How to Prevent Domain Hijacking and Spoofing

Your domain name is your digital identity. It’s the front door to your website, your emails, and your entire online brand. But while you’re busy running your business, cybercriminals could be working just as hard—trying to take it all away from you. Two of the most silent yet destructive attacks are domain hijacking and domain spoofing. And most Nigerian businesses don’t even know they’re at risk until it’s too late.

It’s a scary thought: waking up one day to find your website down, your emails bouncing, and a phishing clone of your brand live on the internet. These aren’t sci-fi horror stories—they’re real-world cyberattacks happening every day across Africa’s growing digital landscape.

Why Nigerian Businesses Are Prime Targets

Nigeria is a rising digital economy. With more startups, fintech, and SMEs than ever before, Nigerian domains are increasingly attractive targets for hackers. Unfortunately, many local businesses are still operating without basic domain-level protections.

Cybercriminals know this. They exploit weak DNS configurations, outdated registrar settings, and neglected WHOIS data to take control or impersonate your domain—all without touching your servers.

At telaHosting, we believe your domain deserves as much protection as your bank account. That’s why we’ve built our platform not just for speed and performance—but with security at the core.

This article will teach you everything you need to know to prevent domain hijacking and spoofing. You’ll learn how these attacks work, how to spot them, and most importantly—how to stop them before they start.

Let’s begin by understanding the threats.

What is Domain Hijacking?

Domain hijacking is a malicious cyberattack where an unauthorized person gains control of your domain name—essentially stealing your digital identity. This isn’t just about hacking your website; it’s about taking over the ownership and management rights of your domain, allowing attackers to control how and where your web traffic and emails are directed.

Once hijackers have access to your domain, they can cause serious damage in just a few minutes. Here’s what they can do:

• Change your DNS records: They can redirect your domain to a fraudulent or malicious server, effectively taking your website offline or displaying deceptive content to your visitors.
• Redirect visitors to fake websites: Hijackers often clone your site and host a fake version elsewhere to harvest customer data, login credentials, or financial information.
• Shut down your site or emails: By altering or deleting DNS entries like A, MX, or TXT records, they can disrupt your entire digital operation, cutting off email communication and crashing your website.
• Sell or ransom your domain back to you: Once they gain control, attackers may demand money in exchange for returning your domain—or sell it on black market forums.

What makes domain hijacking particularly dangerous is that it doesn’t require a breach of your web server or application. Instead, attackers target your registrar account or DNS settings, which are often less protected. Many businesses unknowingly leave their domain vulnerable by using weak passwords, failing to lock their domain, or ignoring security alerts from their registrar.

Another layer of risk? Hijacking can be incredibly difficult to detect in its early stages. There’s often no immediate sign of intrusion until you start noticing traffic drops, emails bouncing, or complaints from users. And once the domain has been transferred or tampered with, recovery becomes a legal and technical nightmare—especially if the hijacker moves it to a registrar in another country.

That’s why prevention through strong domain management practices, registrar security features, and proactive monitoring is absolutely critical. At telaHosting, we equip our clients with tools like domain locking, DNSSEC, and WHOIS privacy protection to ensure their domains stay firmly under their control—where they belong.

Real-World Example and Consequences of Domain Hijacking

Imagine an online fashion brand in Lagos. Business is booming, and customers are ordering daily. One morning, the website is unreachable, customer complaints flood in, and worst of all—there’s a nearly identical fake site running under the same domain.

This isn’t just downtime. This is full-blown identity theft. Customers lose money, trust is broken, and recovery costs pile up.

Domain hijacking has cost companies millions globally and Nigerian businesses are increasingly on that list.

How Hijackers Gain Control of Your Domain

Domain hijackers are persistent and cunning. They exploit the weakest link in your domain management process, often combining technical skills with psychological manipulation to take over your digital assets. Understanding their tactics is the first step to protecting your domain.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how hijackers typically gain access to your domain:

1. Phishing Emails Targeting Registrar Credentials

Phishing remains one of the most effective tools in a cybercriminal’s arsenal. A hijacker might send an email that looks like it’s from your domain registrar—complete with a logo, branding, and urgent messaging such as: “Your domain will be suspended if you don’t verify your credentials immediately.”

These emails contain malicious links that lead you to fake login pages. Once you enter your username and password, attackers capture the data and use it to log into your actual registrar account.

This tactic works shockingly well, especially for small business owners unfamiliar with such threats.

2. Exploiting Weak or Reused Passwords

Hackers thrive on weak security hygiene. If you’re using simple passwords like password123 or yourbusinessname2025, you’re making their job easier. Worse yet, if you reuse the same login credentials across multiple platforms, one data breach anywhere else could expose your domain registrar credentials.

Once inside, attackers can change DNS records, update WHOIS info, or transfer the domain entirely before you even realize something is wrong.

3. Social Engineering Tricks on Registrar Support

Sometimes, hijackers don’t even need your password—they go straight to your registrar. Through social engineering, they impersonate you and trick customer support into handing over access.

This could involve:

• Calling the registrar and claiming to be a new IT administrator
• Faking official documents to request a domain transfer
• Creating a believable email trail to justify a DNS change

If your registrar lacks proper verification protocols, this tactic can succeed disturbingly often.

4. WHOIS Data Mining

WHOIS is a public database that stores contact information for domain owners. If your WHOIS data is exposed, hijackers can easily gather your name, phone number, email address, and sometimes even your physical address.

This information can then be used for:

• Phishing or spear-phishing attempts
• Social engineering attacks
• Identity impersonation in domain transfer requests

Many Nigerian business owners don’t realize that exposing WHOIS data puts them on a target list for domain hijackers.

5. Exploiting Expired Domains

One of the most common yet preventable methods of hijacking is simply waiting for your domain to expire. When a domain lapses, it typically goes through a short grace period. If not renewed, it’s released back into the market.

Cybercriminals often use automated bots to monitor expiring domains. The moment your domain becomes available, they snatch it up—especially if it has strong SEO value, existing web traffic, or brand recognition.

Recovering a domain once it’s been re-registered by a hijacker is an uphill battle that may involve legal action and international disputes.

What Hijackers Do the Moment They Take Over

Hijackers act fast. Once inside your domain registrar account, they usually:

• Enable domain lock and privacy protections to block your access
• Change admin emails and passwords to prevent recovery
• Redirect DNS to malicious sites or clone your website for phishing
• Sell the domain on black-market forums or demand a ransom in crypto

The longer it takes to notice the hijack, the more damage they can do.

How to Prevent Domain Hijacking

Domain hijacking can destroy your business overnight, but the good news is—it’s completely preventable. Below are proactive, easy-to-follow steps every business should take to lock down their domain and keep it safe from hijackers.

1. Register Your Domain with a Trusted Registrar Like telaHosting

Not all domain registrars are created equal. Some lack essential security features or support, leaving your domain vulnerable to unauthorized access.

At telaHosting, we offer:

• Built-in domain locking
• DNSSEC integration
• 24/7 Nigerian-based customer support
• Real-time domain monitoring

Choosing a reputable registrar like telaHosting means your domain is backed by world-class infrastructure and local expertise.

2. Use Strong, Unique Passwords and Two-Factor Authentication

The most common way hijackers gain access is through weak passwords. If your registrar or hosting account password is something like “admin123,” you’re practically inviting attackers in.

Best practices:

• Use long, complex passwords with a mix of characters.
• Never reuse passwords across multiple platforms.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra security layer.

At telaHosting, we support 2FA across all accounts, giving your domain an immediate shield against brute-force attacks.

3. Lock Your Domain with Registrar Lock

Domain locking (also called transfer lock or client lock) prevents unauthorized domain transfers. When enabled, it stops your domain from being moved to another registrar without your explicit permission. This is a simple yet highly effective defense against domain hijacking.

With telaHosting, domain locking is enabled by default—but we always recommend checking regularly to ensure it remains active.

4. Keep WHOIS Information Private and Updated

Your WHOIS data contains your domain’s contact details—name, phone number, email, and more. If this information is public, hijackers can use it to impersonate you or launch social engineering attacks.

What you should do:

• Use WHOIS privacy protection (included with telaHosting domains).
• Keep your contact details up to date so your registrar can reach you in an emergency.
• Avoid using personal or company emails that are easy to guess (like [email protected]) for WHOIS listings.

5. Monitor DNS Changes Regularly

Set aside time each week to check your DNS records. Look for any unauthorized changes to:

• A records (website IP address)
• MX records (mail servers)
• TXT records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• NS records (name servers)

With telaHosting, you can access your DNS management dashboard any time and view recent activity logs. Any changes should be reviewed immediately.

6. Set Domain Renewal Alerts and Enable Auto-Renew

Letting your domain expire—even by a day—opens the door to domain hijackers. Some attackers use bots to automatically register expired domains, especially those tied to active businesses.

Here’s how to avoid that:

• Turn on auto-renewal through your registrar.
• Set calendar reminders a month before your domain expires.
• Use a credit card that won’t expire soon for billing.

telaHosting sends multiple reminders and enables auto-renew by default, so you never have to worry about accidental expiration.

What is Domain Spoofing?

Domain spoofing is when attackers pretend to be your domain to deceive customers, partners, or internal employees. Unlike hijacking, they don’t take your domain—they create a nearly identical one or send fake emails that look like they came from you.

Examples of spoofing include:

Spoofing can appear in several forms:

• Emails from fake addresses like [email protected] (notice the “0” instead of “o”)
• Fake login pages designed to mimic your real website and steal credentials
• Clone sites with similar designs and URLs like com.ng vs. telahosting.ng
• Emails sent from your domain using unprotected DNS records—making it appear that a message came from your real brand

These attacks are subtle and often go unnoticed until someone has already been scammed.

Email Spoofing vs. Website Spoofing

Though both forms of spoofing involve impersonation, they happen in different ways and impact users differently.

Email Spoofing

Email spoofing occurs when attackers forge the “From” address in emails to make it appear as though it’s coming from your domain. They might send phishing emails, fake invoices, or malicious links using an address like [email protected].

Because these emails look authentic, recipients are more likely to trust and act on them, making this one of the most dangerous forms of spoofing—especially if you rely on email for customer support or business operations.

Without SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protections in place, attackers can send spoofed emails on behalf of your domain without your knowledge.

Website Spoofing

Website spoofing is when cybercriminals create a fake version of your website, usually under a similar domain name. These fake sites look identical to your real site and are often used to:

• Steal login credentials via fake login forms
• Collect sensitive customer data like credit card info
• Distribute malware
• Ruin your reputation with false content

They trick users by exploiting typos, misreading domain names, or using shortened URLs to mask the real web address.

How Spoofing Can Destroy Your Reputation

Spoofing doesn’t just target your customers—it damages your brand, your credibility, and your business relationships.

Here’s how:

• Loss of Trust: Once a customer or partner falls victim to a scam using your brand, they may never trust you again—even if you weren’t responsible.
• Financial Losses: Spoofing scams can lead to fraudulent transactions, lost sales, and legal consequences.
• Legal Liability: If a spoofed email or website leads to a data breach or scam, you may be held accountable for not having basic domain protections in place.
• Partnership Disruptions: Banks, payment processors, and international platforms may suspend your services if spoofing leads to fraud or security violations.
• Reputation Damage: News spreads fast, especially on social media. One spoofed message or fake site could make headlines—and not the good kind.

Spoofing attacks are particularly dangerous because they happen outside of your direct control. That’s why prevention and monitoring are critical.

How to Prevent Domain Spoofing

Spoofing attacks can make customers think they’re interacting with your brand—when they’re actually engaging with scammers. Luckily, there are DNS-level email authentication tools that stop these attacks in their tracks.

Let’s look at the big three: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.

1. Set Up SPF (Sender Policy Framework) Records

SPF is a TXT record that lists all the mail servers authorized to send emails on behalf of your domain. If an email comes from an unlisted server, it fails SPF validation.

Example SPF record: v=spf1 include:mailgun.org include:_spf.google.com ~all

This helps prevent spammers from forging your domain when sending emails.

telaHosting provides pre-configured SPF templates for common email providers and can guide you through the setup in minutes.

2. Implement DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)

DKIM adds a cryptographic signature to every email sent from your domain. This signature is verified by the recipient’s mail server using a public key stored in your DNS.

What it does:

• Confirms the email content hasn’t been altered
• Proves the email is from your domain
• Enhances email trustworthiness

DKIM is supported by most email platforms, and telaHosting can help you generate and publish the correct DNS records.

3. Enforce DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)

DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM to define what to do when an email fails authentication—reject, quarantine, or allow.

It also lets you receive reports on who is sending emails from your domain (legit or fake). Example DMARC policy: v=DMARC1; p=reject; rua=mailto:[email protected]; aspf=s;

With a properly configured DMARC policy, you can:

• Stop email spoofing entirely
• Gain visibility into potential threats
• Protect your domain reputation

4. Secure Your DNS with DNSSEC

DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) ensures that DNS data (like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records) is authentic and unaltered. Without DNSSEC, attackers could forge DNS records and bypass all the above protections.

With DNSSEC:

• DNS queries are cryptographically signed
• Resolvers can validate responses before accepting them
• Spoofing becomes virtually impossible

telaHosting offers one-click DNSSEC activation for all domains, and our support team will help you validate it step by step.

Key Signs Your Domain Has Been Hijacked or Spoofed

How do you know if your domain is under attack? Here are some red flags to watch for:

1. Sudden Website Redirects

If users report that your website is redirecting to unknown or inappropriate content, it could mean your DNS records were changed without your consent. Or

If customers report emails asking for strange requests, payments, or login details—especially when you didn’t send them—it’s a sign your domain may be spoofed.

Check the “From” field and the actual sending domain to identify discrepancies.

2. Emails Not Reaching Clients or Staff

Unexpected bounce-backs or failed email deliveries may suggest MX records were altered. If your domain is hijacked or spoofed, attackers may be rerouting your emails—or sending fraudulent ones.

3. DNS or WHOIS Changes You Didn’t Approve

If your WHOIS contact details or DNS settings change without your knowledge, act immediately. It may mean your domain credentials were compromised or someone is preparing to hijack or spoof your domain.

4. SEO or Ad Account Alerts

Some spoofing campaigns use your brand in search ads or phishing campaigns. Google Ads and Meta Business Manager may flag suspicious domains linked to your name—watch for those warnings.

5. Traffic Drops or Conversion Issues

Spoofing can draw traffic away from your real site. If your web traffic drops unexpectedly or you notice fewer conversions, it could mean your customers are unknowingly visiting a spoofed site.

Best Practices for Ongoing Domain Security

Preventing domain hijacking and spoofing isn’t a one-time task—it’s a continuous process that evolves as threats become more sophisticated. The good news is, with the right practices and habits, you can keep your domain safe and secure over the long term.

1. Educate Your Team on Phishing and Social Engineering

One of the easiest ways for attackers to hijack a domain or spoof your brand is through human error. If a team member clicks a malicious link or provides login credentials in a phishing email, your entire domain could be at risk.

Protect your organization by:

• Training employees to recognize phishing emails
• Creating a company policy to never share registrar or hosting login details via email
• Conducting periodic internal phishing simulations

At telaHosting, we encourage businesses to treat cybersecurity awareness like any other vital business skill—because it is.

2. Limit Access to Domain and DNS Settings

The fewer people who have access to your domain’s backend, the lower your risk of unauthorized changes. Many breaches occur due to internal mistakes or compromised staff accounts.

Best practices include:

• Giving DNS access only to IT personnel or trusted developers
• Using role-based access controls (RBAC) where possible
• Immediately removing access when a staff member leaves

telaHosting’s control panel allows you to manage user permissions easily, giving you full control over who can access what.

3. Review Domain Activity Logs Regularly

Your domain’s activity log is a powerful security tool that’s often ignored. Reviewing changes can help you spot suspicious behavior early, like unauthorized login attempts or DNS edits.

What to look for:

• Login attempts from unfamiliar IP addresses
• DNS records being added or removed unexpectedly
• WHOIS data updates you didn’t approve

With telaHosting, you have access to audit logs and alert features, so you’re always in the know.

4. Keep All Email and Web Hosting Platforms Secure

Even if your domain is safe, weak links in your hosting or email setup can lead to spoofing or data theft.

To stay secure:

• Always use reputable email services with built-in spam and spoofing protection
• Keep your CMS (like WordPress) and plugins updated
• Install SSL certificates for all domains and subdomains
• Use firewalls and malware scanners on your hosting environment

All telaHosting plans include SSL certificates, malware scanning, and server-level security to give your domain and hosting environment 360-degree protection.

What to Do If Your Domain Gets Hijacked or Spoofed

Sometimes, despite best efforts, things go wrong. If your domain is hijacked or spoofed, immediate action is crucial.

If you suspect hijacking or spoofing:

• Log into your registrar account immediately
• Change all login credentials
• Enable domain lock and 2FA
• Check DNS records for unauthorized changes
• Restore your correct records from backups

If you’re hosted with telaHosting, our emergency response team can assist you step-by-step in regaining control.

Report Hijacking to Authorities 

For serious cases, report the incident to:

• ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
• NITDA (National Information Technology Development Agency)
• Your registrar’s abuse department (we respond in less than 24 hours)

Keep logs, email headers, and DNS data as evidence. We can guide you through the full process.

Conclusion

Domain hijacking and spoofing are real, growing threats that can devastate your business if ignored. But with the right knowledge and a few smart configurations, you can block attackers at the gate.

At telaHosting, we’re more than a hosting provider—we’re your digital security partner. From DNSSEC and registrar locks to SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and WHOIS privacy, we give your businesses the tools they need to stay protected in an increasingly dangerous digital world.

Secure your domain today. Sleep easier tomorrow.

FAQs

1. Can a hijacked domain be recovered?

Yes, but time is critical. Contact your registrar and hosting provider immediately. If your domain is with telaHosting, we’ll guide you through the recovery process and escalate to the appropriate registry if necessary.

2. How do I know if someone is spoofing my domain?

Look for signs like bounce-back emails you didn’t send, phishing complaints from customers, or fake versions of your website. You can also monitor your DMARC reports for unauthorized senders.

3. Does DNSSEC stop hijacking and spoofing?

DNSSEC helps prevent DNS-based hijacking and spoofing by signing your DNS records. While it doesn’t replace email security, it plays a critical role in domain-level protection.

4. What is the best way to lock my domain?

Use your registrar’s domain lock or client transfer lock feature. This stops unauthorized domain transfers. telaHosting enables this by default on all domain registrations.

5. Will domain privacy help protect me from hijackers?

Yes. WHOIS privacy protection hides your contact info from public databases, making it harder for attackers to target you with social engineering or phishing scams. Bottom of Form.