Did you know that the Federal CyberSecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as well as the Michigan Department of Elections recommend that all government Websites utilize a secure .gov domain name? 

Source: Sign Up for a .gov Domain: Information for Election Officials 

.gov domain names are considered the most secure because of the intentional vetting processes that one must go through in order to obtain the .gov domain.  With most domain names (.com, .net, .org) anyone is able to quickly and easily register any domain name that has not already been claimed.  While this is convenient, it means that a scammer could create a fake Website for your municipality and use it to try to collect information or money from your residents. 

For example, let’s say that ShumakerGroup Township doesn’t have a Website.  A scammer could go out and register ShumakerGroupTownship.com and claim to accept tax payments online.  When an unsuspecting resident comes to the fake ShumakerGroupTownship.com Website and “pays their taxes” that resident will have actually given their money to a scammer.  Even if ShumakerGroup Township does own ShumakerGroupTownship.com, a scammer could go out and register something similar (like ShumakerGroupTownship.net) for the same scam.  We have even seen one case where a resident(s) of the township created an unofficial Website for the township.  Bottom line, when site visitors see the .gov domain name, they can have confidence that the site is legit because it would be extremely difficult if not outright impossible for a scammer to get through the vetting process to obtain a .gov domain name.  

.gov domain names also have other mandatory safeguards including Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to login and make changes to the domain name, as well as notifications to all domain contacts if any changes are made to the domain settings. 

Many times, clients that already have a .com, .org, or .net domain name are hesitant to consider the .gov domain name because they don’t want to have to go through a change.  Keep in mind it is very easy to set up both your old domain name and the new .gov domain name to point to the exact same Website and email accounts.  Since both domains will work just fine, you DON’T have to immediately go out and print new business cards, letterhead, signs, etc.

The majority of our quotes will include a Silver Package (good); a Gold Package (better); and a Platinum Package (best).  Just like when buying a car, there are various bells and whistles that can come along with Websites.  We believe in providing multiple options so you can choose the plan that makes the most sense for your needs and budget. 

There are also some on-going services that you’ll need with your new Website.