Email is a powerful tool that we use every day to communicate with friends, family, and coworkers. But with the rise of malicious actors trying to impersonate legitimate senders, it’s important to make sure our emails are secure. That’s where email authentication protocols come in. They help ensure that emails are coming from who they say they are and keep your information safe.
Let’s take a closer look at three important email authentication protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
SPF
SPF stands for Sender Policy Framework. It’s like a bouncer for your email. When you receive an email, SPF checks if the sender is on the list of authorized servers. If not, the email might be marked as spam or rejected. To learn more about SPF, visit the following resources:
- SPF record lookup tool: https://mxtoolbox.com/SPFRecordLookup.aspx
- SPF Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sender_Policy_Framework
DKIM
Next up is DKIM, which stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail. It uses encryption to sign emails, so the recipient knows the email hasn’t been tampered with and is coming from the right sender. When a message is sent, the sender’s mail server signs the message using a private key, and the recipient’s mail server verifies the signature using the sender’s public key. This allows the recipient’s mail server to confirm that the message has not been modified in transit and that it came from the domain that it claims to have come from. To learn more about DKIM, visit the following resources:
- DKIM record lookup tool: https://mxtoolbox.com/dkim.aspx
- DKIM Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DomainKeys_Identified_Mail
DMARC
Finally, we have DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance). This protocol builds on SPF and DKIM and lets you control what happens if the email fails either of those checks. For example, you can specify that emails that fail the checks should be rejected or sent to your spam folder. The DMARC record in a domain’s DNS allows a sender to indicate what action should be taken with emails that fail the SPF or DKIM checks, such as reject or quarantine. DMARC also provides a mechanism for sending a report on how your emails are being authenticated. To learn more about DMARC, visit the following resources:
- DMARC record lookup tool: https://mxtoolbox.com/dmarc.aspx
- DMARC Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMARC
Email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC are important tools in the fight against email fraud and help ensure that email is trustworthy. By using these protocols, organizations can reduce the risk of sensitive information being stolen and increase the likelihood that email will be delivered to the intended recipient. It may seem a bit complex at first, but trust us, the peace of mind is worth it.
Do you have these tools implemented into your email system? If the answer is “No” or “I don’t know”, Campfire Digital can help. We’ll walk you through the process and make sure your email is set up for success in 2023 and beyond. Contact us for a no cost audit of your current email system.
