Read Time:1 Minute, 49 Second
Small and medium-sized enterprises that have not yet secured their brand under the new.au domain name system have until 20 September.
Bruce Billson, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, stated that migrant-owned small businesses have a limited time to protect their brand and identity on the internet. If they don’t take action soon, there is a risk of seeing impersonators, web-name “campers,” or cyber criminals taking up domain names similar to theirs.
Mr Billson said that many migrant-owned and led firms have cultural identifiers in their domain names, which they can’t afford to lose.
‘One in three small enterprises are run by people who have migrated to Australia from other countries, and these firms significantly contribute to the vibrancy of the community and national economy.’ Mr Billson stated.
“My message to them is don’t get caught short when it comes to the shortened .au domain name.”
The Australian domain name system is being overhauled. Anyone can now register a .au top-level domain (TLD). In place of ending in .com.au, .net.au, or similar extensions, people may have a more compact name. For instance, shoes.com.au could be shoes.au.
The new policy is being imposed by the non-government regulator, .au Domain Administration (auDA), which determined that Australian businesses with an existing domain name will have just 20 September to reserve or register their corresponding.au domain name before it becomes available to the general public.
Mr Billson contacted auDA to request more time for the rollout deadline extension due to a lack of awareness and public outcry. Other small businesses have had similar concerns. However, auDA rejected the proposal outright.
The Australian Cyber Security Centre has also issued an alert, warning potential customers on its website that ‘cybercriminals could register your .au domain name to impersonate your business.
This announcement ensures that all small businesses, particularly those operated by individuals who have moved to Australia from another country, understand the importance of registering their business name before the deadline. If they don’t, it could be catastrophic for their business if a competitor or someone else took control of their online name.
Happy
0 %
Sad
0 %
Excited
0 %
Sleepy
0 %
Angry
0 %
Surprise
0 %
0
0
