Nominet, the .uk domain name registry has just announced to its members that domain name lock for .uk domain names is now available for a fee of £75 per domain, per year. Given that it cost about £2.50 a year to register a .uk domain name, the cost of applying the lock seems rather astronomical.
The domain lock option is said to be available to all .uk domain names but the take up is expected to be for locking high-value domain names.
A domain with the new locking is applied to, is said to be protected against Domain Name System (DNS) hijacking.
Explaining what DNS hijacking is Nominet’s website has this to say:
DNS hijacking occurs when an attacker gains unauthorised access to the DNS system and modifies registration data for malicious purposes – for example, by redirecting traffic to a different website that could display objectionable material or be used for phishing.
I think this is a fantastic additional layer of security to .uk domain names, but I have serious problem with the cost. The same service comes free of charge with all .com/net/org domain extension. Even if Nominet cannot make this service available free of charge, £75 (wholesale price) is rather expensive.