While all Gandi teams are mobilized to ensure the continuity of your services, we want to go further to provide you with the latest updates and information. In this special report, you’ll find:
- Best practices in order to guarantee the continuity of your business
- Information about cybersecurity threats
- A list of special measures taken by domain registries
- The direct service activities we’re supporting
OUR BEST PRACTICES FOR MAINTAINING CONTINUITY OF YOUR BUSINESS
The two keys to guaranteeing the continuity of your business in these times are to adapt and focus on the essential. Here are some best practices so that you can rebound quickly and regain your balance.
1. Renew your products
Consider renewing your instances and domain names—keeping your online presence is vital! Also, and because in this time of crisis priorities shift and our attention is monopolized, we can’t recommend enough opting for activating automatic renewal on your domain names. That way you can be sure your online presence is maintained with the least amount of worry—this precaution protects you from forgetting and incurring additional costs related to having to restore your domain rather than simply renew or worse—losing your domain if it gets registered up by a third party.
Find out more about automatic renewal
2. Gandi Cloud Servers
Do you need servers for some kind of project to help people in this time? We’re making our service available for those who are doing something to help. Whether you’re creating a new organization, or you have an idea for an app that could save lives, or even if you simply need a server to share files in order to help keep students working, let us know by sending us an email at cloud-solidarity@gandi.net with a description in 2 or 3 words.
3. Our remote working solutions
Remote work has become the new norm. But it’s not always so simple to implement. We reviewed free, collaborative tools that let you work efficiently and maintain your business activity.
4. Start an online store
Have you been thinking about putting your business online? Do you want to launch an e-commerce shop to help support your business? We’re rounding up what you need to know about the tools you need to start an online store.
Here are five pieces of advice to ensure the success of your online store.
ONLINE SCAMS AND FRAUD: STAY ALERT
1. Awareness
The crisis arising from COVID-19 is fueling legitimate concerns. Coupled with a higher rate of usage of online services, this creates the ideal scenario for criminals online to try to take advantage of users letting their guards down. This section is dedicated to raising awareness of the problem and how to stay calm and alert to the risks.
The scams taking advantage of the current crisis
2. The fight against the abusive use of domain names
In order to protect end users from abusive uses of domain names associated with COVID-19, the registry of .eu domain names, l’EURid, has implemented a set of measures in accord with the European Commision. These additional controls will be placed on existing domain name registration data as well as newly registered domain names that contain certain keywords linked to the current pandemic.
Owners of domain names that contain these keywords will need to validate their personal data and submit a declaration confirming that their domian name has been registered “in good faith” within seven business days. In the case of a .eu domain name that contains keywords linked to the current pandemic. If the domain name in question has been used for a suspect website, this delay is reduced to three business days.
- For existing domain names, if no proof is received in the allotted time, the domain name will be suspended.
- For newly registered domain names, if the appropriate information is not received, the domain will remain inactive.
- If, at any given moment, it is determined that a domain name is used for any suspicious activity, the appropriate authorities will be automatically informed.
These measures will take effect until the end of the second trimester of 2020. They may be extended, under trimesterial review by EURid and the European Commission.
3. Awareness of and fighting against fake news
In order to raise awareness around COVID-19 and the fake news that can be associated with it, certain governments have mandated that sites linked to a country-code TLD (ccTLD) include a redirection link to an information portal.
- .co.za: South Africa is mandating that all owners of sites using .co.za domain names add a redirection link to a government information portal: https://sacoronavirus.co.za/
MEASURES TAKEN BY DOMAIN REGISTRIES
In these exceptional circumstances, some registries are relaxing their rules, specifically in terms of expiry or restoration deadlines. The list below is being updated as we get more information.
1. Restoration fees waived
The below registries are offering, during a limited period, a waiver of restoration fees for expired domain names. This flexibility ensures more domins can be restored at the regular renewal price.
The following registries have adopted this policy:
- Google Registry — .app, .dev, .soy, .how, .page, .new et .みんな — From March 30
through August 3, 2020 at 9:00 AM Pacific (16:00 UTC)extended until January 14, 2021 at 8:00 AM Pacific (16:00 UTC)extended through February 18, 2021 at 8:00 AM Pacific (16:00 UTC). - CORE Registry—.сайт, .онлайн, .بازار —From April 1 until
July 31, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (August 1, 2020 at 00:00 UTC)extended until December 31, 2020 at 3:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC) - Verisign—.com and .net—From April 2 until June 1, 2020 at 8:59:59 AM Pacific (15:59:59 UTC)
extended until July 31, 2020 at 8:59:59 PM Pacific (August 1 at 3:59:59 UTC)further extended until Decmber 31, 2020 at 8:59:59 PM (January 1, 2021 at 4:59:59 UTC) - Verisign—.tv, .cc, .name, .コム, .닷컴, .닷넷 and .קום —From June 1 until
July 31, 2020 at 8:59:59 PM Pacific (August 1, 2020 at 3:59:59 UTC)extended until December 31, 2020 at 4:00 PM Pacific (January 1, 2021 at 0:00 UTC) - .eus—From April 2 through July 30, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (July 31, 2020 at 00:00 UTC)
- .scot—From April 3 until July 31, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (August 1, 2020 at 00:00 UTC)
- .gal—Starting April 6, 2020
- GMO Registry—.shop, .tokyo, .nagoya and .yokohama—From April 15 through
July 30 at 7:00 PM Pacific (July 31, 2020 at 2:00 UTC)extended until December 31, 2020 at 3:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC) - XYZ—.baby, .college, .monster, .protection, .rent, .security, .storage, .theatre, .xyz—From April 16
through June 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (June 30, 2020 at 0:00 UTC)extended until December 30, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (December 31, 2020 at 0:00 UTC) - Radix—.fun, host, online, .press, .site, .space, .store, .tech, .uno, .website—From April 16
through June 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (June 30, 2020 at 0:00 UTC)extended until July 31, 2020 at 4:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC)through June 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (0:00 UTC)extended until July 31, 2020 at 4:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC) - KKWT—.blog—From April 16
through June 29, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (June 30, 2020 at 0:00 UTC) extended until July 31, 2020 at 4:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC), further extended until December 31, 2020 at 3:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC) - .tickets—Starting April 21, 2020
until July 31, 2020 at 4:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC)extended until December 31, 2020 at 3:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC) - .art—Starting April 21, 2020
until July 31, 2020 at 4:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC), extended until December 31, 2020 at 3:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC) - .mx—From April 16 through May 31, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (June 1, 2020 at 0:00 UTC)
- .club—From April 10 through
May 31, 2020 at 5:00 PM Pacific (June 1, 2020 at 00:00 UTC)extended until July 31, 2020 at 4:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC) - .me—From May 1 through
July 31, 2020 at 5:00 PM (August 1, 2020 at 00:00 UTC)extended until December 31, 2020 at 3:59 PM Pacific (23:59 UTC)
2. Delay in renewal or restore fee payment
In order to guarantee that you can continue to own your domain name through this time, the registeries below are providing payment flexibility for renewal and restoration fees, for as long as the economic situation justifies it:
- .cat: The registry is offering the option to delay the payment of renewal fees until 30 days after the end of the state of emergency in Spain. Each case will be treated on a case-by-case basis. If you want to take advantage of this provision, we would invite you to open a ticket with our Customer care team at https://help.gandi.net/en/contact/.
- .онлайн, .сайт, .بازار (CORE registry): The registry is offering the option to delay payment of renewal fees until December 15, 2020. Each request will be studied on a case-by-case basis.
3. Renewal or restoration period extended
The following registry has extended the renewal or restoration period:
- .gg and .je: Extension of the restoration period of 5 days to 12 days, an effective extension of 7 days. To take advantage, contact our Customer care team: https://help.gandi.net/en/contact/
- .es: Until the end of the state of emergency in Spain, the registry has commited to not deleting any expired domains. To renew a domain name outside of the normal expiration timeframe, please contact our Customer care team
- .cz: The late renewal period has been extended by 30 days. Our Customer care team an help you renew your domain in this additional late renewal period. Ends August 3, 2020.
4. Other actions made by registries with regards to domain name restorations
Different registries have put in place additional, more specific measures related to domain name restorations where requests are evaluated on a case by case basis. Our Customer care team can help you get more information if needed: https://help.gandi.net/en/contact/.
- .org—From April 1 through
June 30, 2020extended until September 30, 2020 - Afilias—.info, .mobi, .pro, .bet, .black, .red, .blue, .kim, .green, .archi, .promo, .llc, .organic, .移动, .lgbt, .loto, .pet, .ski, .bio, .vote, .voto, .poker, .pink, .shiksha, .global—From April 1 through
June 30, 2020extended through December 31, 2020
5. Special promotions
In order to support online activity, the registry for .it domains has put a special promotion in place for the registration of .it domains from August 4 through December 31, 2020 (only applicable for purchases in Euros). Please see the list of prices for each pricing grid [ link ] below:
- Grid A: € 11
- Grid B: € 10
- Grid C: € 9
- Grid D: € 8
- Grid E: € 7
WORK FOR THE COMMON GOOD
Solidarity is the theme of this unprecendented period. In every direction, new public service projects are cropping up to help those most impacted. For our part, we just want to amplify their mission.
1. Wizishop
Wizishop, the French online store creation tool, is supporting #Ecommercesolidaire with the goal of limiting the impact of the public health crisis on brick-and-mortar shops and to help support initiatives bringing stores online. For that, Wizishop is offering free online shops without subscription for the entire crisis period. Gandi is pitching as well by offering a .fr domain name for all new stores created with their tool.
2. Support health services
The Foundation of Hospitals in France (La Fondation des Hôpitaux de France) is sending out a call for donations to help healthcare workers and people who are vulnerable or isolated. The donations gathered will be used to help healthcare workers by purchasing medical materials to increase the capacity of hospitals across France and to put in place psychological assistance “cells” for healthcare workers.
Make a donation online:
Fondation des Hôpitaux de France
Make a donation by mail:
Make a check out to “Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris-Hôpitaux de France” at the address
Fondation Hôpitaux de Paris – Hôpitaux de France
13 rue Scipion, 75005 PARIS
Many local communities are also donations of masks, hand sanitizer, and food. Check with your local government for more information on those efforts.
