Email authentication is built on SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These technical and fundamental terms will help you master email authentication and protect your brand reputation.
Authentication is define as “the process or act of proving or demonstrating that something is true, real, or valid.” When we talk about email authentication, we’re talking about SPF , DKIM , and DMARC . These tools prove that an email message is authentic and from the person it claims to be.
So why is email authentication important?
With the volume of spam set up digital marketing small business success and phishing messages floating around the email world, it’s becoming increasingly important to properly authenticate and verify your messages. Email authentication acts as your digital ID card, helping Mailbox Providers (MBPs) and spam filtering systems identify your legitimate email.
The two primary authentication protocols that help verify that an email message is from the person it claims to be are SPF and DKIM. DMARC is add on top of SPF and DKIM. DMARC uses SPF and DKIM and provides a set of instructions to receiving email servers on what to do when they receive unauthenticatE mail.
Understanding the Need for Email Authentication
Email has long been a prefer what will social media be like in 2020? tool for cybercriminals looking to infiltrate systems, steal sensitive data, or spread malware. The most common cyber threats include phishing attacks, where hackers impersonate trust entities to trick recipients into revealing personal information or clicking on malicious links. The growing threat of email spoofing, where hackers spoof the sender’s address, has made the problem even worse.
Email authentication protocols are design to address these issues by providing mechanisms to verify the authenticity of an email’s source.
Below you can find each of these protocols in detail:
SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is text services an email authentication protocol that allows domain name owners to identify mail servers that are authorized to send email on behalf of their domain name. SPF records are published in DNS (Domain Name System) and specify a list of approved IP addresses and hostnames authorized to send email for a particular domain name.
SPF works as follows:
- When an email is received, the recipient’s server checks the SPF record of the sender’s domain to verify if the source IP matches the approved list.
- If the source IP is on the approved list, the email is considered legitimate; otherwise, it may be flagged as suspicious.
- SPF helps prevent email spoofing and ensures that only authorized servers can send emails on behalf of a domain name.
Activating SPF Record
Most email services provide simple SPF record configuration instructions and then do the heavy lifting for you. Providers like Expert Mail don’t require you to add any DNS records to start. A passing SPF, meaning you don’t have to do anything to pass emails sent through Expert Mail to SPF.
SPF Record Query
SPF can be queried with more than one method. The first method is to use online SPF query sites. You can use the Expert Mail SPF Record Query tool by clicking on the link.
The second method is to query SPF by typing CMD on your computer’s terminal screen or in the. A Run application in the Start menu and using the following commands on the screen that appears.