e-mail traffic by adopting relevant standards. The main target audience will be start-up businesses. We'll be reaching out to them at the Chamber of Commerce Start-ups Day on 4 November, and in a series of tailored social media posts in the week leading up to the event.