Your domain name is as important as having a business card with your company name, address and phone number. The only difference is you don’t have to pass your domain name around by hand so to speak. Your domain name is your image, your brand, and is such an important detail to your business.

Private domain registration allows you to protect your personal details private. Your name, address, phone number and email are all kept locked away from potential threats of identity theft and for confidentiality and security reasons. Privacy is a big deal now days; you want to protect your right to your domain name at all costs.

When you buy a domain name, you are giving out all your personal information to anyone that has access to the WHOIS database. There are many reasons to have a private domain name.

1. Private domain registration prevents identity theft and fraud

2. Protects against harassment both offline and online

3. Prevents stalking

4. Private domain registration cuts down on unsolicited commercial emailing

5. Lessens Telemarketing

Private domain registration ensures that your information is kept private and that your information will not be published on the internet for the world to see. The security works by replacing all your information with alternate information that is made by your domain name registrar. This allows you to stop identity theft before it starts. Most domain registrars offer this as a free service upon buying or registering a domain name, while others stick a high price on this service. Either way, sometimes paying a little more too safe guard your information is often the better way to go.

Now keeping your information safe and protected is all good, but there is a flip side to private domain registrations too.

According to the ICANN FAQ page, "It is however possible to register a domain in the name of a third part, as long as they agree to accept responsibility." (http://www.icann.org/faq/) What this means is that private registration companies can specifically make you remain the registrant. There are some cases where other private registration services do not mandate this, and will mean that someone can take over registration.

Another bad idea for private domain registration case is what I like to call cyber squatting. This is where you have a copyright, trademark, or protected name or interest, and someone infringes on these rights. There is not a lot you will be able to do since you can’t access their contact details. You won’t be able to send a cease and discontinue letter or even contact them at all.

Here is something else to think about: what about if you want to switch from the current registrar that you have to a new service. Your first thing is you better hope that the registrar that you currently have is accredited with ICANN. Due to only being able to rely on their credibility and honesty, you may find yourself in a jam when wanting to make a switch.

Google can be another thorn in the side if you want private domain registrations. Google has the option to make a decision to remove a site from its listing just on the simple basis of it may not look right.

Those are just a few of the cons to private domain registrations. If you really want to check into it more you can contact ICANN directly and see what if any changes have occurred to change the way information was listed in private domain registrars.