Hiding whois information

SquirrelOfDoom · #1 (**permalink**) 15-10-09, 07:44 PM

Hi,

I've got a cPanel shared hosting account, and the domain registered for me has my personal contact details on the whois record. Can I get these hidden? And can I do it myself through cPanel / account management?

Thought I'd ask this in forums, because a search didn't turn anything up. Opted for security forum because I consider hiding my contact details a security issue.

Thanks

kkOr4b · #2 (**permalink**) 15-10-09, 07:50 PM

Ok man i can't post the link because i can broke any forum rules to post the link of other site here and do SPAM but you can search at google machine Google with this term.

How do I hide my personal information in the domain name WHOIS details?

And the first result of search will be that for what you're looking for.

Best regards from kkOr4b

SquirrelOfDoom · #3 (**permalink**) 15-10-09, 08:03 PM

Tried googling, found various pay services, which wasn't what I was after. Experimented a bit, and found a solution.

Hopefully someone at Web Hosting UK can confirm I'm allowed to do this, but the following seems to have worked for me:

1. Log in to main account @ web hosting uk (NOT cPanel account)
2. Go to domain tabs and click icon at far right after the domain name(s)
3. Delete all the contact information, and update

This populates default values, which are UK Web Hosting contact details - should be all any legitimate whois use needs. Checked my domain with whois, and the update was done.

Of course, my details have probably ended up in a whois cache by now, but I've done what I can. It would be nice if personal details weren't populated by default

**Dan** · #4 (**permalink**) 15-10-09, 08:41 PM

By law companies are required to list their information in the WHOIS records, however personal websites aren't required to do this.

Hexosphere · #5 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan

By law companies are required to list their information in the WHOIS records, however personal websites aren't required to do this.

As Dan says, they have to provide them as part of law. Though it would be nice to see something that allows companies to decide how to handle it. ie Given WHUK's standing on the internet, they already have a huge customer base, with many accounts for which they already hold the personal data for. If they had the option, at register time to choose that those details were populated by their own contact details, rather than the personal information provided by the client, it would be great. Though given the response from SquirrelOfDoom (related to FoamyTheSquirrel per chance lol), it seems as though they do have the option of using generic details, just by clearing your own details, so it would appear it's more of a billing area pass-thru of the details when registering the domain.

Christine · #6 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 10:43 AM

Perhaps Admin could help Me with this also, as it does give Me concerns that My home address is open for all to see on the Whois, could someone from admin deal with this for Me, as My forum is a personal website and not a business one, could it apply to Me?, I wouldn't want to break any laws.

Christine · #7 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 11:15 AM

Further to My last post, the record even shows My personal email address and My home personal phone number, this in mind I have spoken to BT and they have changed My home phone for Me urgently, but the email will need to stand as it is, at least for now.

**Dan** · #8 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 11:26 AM

Hi Christine,

Please contact WHUK support. They will assist you with marking your whois information as Individual rather than corporate.

Christine · #9 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 11:34 AM

Thank you Dan,

I will do that right now, as I can see big personal security issues regarding identity theft and other problems with WHUK and BT as all My accounts use the BT email address.

Christine · #10 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 04:20 PM

Well I got in touch with support, it seems that I will have to have the ID Protection, though I have had no reply to My request as yet.

I can't change My XX email addresses as I have domains on them, I can set up more but I have seven as it is, but the good thing is that I have been able to go to the XX domain service NXXXXXT and set My personal details as private, I don't think that option is available with WHUK domain, the main thing that does worry Me is having My home address and My home phone number on line for anyone to steal My identity, so I have no idea where I stand in the eyes of the law, if My identity was stolen and used to make purchases, as they were open on line would it be classed as My fault?.

**Dan** · #11 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 04:29 PM

I'm positive that people's fault is irrelevant if your identity was to be stolen. You don't need to filter BT and Nominet Chrisine, they are allowed on WHUK forums.

I have never owned a domain with WHUK so I can't honestly say how it works on the billing area, but with other providers, there is usually an option for business type such as

- UK Individual
- UK Partnership
- UK Sole Trader

etc. Modification of these will hide the WHOIS results.

Christine · #12 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 04:44 PM

The NOMINET is similar.

So what does the ID protection do, does it do the same?.

**Dan** · #13 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 04:57 PM

ID protection, from what I understand, is for businesses. A company will hold your details incase of any legal incidents, and you change your address to theirs.

When you ommit your address from the results, it will show the following where your address was.

"Registrant's address:
The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their
address omitted from the WHOIS service."

MrTWS · #14 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Christine

Thank you Dan,

I will do that right now, as I can see big personal security issues regarding identity theft and other problems with WHUK and BT as all My accounts use the BT email address.

Hi Christine
To be cautious is better but it will be always hard to hide some details about yourself, especially if you do actually have websites, and/or access the internet. I'm sure WHUK can help you amend the whois information to help you, but remember that identity theft needs a lot more than the information you have there, and if you are really concerned, I'd suggest signing up for Credit Card Protection which is fairly good and gives you some degree of protection

Just to help you with and put things in perspective:

Your credit report is one of the best indicators to determine whether identity fraud has been committed against you. Checking your credit report on a regular basis will show you when and where credit has been taken out in your name. Consider checking your credit report on a regular basis. Through CPP you can access your live credit report online at any time or, choose to receive four paper-based credit reports over 12 months

Internet fraudsters often pose as banks to obtain your details so don’t reply to suspicious-looking e-mails. The fraudsters urge the recipient to click on a link to a website and asked to validate their personal security information by re-entering the details, thereby providing the fraudster with access to accounts and their contents

I hope this helps

Christine · #15 (**permalink**) 16-10-09, 05:52 PM

Thanks Mr TWS,

oops I gave the wrong impression in the post, I must put that right, what I meant was the Domains that I have with WHUK and with BT, the fact that the personal details were open to view on both, no ones fault other than MY OWN, I should have looked into what would be showing, and then changed things appropriately so that they were hidden, it's OK now that I know what to look for.

Thanks for the info though it's a good thing to be reminded of, I think that we all need these sort of reminders from time to time, so we don't get caught out.