We all use email every day, but have you ever wondered how email is kept safe? We’re breaking down what email authentication is, why it matters, and how it works to keep your emails safe and sound.
What Is Email Authentication?
Email authentication is a virtual ID check for your emails. It’s a way to make sure that the email you receive is untampered and from the person or company it claims to be.
Key Parts of Email Authentication
You might wonder, “What is email authentication, and why does it matter?” Let’s break it down.
Email authentication is a virtual security guard for inboxes. It started in the ’90s with SMTP-AUTH, which made sure that emails came from real senders.
Then came SPF, which was like putting up a fence around email domain, saying, “Only these servers are allowed to send emails on my behalf.” This made it harder for spammers to pretend to falsify their identities.
Next up was DKIM, which added a secret digital signature to emails. It’s like sealing a letter with your wax stamp to show it’s untampered and from the real sender. This helps tackle phishing and fakes.
The superstar of email authentication is DMARC. It combined SPF and DKIM, creating an email bodyguard. DMARC not only checks if the sender is legit but also sets clear rules for handling suspicious emails, making sure only the good ones land in inboxes.
So, why does this matter? The answer is because Email authentication keeps inboxes safe. It stops spam and phishing emails from fooling innocent people. As technology evolves, so does email authentication, making sure email remains a trustworthy way to communicate. Remember, email authentication is your virtual security guard, making sure you get the real deal in your inbox.
To get the gist of email authentication, let’s take a closer look at its main parts:
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1. SPF
(Sender Policy Framework) is an email authentication method that helps prevent email spoofing and fraud by verifying that an email message was sent from an authorized server.
SPF works by allowing domain owners to specify which servers are allowed to send email on behalf of their domain.
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2. DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail is an email authentication method that helps verify the authenticity of emails sent from a particular domain.
A DKIM record is a piece of text that’s added to the DNS (Domain Name System) settings of a domain. This text contains a signature that helps verify that the email was actually sent by the domain it claims to be from.
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3. DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance is an email authentication method that helps prevent email fraud and abuse by providing a way for email receivers to determine if a given message is authentic or not.
DMARC works by allowing domain owners to specify which email authentication methods (such as SPF and DKIM) are used by their domain, and what action should be taken if an email fails authentication checks
DMARC: A critical DNS record for Email Authentication.
Why DMARC Authentication?
Configuring a DMARC DNS record makes it easier for recipients to prevent malicious email attacks, like phishing.
DMARC lets the senders specify how to handle emails that were not authenticated using SPF or DKIM. Management of this record is one of a Deliverability Manager’s most important responsibilities.
A Brief History of DMARC
DMARC was first published in January 2012 to prevent email abuse. Created from a combined effort from Paypal, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo!; DMARC is now the standard means of authenticating Email.
Senders can now choose to route those unauthorized emails to the spam folder, or have them blocked. By doing this, ISPs can better identify spammers and prevent malicious email from attacking client inboxes while minimizing false positives and providing better delivery reporting.
DMARC Delivery Reports
DMARC delivery reports provide insights valuable insights from recipients that let us know who and how we are being rejected or passed; helping us optimize things like authentication strictness, daily email volume, interval limits, and other settings that may need to be adjusted for your email automation programs to keep running smoothly. We track and action on these DMARC insights for our clients; enhancing their marketing strategies.
