Advice Archives - Page 3 of 5 - Enom BlogEnom Blog |

Boost your account security in three simple steps

July 6, 2017

We seem to only talk about account security in the aftermath of an attack or breach. It feels like the worst possible time to do so, as it’s reactive, and begs the question, “why weren’t these preventive efforts made earlier?”. Nothing bad has happened this time (we hope it will continue this way) but in the interest of being proactive, we’re here with a reminder of the features and best practices you can take advantage of to ensure your Enom account is as secure as it can be. Here are some ideas you can adopt today.

Adopt stronger password management techniques

This is the obvious starting point for this conversation. It’s 2017, and we still see poor password management and hygiene. At a minimum, we recommend updating your password once every six months. The more often, the better. While frequent resets are important, the strength of the password you choose is crucial to maintaining a high level of security. Here are some tips:

The longer, the better
Mix uppercase and lowercase, numbers and special characters
Don’t make it predictable. Your pet’s name is not a secure password
Never use the same password for multiple accounts
Consider using password management software such as 1Password (paid) or LastPass (free)

If you don’t remember the last time you reset your password, take a moment to do so now.

Enable two-factor authentication for your account

Two-factor authentication adds another layer of protection against unauthorized access to your account. With two-factor authentication enabled, a secondary method of identity verification, in addition to your password, is required to access your account. This comes in the form of a one-time security code, generated by a trusted app on your smartphone.

It takes just a few minutes to download the app and enable the feature on your account.

Use API tokens in place of passwords in your API calls

By using API tokens instead of passwords, you can grant API access to multiple users, without sharing your account password. There are other benefits of implementing this practice. It allows you to:

instantly revoke an API Token if there’s ever an issue
update your account password frequently without the risk of breaking API connections that may be using outdated credentials

The best part? Setup is simple.

So there you have it, three simple steps you can take to immediately boost the security of your Enom account, in just a few minutes. One final quick tip: you can apply many of these best practices to your other online accounts, including banking and social media. It’s an important first step in protecting yourself, and your company online.

Migration to a new email platform

April 12, 2017

Advice, Announcement, Resellers

1

We’ve always aimed to provide our users with an email service that is not only straightforward and functional, but also customizable to their needs. With this in mind, we’ve made the decision to switch to a new email platform. It’s a feature-packed solution that boasts an easy-to-use interface and an impressive array of functionalities.

Change can be scary, but rest assured, we are committed to making the transition as smooth as possible. Let’s start by reviewing some important information:

When is this migration happening?

The migration will be taking place on June 19, 2017.

Should I prepare for the switch?

Yes, but we’re here to help. We’ve created a number of resources to help prepare you for the transition and will continually update them as the date of migration approaches.

Read our comprehensive how-to guide

Designed to get you familiar with the new email system, this guide provides further details about the various features, and will equip you to take full advantage of all the new platform has to offer. For resellers using the Enom API, nothing will change.

What happens to my pricing?

This migration will not affect your current pricing. All pricing packages will remain the same.

What’s new?

The new email platform includes some exciting improvements and completely new features. You can check out all the details in our comprehensive guide.

A brand new look and feel: Easy-to-use, modern looking, and intuitive.
Mobile sync for calendar and address book: Mobile-desktop sync supported.
Conversation threads: Conversations can now be grouped together. The option to display conversations as lists or threads is available.
Cloud storage for files: A “Dropbox-esque” way to manage your files. Upload, share, password protect and set an expiry date for links.
RSS reader: Stay up-to-date by subscribing to RSS feeds.
A better HTML editor: Even more options to format your messages.
Identity management with HTML supported signatures: Manage multiple profiles and create HTML signatures for each.
Extensive address book fields: Keep your contacts organized with more fields.
A much faster experience: The new webmail is faster, more reliable and efficient than ever before.
Customizable inbox layout: Reorder headings (subject, recipient, date, etc.) to display your emails in whatever arrangement is most useful to you.

Update your DNS for our hosting service

March 13, 2017

Advice, Announcement, DNS, Resellers

3

On April 13th, 2017, we will be performing changes to our infrastructure that will affect your hosting account. We have recently sent an email, outlining your account details as well as new IP addresses for your use. If you have not received the email, please contact customercare@enom.com to retrieve the details.

What you need to know

A series of IP addresses for the server which your hosting account is associated with, will be changing that will require you to update your DNS. If you are using a third-party DNS to point to your website, you will need to configure the zone records for the domains hosted on that server. If your domains are with us and are using our DNS, there’s no action required on your part. We will take care of the changes for you. There will be no downtime during this period, and we strongly encourage you to make the changes before the April 13th, 2017 to avoid any service interruptions.

Please note: If you require support on configuring your DNS, please refer to your third-party DNS provider.

Browsing safely outside of trusted websites

November 30, 2016

Advice, SSL

13

Are you browsing safely outside of your trusted circle of websites

You may have heard that Google announced a new security feature being added to Gmail: Going forward, Gmail will flag emails being sent to its users from “unauthenticated” senders, essentially those that cannot be guaranteed to come from a legitimate source. These changes ought to cut down the risk of phishing attacks, keeping users from opening malicious attachments or clicking dangerous links. But it does beg the question: How do you know if you’re browsing safely when you’re outside of your Gmail account?

There is a laundry list of precautions you should be taking when online, most of which are fairly common sense: protecting your device and network with a strong password, keeping your system and anti-malware software up to date, and not giving out personal or financial information whenever possible. In general, sticking to trusted websites by reputable operators, should keep you safe most of the time.

But we all have to navigate to new, unknown websites from time to time. In these cases, you might need to go the extra distance to confirm that you’re browsing safely. Clicking on the appropriate icon in your browser bar will bring up a prompt containing the website’s security certificates. This assures you that sensitive information, like passwords or credit card numbers, are securely transmitted between yourself and the site.

For website operators, setting up these security verifications requires an SSL certificate for the appropriate domain name. Certain certificates, such as the GeoTrust RapidSSL Wildcard, also protect an unlimited number of subdomains, so your homepage, blog, eCommerce storefront, can all be protected at once. It only takes one hack or cyberattack to ruin a brand’s reputation online, so don’t leave your website vulnerable when simple precautions like SSL certificates are available.

When we browse online, we usually expect everything to “just work,” which includes keeping our data and personal information secure and private. That doesn’t mean you should be complacent; that’s exactly the attitude cybercriminals will take advantage of. Double-check that sites you visit have their security certificates up to date (and set up SSL certificates for your own websites) so you can rest a little easier as you head online.

Preparing your business for the next internet outage

October 28, 2016

Advice, DNS, SSL

6

Is your business prepared for the next internet outage?

October 21st, 2016 was a frustrating day for many internet users as a coordinated attack on the Domain Name System (DNS) provider Dyn caused major platforms like Twitter, Netflix, and Reddit to go down for much of the day. The complaints raised that morning (and the conspicuous lack of complaints on the affected social networks) were what made the headlines, but in the aftermath, cybersecurity experts started piecing together what happened. The suspected source of the attack was actually millions of sources: household appliances and other internet-connected devices that had been infected by the Mirai strain of malware.

Businesses that relied on these platforms to interact with their customers were either slowed, or stopped entirely during the outage. Imagine how many pre-existing customer issues being handled over Twitter were exacerbated when the cyberattack occurred. This is perhaps the first lesson to be learned: Diversify your web presence across several social networks, and better yet, have a dedicated domain and website that you can update easily. No one social network is ultimately immune from massive cyberattacks, but spreading your communication across several channels helps to ensure that you aren’t entirely cut-off in a crisis.

While there’s little you can do alone to prevent massive cyberattacks, over the long term, you can and should be protecting yourself and your customers. The appliances and devices used in the October 21st attacks are considered “easy targets” by hackers, but there’s no reason that your own customers should be exposed to the same risks. One of the first things you ought to be doing is adding an SSL certificate to your domain to make sure traffic to your website is kept private and safe. GeoTrust’s True BusinessID with EV is a popular option with businesses because it not only keeps visitors safe from malware and data breaches, but makes sure they know they are safe when conducting business on your website.

The October 21st outages shouldn’t be thought of as outliers. With countless household appliances and devices now connected to the internet, cybercriminals have more resources than ever to launch attacks on websites and online service providers. Taking the precautions outlined above will give you more options to keep in touch with your customers when the next emergency hits.

Advice
Category

Boost your account security in three simple steps

Adopt stronger password management techniques

Enable two-factor authentication for your account

Use API tokens in place of passwords in your API calls