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Switching to No-IP: A Reliable Alternative in the Wake of the Oracle / Dyn DNS Outage

February 16, 2023·
by Natalie Goguen·

The recent Oracle / Dyn DNS outage has caused frustration and inconvenience for many businesses and individuals who rely on DNS services to keep their websites and applications accessible. For those affected by the outage, it has become clear that relying on a single DNS provider can be risky. In the wake of the outage, many have made the switch to No-IP, a reliable and trusted provider for Dynamic DNS and Managed DNS services.

No-IP offers a range of Dynamic DNS and Managed DNS solutions to businesses and individuals, helping them keep their websites and applications accessible and secure. No-IP’s Dynamic DNS services provide remote access to devices and applications, allowing users to connect to their network from anywhere in the world, while No-IP’s Managed DNS services provide a robust and highly scalable network of DNS servers that provide a range of features and capabilities for managing and optimizing DNS performance.

Some of the key features of No-IP’s DNS infrastructure include:

Anycast Network Routing:
No-IP uses Anycast Network routing to automatically route DNS queries to the nearest data center, ensuring low latency and fast response times.

Global Network of Data Centers:
With over 100 data centers located around the world, No-IP’s DNS infrastructure provides high availability and reliability.

DNS Failover:
No-IP’s DNS failover feature can automatically redirect traffic to a backup server in the event of an outage or server failure.

By switching to No-IP, businesses, and consumers can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their websites and applications will remain accessible, even in the event of a DNS outage. No-IP has a track record of reliability and uptime, making it a trusted and effective alternative to single DNS providers such as Oracle / Dyn DNS.

In conclusion, the recent Oracle / Dyn DNS outage has highlighted the importance of having a reliable and robust DNS provider. No-IP offers a range of Dynamic DNS and Managed DNS solutions that are backed by our robust Anycast DNS network which includes 100+ points of presence, ensuring that users can keep their websites and applications online and accessible at all times.

By making the switch to No-IP, businesses, and individuals can have the peace of mind that comes with knowing that their online presence is secure and reliable.

After you create your No-IP account, you can easily access our secure and reliable DDNS and Managed DNS services, which can help you efficiently manage your domain and ensure its availability on the internet.

Get Started Now with our Dynamic DNS services, or purchase a Managed DNS service.

If you need assistance with migrating to No-IP, don’t hesitate to contact our US-Based Customer Support Team. They are available to provide guidance and support throughout the process.

Meet Jason: Our VP of Operations and a Key Driver of No-IP’s Success – An Employee Spotlight Blog

February 16, 2023·
by Natalie Goguen·

Jason Puccinelli and his wife, Tammy, taking in the scenic views on a beautiful hike.

We are delighted to introduce you to one of our valuable team members, Jason Puccinelli, who has been with No-IP for seven years as the Vice President of Operations. As a seasoned leader, Jason brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our company and plays an integral role in driving the growth and success of our internet infrastructure services.

With a background in operations and a passion for innovation, Jason has been instrumental in developing and implementing strategies to improve our processes, strategy, and vision, ensuring that we deliver the highest level of service to our customers. His analytical skills and attention to detail have helped us streamline our operations and make data-driven decisions that have driven our success.

Throughout his seven years at No-IP, Jason has built a reputation for being a dedicated and hardworking leader who is always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that our customers are satisfied. His expertise in operations, combined with his collaborative and supportive approach, has made him an invaluable member of our team.

“I have had the privilege of working for No-IP for the last 7 years as the VP of Operations. During this time, I have had the opportunity to work with an incredibly talented team and help build a world-class service that millions of people rely on every day. It has been an amazing experience, and I’m grateful for the friendships, memories, and lessons that have came out of it.” Stated Jason Puccinelli.

We’re proud to have Jason on board and look forward to the continued success of No-IP under his leadership.

Protecting Your Website and Your Visitors: The Importance of SSL Certificates

February 16, 2023·
by Hazel Salinas·

Our last blog for the “Refresher” series is about something that offers the most underestimated layer of security: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates.

What Are They?

SSL Certificates are data files that create an encrypted and private connection between the web server and the web browser. However, SSL Certificates do a lot more than that: They verify domain ownership and make it so hackers cannot reproduce false pages to trick users or intercept your private information. Think of sending a package to a friend, but that package is enclosed in a special metal box that makes it so it cannot be intercepted by thieving hands but also confirms to your friend that it came directly from you. To learn more, you can take a look at one of our past blogs “A Beginner’s Guide to SSL Certificates” for more details.

How Do They Work?

First, the SSL Certifications get installed on a web server that allows a secure connection between the web server and the browser. You can tell when it is installed because there is a padlock icon next to the URL and the page URL changes from “HTTP://” to “HTTPS://”. You will notice this on banking, shopping, and even social media sites where log-in and private information are entered into various fields. We’ve also shared in a past blog that websites without “HTTPS://” are now being flagged as insecure, and you might even get a warning on Google Chrome when you try to visit a flagged site.

For small business owners and startup companies, incorporating SSL Certificates is essential to meet Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standards for credit card transactions, but another nice perk is increasing your Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Search engines like Google or Bing love the added security because it means providing users with a trustworthy and bonafide website, and therefore will bump websites with SSL certificates higher than those that do not.

Why Are They Important?

There are various ways that hackers can intercept your private information if SSL Certificates are not installed. For example, they can install a “listening device” that will collect all the information they can get. They can also trick you into entering your information on a log-in page or link very similar to what you are used to, but upon closer inspection, have bogus details.

These days, it is really easy for hackers to collect private information from users, especially those that let their guard down or don’t think twice about their web presence. Sure, technology has made things a lot easier like shopping, transferring funds, and scheduling appointments, but that shouldn’t ever be at the expense of your livelihood and finances.

Furthermore, as a user it is great to be able to navigate and shop confidently when you see the SSL Certificate indications enabled in the URL bar. With so much spam and shady traps to avoid online, it is nice to have these safeguards in place to ensure that our private information stays safe.

Interested in adding SSL Certifications to your web pages?

Well, you’re in luck! No-IP includes one Encryption Everywhere DV SSL with every Enhanced Dynamic DNS and Plus Managed DNS service. We know that having a secure hostname is important to you and now you can install an SSL on any hostname managed by No-IP for free!

No-IP also provides the option to purchase different SSL Certificate products depending on what you are looking for and how it fits into your IP network needs:

RapidSSL Basic DV – The most basic option in our SSL Certification products, but definitely not lacking! It’s a quick, inexpensive way to secure your website. The RapidSSL Basic DV secures a single domain with strong encryption. It is issued within minutes and can help you develop and launch a secure website quickly. Need extra reassurance? The RapidSSL Basic DV Certificates also offer a $10,000 guarantee, which is insurance for end users against any money lost during a payment transaction on an SSL-secured site.

RapidSSL Wildcard DV – The mid-range option offers secure unlimited subdomains with strong encryption. This option proves to be the most cost-effective way to secure multiple domains and also issues in minutes and a $10,000 guarantee.

GeoTrust QuickSSL Premium – Certainly the most robust of the SSL Certification options, these certificates provide comprehensive authentication procedures (domain name and identity verification) with a high warranty. This option is perfect for securing a professional domain. Although it requires 1 – 2 hours to issue, it offers a whopping $500,000 guarantee.

Important Updates to No-IP’s SSL Certificate Product:

As of February 2023, No-IP moved from TrustCor to DigiCert SSL Certificates and replaced the SSL Certificates of all current users. These replacement SSL certificates are set to the same validity date (Expiration Date) as their former TrustCor SSL certificates and with several improvements to SSL flows.

In addition, we are no longer offering free SSL Certificates to our free Dynamic DNS users. But do not fret! If you had a TrustCor Standard SSL and are a free user, No-IP is giving you an Encryption Everywhere replacement certificate as a one-time offer.

Do you already have a free No-IP account and are interested in an SSL?

Well, you’re in luck – Upgrading to the Enhanced Dynamic DNS, which includes one free SSL Certificate, costs as low as $19.99/year and can be done within a few clicks through your account page. This would be the same price as purchasing a DigiCert RapidSSL Certificate.

Want to know more about SSL Certificates or have any more questions? Our Customer Success Knowledge base has a robust list of guides and articles.

Valentines For the Tech Nerd in Your Life

February 9, 2023·
by Hazel Salinas·

Although a fancy dinner or a giant bouquet of flowers is nice, small gestures of affection can still create romantic feelings. Send a Developer, Coder, or Programmer in your life a little bit of love their way with our Valentine’s Day memes!

Happy Valentine’s Day from the No-IP team – We hope these spark a little joy and laughter with the tech nerd in your life.

You Shall Not Pass! General Tips and Tricks to Password Creation and Safety

January 27, 2023·
by Hazel Salinas·

How often have we created a new username and password on the fly? Creating credentials is a standard part of our daily lives as we download more apps, subscribe to more platforms, and open new accounts. There are common practices that people follow when creating a new password. For example, make it easy to remember but hard for someone to guess. Change things up and add capitalization, special symbols, or numbers. Most importantly, don’t use the same password across multiple pages.

However, as technology continues to make bigger leaps and bounds and scammers use smarter and more sophisticated means of collecting your private data, there are some new best practices regarding our first line of defense: Password creation. In the second blog of our Refreshers series, we share some general tips and tricks that you may, and may not, already know.

Creating

Number of Characters – Have you noticed that most sites that ask you to create credentials do not have a maximum number of characters? The shorter the password, the easier it is to decipher. Having a password that is at least 14 characters long is recommended.
Words that Don’t Exist – Although it seems impossible, words that can be found in the dictionary or pop culture are also at risk of being deciphered. Instead, opt for obscure words or create different spelling to increase complexity.
Stay Off Special Characters – Remember that some routers and devices do not allow certain characters. This almost seems counter-intuitive as special characters help strengthen passwords when mixed with numbers and letters, but the parameters are set for several reasons. For example, using just special characters in your password makes you more prone to getting your credentials hacked. Although it would be hard for a person to guess what special character or combination of characters you used for your password, a hacking program would be able to do so very easily. Another reason why you’ll find you can’t add specific special characters is that the software used to store the passwords will run into coding issues. Those special characters you use might be what could potentially break the software and make it therefore susceptible to hacking.

Securing

Never include your password in any form of communication. It doesn’t matter if it is an email, a text message, or a DM on social media, you never want that information to be intercepted. For example, if you get a message asking for your login information, always contact the source directly to see if it is a scam. Most likely, it will.
I’ll Give You a Hint – Even though writing down your passwords is strongly discouraged, you can always nudge yourself in the right direction. Writing down a hint to your password versus writing down the entire thing is a lot more secure. Think of it as a private inside joke with yourself!
Don’t Get Comfortable – Changing your passwords every three to six months helps keep your log-in credentials elusive.
Change it Up – Multi-Factor Authentication is quickly becoming more popular as it increases your account’s security by requiring a second method of verification before or during log-in. A second code or number gets sent to you to verify that it is you logging in. You can even add Two-Factor Authentication to your No-IP log-in.
Work Smarter, Not Harder – Use your browser’s security settings to your advantage. For example, Chrome will notify you that there has been a data breach compromising your password info, but only if you enable it to do so. You’ll need a Google Account to access a Google Password Manager, but it may be worth keeping on top of any hacking attempts. Once you have your passwords entered, The Google Password Manager will not only notify you when there is a data breach, but also allow you to update them at the same time. This is a lot easier than switching back and forth to different log-ins and trying to guess which ones have been attempted.

Remembering

Banish those little notebooks and sticky notes all over your computer! There is still a lot to embrace with all the advances in technology, including storing lists of passwords. LastPass, DashLane, or LogMeOnce are a few of the many different password managers that will encrypt your lists of passwords so you can rest easy that the information is accessible and safe.
Caution – Linking accounts might be an easy way to avoid remembering multiple passwords, but easier is not always safer. It is common to find different log-in pages that prompt if you want to link an existing account, like Facebook. While this does save time without having to create a brand new password, linking accounts poses a greater security risk. Linking accounts means giving the new account access to your data whether you want it to or not. If one account is compromised, the other one is surely at risk of being hacked as well.

Creating a password that fits all the right criteria might be taxing, but the more effort and care you take into doing so, the better. Everything that is password protected is worth taking the time and energy to make sure you get it right, as well as difficult for prying eyes and hackers to try and capture it.

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