IT basics
Domain names and DNS, explained
Your web address and email address both end in your domain name. A small set of settings attached to it quietly keeps your business reachable.
1 min readExplainer
The short version
Your domain name is your business's address on the internet. DNS is the directory that tells the world where your email and website live.
The domain name
Your domain, such as yourbusiness.com, is rented year by year from a registrar. Whoever controls the registrar account controls the domain. If the registration lapses, your email and website can stop working, and someone else may buy the name.
DNS: the directory
DNS (the Domain Name System) is a set of records for your domain that tells the internet where things are:
- Website records point visitors to the server that hosts your site.
- Mail records tell other email systems where to deliver mail for your business, such as Microsoft 365.
- Verification records prove to services like Microsoft that you own the domain.
- Email security records that stop criminals sending mail as you. (Read more.)
Why it matters
A wrong DNS change can take email or your website offline in minutes. A hijacked registrar account lets an attacker redirect your email to themselves. These settings are rarely looked at, which is exactly why they should be protected.
What to check
- Who has the registrar login, and is it in the business’s name?
- Is multi-factor authentication on?
- Is auto-renew turned on, with a current payment card?
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