Tips

Domain Night Watch

Your domains, watched while you sleep. Open Domain Night Watch

• How do I monitor my domain for DNS changes?
  Watching a domain means checking its name servers, mail servers and email records on a schedule and noticing differences. What to watch and how often.
• How do I get an alert before my SSL certificate expires?
  Expiry reminders from the certificate provider can go astray. A check from the outside, with alerts at set days, is more dependable.
• How do I get a reminder before my domain expires?
  A domain registration needs renewing. Alerts at 60, 30, 14, 7 and 1 days before the end give you several chances to act.
• What should I monitor on my domain?
  Six things change quietly and cause real trouble: name servers, mail servers, SPF, DMARC, the certificate and the registration date.
• Why did my domain's name servers change?
  Name servers change on purpose when you switch DNS provider, and sometimes by mistake or by someone else. How to tell the difference.
• Email stopped arriving: how to check your MX records
  When email to your domain stops, the MX records are the first thing to check. What to look for and the usual causes.
• How do I know if my DMARC record was removed?
  A removed or changed DMARC record weakens email protection without any visible sign. How to spot it and why a regular check helps.
• How do I know if my SPF record changed?
  An SPF record can change when a service is added or removed. A change you did not make can send your email to spam.
• How often should a domain's DNS be checked?
  A check every few hours finds a change the same day. Why the interval matters, and why a check on every minute is not needed.
• Domain hijacking: warning signs worth knowing
  Unexpected name server changes, registrar emails you did not request and a lapsed registration are signs worth a quick look.
• Why a first domain check only records the starting state
  A change can only be spotted against something. The first check of a domain stores a baseline, so later alerts mean real differences.
• Should a domain alert wake you up at night?
  Most domain changes can wait until morning. A few cannot: serious ones should come through at any hour. Where to draw the line.
• How do I watch several domains in one place?
  With several domains, a single list of the same checks is easier than separate ones. What to put in it and how to read the result.
• What can domain monitoring not do?
  Monitoring public DNS, certificate and registration data is useful, but it is not a security audit. A plain list of its limits.
• Certificate error or expiring soon: what is the difference?
  A certificate that will expire is a deadline, and one with an error is a problem right now. Why they are handled differently.

#DNS #SSL #DMARC #SPF #EmailSecurity #DomainMonitoring #SysAdmin #MSP #iOS

This page gives general information and is not legal, financial or medical advice. [email protected]