back to article Email cock-up blamed in Check Point domain expiry snafu

Check Point has downplayed the significance of a domain renewal mix-up that resulted in its home page being replaced by a holding page for a brief period on Monday. The problem arose because Network Solutions sent the security firm's domain renewal notice to the wrong email address, a statement by the firewall and VPN firm …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Lee Dowling Silver badge

    Amateur hour. Use all the excuses you want:

    - The domain was due to expire and you didn't notice.

    - Nobody checked to see if it had been renewed.

    - You relied on your host to email you BEFORE the domain expired, and didn't notice when they didn't.

    - You had incorrect contact information on your main business domain, or an incompetent DNS host.

    - The email obviously went to SOMEONE, but you didn't bother to check who that would be on your domains, or have a catch-all.

    Now think that I'm supposed to trust vital company infrastructure components to you, and you can't even manage a simple domain renewal without messing up.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      re: Amateur hour

      Seconded.

      Security rule of thumb - Trust No-one (to get the email to you).

      The lack of procedures doesn't bode well for the code... but anyone using their products doesn't need a snafu like this to tell them that.

    2. Just Thinking

      Someone downvoted this?

      1. Tom 13

        @Just Thinking

        Maybe it was the guy from CheckPoint who was in charge of renewing the domain registration.

        Of course it would be a good explanation for why he forgot to renew it. Still I doubt the bosses will think as highly of it and he'll still lose his job.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Palm meet face

          I'm not making excuses for anyone but implying a DNS management screw up somehow says something about the quality of their products is fscking stupid.

          How many companies a year get caught off guard by SSL cert renewals?

          Sure, this shouldn't happen and *we* know better but guess what? It's a messy world out there, people aren't perfect and shit happens. News flash, I know...

  2. The Axe
    FAIL

    The email address is only incorrect because CheckPoint didn't check that the email address was correct. It was noone's fault except CheckPoint. Trying to imply it was Network Solutions fault is not a nice thing to do. Be big and take the blame.

  3. Bakunin
    Stop

    Calendars

    If only there was a way to remind yourself of important future events?

    This is why you *always* put domain renewal dates in your - or your companies - calendar. Ideally with plenty of additional time to deal with any changed passwords or payment process delays.

    Losing you companies domain is embarrassing at best, corporate suicide at worst.

    1. DJ Smiley
      Facepalm

      Re: Calendars

      Hmmmmm

      Network-solutions site sucks, I should know, I've been trying to migrate a number of domains away from them for awhile.

      And adding every domain to your calendar? Really? We have over 3000 domains all expiring on random dates. That'd be wonderful on the calendar ;)

      However I do have a spread sheet, which highlights which domains will be expiring - and if they are to expire (by default everything is set to renew anyway). Oh, and I DO get the emails from our registrars.

      1. Bakunin
        Holmes

        Re: Calendars

        Well I suppose it depends why you're dealing with 3000 domains.

        If you just happen to like having lots of domains then relying on the auto-renewal system is probably fine. Most of the time with a decent registrar the auto-renewal system and reminder email normally works.

        If you're looking after 3000 domains for paying customers then either stake your companies reputation on your registrar doing the right thing, or make it someone's weekly task to the check the couple of hundred or so domains that are due to expire over the next ten days.

        What's your companies financial loss for letting one slip? Does it justify paying someone to check the renewal? If you're losing a typo squatting site that brings in a few pound over it's cost then probably not. If you're losing the domain for a decent sized contract that pays you to handle their website and campaigns, that isn't going to go down well.

        Of course when it comes to you're own companies domain, it's always worth the inconvenience of manually checking.

      2. fastoy2

        Re: Calendars

        "We have over 3000 domains all expiring on random dates."

        Damn. I'd fix that then.

  4. K
    Mushroom

    Breaking news - Technological break through in domain purchasing..

    Its truely a breakthrough technology, which will teleport domain registration to the next level!

    .. Its called "Auto re-new"

    1. TheRealRoland

      Re: Breaking news - Technological break through in domain purchasing..

      Uhm, no? That only makes it worse. If it's not a task assigned to someone, everyone will start forgetting that there's a renewal process / procedure (what's the difference?) In the first place.

      And you're offloading the responsibility to yet another outside source - causing more problems if the credit card is not active anymore, etc.

      Keep it on your agenda. Having a domain is part of your source of income. Don't think it's as simple as 'just auto-renew'.

      1. Just Thinking

        Re: Breaking news - Technological break through in domain purchasing..

        Not sure how common this is, but the host I use will grab the domain name for you if, eg the credit card fails for auto-renew.

        They sting you for $80 to sell it back to you, but it's better than risking losing it. In fact, it is probably better that they charge something, it gives them an incentive to make sure their system is working.

  5. This post has been deleted by its author

  6. Chris Evans

    Multiple slip ups then they try to pass the buck!

    As has been pointed out Check Point just weren't on the ball, and now they try and pass the blame... Best avoided!

    1. IT Hack
      Pint

      Re: Multiple slip ups then they try to pass the buck!

      Corporations not taking the blame? I think I need a pint after that shocker!

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like