Security Risks in GoDaddy Total DNS Control

Web server authentication is an essential element of an organization's trust strategy for e-business. By reliably authenticating web servers to visiting browsers, SSL server certificates help build that trust.

Until recently, GoDaddy, the world's largest ICANN-accredited domain registrar, have been found a security risk in there Total DNS Control panel. GoDaddy Total DNS Control allows user to perform advanced DNS functions, such as changing zone records. But the  latest revision of TDNS is not safe, because they even the use of http access to the Total DNS Control, This is really terrible. As we know http(Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is extremely unsafe. The others can use Sniffer to intercept, view and analyze all of the HTTP traffic between a web browser or any program that uses the HTTP protocol and the web server. Given these factors, many organizations would prefer to manage web server authentication with the RSA Web Server SSL technology application.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a combination of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol and a network security protocol.HTTPS has also been known as "Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer"(SSL). An SSL Certificate enables encryption of sensitive information during online transactions. Each SSL Certificate contains unique, authenticated information about the certificate owner. A Certificate Authority verifies the identity of the certificate owner when it is issued.

To fix that security risks in GoDaddy, remember: If you use GoDaddy's Total DNS Control Panel, do not click on the original link to "Total DNS Control and MX Records", that link is unsafe http protocol. To invoke HTTPS, replaces "http://" with "https://" in the Web address. The link is such like this:

https://tdns.secureserver.net/?domain=YourDomainName&prog_id=GoDaddy&type=1

GoDaddy and SourceForge Blocked in China Again

GoDaddy, the world's largest ICANN-accredited domain registrar, and SourceForge, the world's largest development and download repository of Open Source code and applications, appears to blocked in Mainland China again after Beijing 2008 Olympic Games closed.

A screen copy of the command tracert shows that the problem is a router inside China Telecom.

Update: SourceForge unblocked on Nov 2 2008, GoDaddy unblocked on Nov 10 2008.

Godaddy Promo Code Expired

Today when I purchase of domain names in GoDaddy, I found that the Godaddy Promo Codes of 6.95 $ discount code have been expired, I can not continue to use the 6.95 coupons code. While I input that code, it will become $ 7.49 U.S. dollars, an increase of 0.5 U.S. dollars, I tested the four promo codes, all become 7.49 U.S. dollars. Do not know why, probably GoDaddy want the customers to spend more money to buy the domain name, the U.S. economic downturn, ah.

Godaddy Promo Codes and Coupons List

Smart domain name buyers always use a promo code or coupon code to get the best discounts. GoDaddy.com is the most popular domain name registrar in the world, here is a list of active Godaddy promo codes with their expiry date which will surely work. Keep referring this page when you buy a domain name the next time. Visit GoDaddy.com and enter these promo codes in your shopping cart and update to see the discount.

OYH3 - $3 off / $6.95 any .COM (renewals too... just used it)

BTPS7 - 20% any order of $50 or more

BTPS255 - 25% off any order of $100 or more

OYH1 - 10% off whatever

OYH2 - $5 off a $30 purchase

BTPS50 - 50% off .co.uk domains

BTPS4 - 10% off anything

chill1 - 10% off

chill2 - $5 off $30

chill3 - $6.95 .coms

hash1 - 10% off

hash2 - $5 off $30

hash3 - $6.95 .com registration

gdd1101c - 10% off any order of $40 or more

GoDaddy Unblocked in China

After a week hiatus, GoDaddy, the world's largest domain name host, is back online in China.

According to my early report, GoDaddy.com was blocked during the Olympics to prevent Chinese nationals from registering domain names after the names of Chinese athletes who won (Gold, Silver or Bronze) in the Olympics. The Chinese government has a policy of protecting famous names from being registered and allows only the owner the right to register it as his/her domain name.

Since GoDaddy has suspend lots of Chinese human rights sites without warning last year, Isaac Mao think GoDaddy "It deserved! No tears" -- The hidden rules in China will change all the time. Just like Godaddy's case, any cases can become your nightmare whether it's an event, a people's name, or a domain name. And the worst thing you can never recover is that you lost the support from users.  There's only one government one business can please today or tomorrow, but there are millions of users one can't be fooled.

GoDaddy Blocked in China

GoDaddy, the largest ICANN-accredited domain registrar in the world, appears to blocked in Mainland China by the evil Net Nanny before the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games came to a close. A screen copy of the command "tracert www.godaddy.com" shows that the problem is a router inside China Telecom.

The current blocking may be related to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. China's sport authority has banned the issuing of Internet domain names based on the country's Olympic gold medal-winning athletes to anyone but the medalists themselves,  according to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC). The General Administration of Sport (GAS) provided the CNNIC with a full list of China's Olympic team prior to the Games opening on Aug. 8, and had registered all available domain names for athletes in Chinese characters and in Pinyin. Those who had already registered before the GAS order could not keep the the domain names any more, they were forced to give it to the medalist "as a gift".



The person that already had domain name hold up to now abandons a domain name of player of Olympic Games of China. If they donot want to abandon the domain, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) will force to retrieve the domain. But if the domain name is register outside China, such as in GoDaddy.com, the CNNIC can not retrieve that domain.

Now the currently largest Internet domain registrar in the world is blocking in China, the most likely explanation is, CNNIC do not want any Chinese hold a domain name of country's Olympic gold medal-winning athletes by blocking GoDaddy registrar. When the people in China can not visit GoDaddy and register domain outside China, so CNNIC can protect the domain names more easy.

GoDaddy has come under heavy criticism for suspending Chinese human rights sites without warning on August 17, 2007.