[Term of the Day]: WHOIS Service
Term of the Day
“WHOIS Service”
Definition — What is WHOIS Service?
WHOIS service is primarily used to identify and search for a specific domain name. WHOIS also supports searching IP addresses and hosts. It is one of the oldest tools pertaining to domains.
There are a variety of internet users who may check domain names, with WHOIS service, and some of the common search reasons are:
- Individuals check domain names for expiration dates.
- Registrars check domain names when transferring ownership.
- Authorities check domain names when investigating criminal activity.
The WHOIS service is not a single, centrally-operated database. Instead, the data is managed by independent entities known as "registrars" and "registries." One of the most essential components of the Internet is a domain name, without a domain name we wouldn’t be able to send an email, connect to social networks, or browse any web pages available on the Internet. Whenever you register a domain name, you have to provide a lot of personal details. These details are called “WHOIS information”, it includes standard details such as your email address, telephone number, address, city, and country. It also includes your registration, update, expiration date, and name servers. This information is published by all domain registration providers and it is accessible over the internet by everybody regulated and required by the ICANN.
ICANN "the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers" is a non-profit organization that manages the internet. They help to keep the internet stable and secure and decide all policies for top-level domains and name servers.
There are many free websites that allow you to perform a WHOIS search, the following two are the most recommended sites.