Why Email Authentication is Important
Posted: Thu Dec 26, 2024 9:56 am
What does email authentication mean?
Email authentication is a security procedure that aims to confirm the identity of a user based on their ability to access a specific email address. In this process, a system sends a message containing a unique code or link to the email address provided by the user. To prove their identity and the validity of their address, the user must then provide this code or click on the link. This method ensures that the email address has not been spoofed and is controlled by the person claiming to own it. Email authentication is commonly used when registering for online services or to reset forgotten passwords.
How to authenticate an email address?
To ensure that the address provided is valid and actually belongs to the user, when a person registers on a website or application, a verification email is automatically sent to the address provided. This message generally contains a unique link or a validation code. The user is then invited to click on this link or to enter the code on the site or applicationy germany telegram data performing this action, they confirm that they have access to this email address. If the user does not complete this authentication step, certain services or features may be restricted. This mechanism prevents fraudulent registrations and ensures effective communication between the service and the user.
Why is it important for email marketers to know about email authentication?
Consumers who purchase products promoted through emails pay 138% more than those who do not receive email offers. This means that email marketing is a key player in a company. But then, the efforts of email marketing in creating valuable emails are useless if they will never reach their destination. This is why an email marketing specialist must be well-versed in email authentication protocols to ensure that a company’s email campaign will be successful.
Eighty to ninety percent of emails on the web are spam. The prevalence of spam has made service providers aggressive in filtering messages which can cause a genuine email to be labeled as spam. An email marketer must be aware of the standards for email authentication to avoid false positives and email blocking. Here are three of the email authentication standards explained in detail.
Mail Authentication Standards
How to authenticate an email? ActiveTrail supports SPF and Domain Keys standards for email authentication. We have relationships with all major ISPs to ensure unbeatable email deliverability rates. To do this, our advanced system performs extensive testing, automatically performed on each campaign.
1. DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail ( DKIM ) is a DNS-based method for detecting whether a message has been tampered with during sending. It uses cryptographic text to verify the authenticity of an email by checking that the domain name has not been spoofed.
When creating an email, this method creates a hash that allows an encrypted signature to be added to the header of the email or to the entire message sent using a private key that is specific to your domain. The public key is added to your domain in a DNS.
The public key, corresponding to the private counterpart, is published on a particular subdomain used during encryption. Because only the authorized domain owner can publish the DNS verification for the subdomain, this links the public key to the domain holder.
When an ISP receives a DKIM-stamped email, it receives the DNS public key. The server then uses the public key to decode the signature embedded in the message. After that, the mail server calculates whether the hash of the incoming mail has an identical algorithm to that of the sender's email. If the calculated hash matches the encoded signature, the message is verified. Otherwise, it will be rejected or sent as spam.
DKIM
2. SPF
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is another DNS mail verification protocol that allows ISPs to verify that a message reaching them was sent from an authorized server.
Based on the IP address used when sending the message and the DNS records of your domain name, these services can determine whether the server that contacted them is authorized to do so. If the message comes from an unauthorized server, it will be marked as spam so as not to fool the recipient!
SPF
3. DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance also called DMARC , is an authentication protocol based on SPF and DKIM. It was created in order to limit the abusive use of emails, spam, phishing. This protocol is mainly used in order to prevent fake emails and for this there are additional features (reporting, policy used, identity configuration) allowing increased monitoring on problems related to email authentication.
DMARC
Here is a tutorial to see how to integrate SPF, DMARC and DKIM keys on your host's DNS zone .
Conclusion
ISPs use email authentication to protect users from unwanted and unsecured emails. However, even genuine messages are sometimes filtered. That’s why email marketers need to know how these protocols work so they can take steps to ensure that most, if not all, messages are received by subscribers.
ActiveTrail takes email authentication seriously, to ensure the delivery of your email campaigns. We support currently accepted industry delivery standards, such as DKIM, SPF and Domain Keys, to ensure that we are identified as your delivery platform, ensuring that your emails reach your recipients' inboxes and never get bounced to spam.
Validation
Also feel free to check out the articles below:
SMTP: Definition and what is it for?
Want to learn how to create an effective newsletter?
8 tips for better email deliverability
Email authentication is a security procedure that aims to confirm the identity of a user based on their ability to access a specific email address. In this process, a system sends a message containing a unique code or link to the email address provided by the user. To prove their identity and the validity of their address, the user must then provide this code or click on the link. This method ensures that the email address has not been spoofed and is controlled by the person claiming to own it. Email authentication is commonly used when registering for online services or to reset forgotten passwords.
How to authenticate an email address?
To ensure that the address provided is valid and actually belongs to the user, when a person registers on a website or application, a verification email is automatically sent to the address provided. This message generally contains a unique link or a validation code. The user is then invited to click on this link or to enter the code on the site or applicationy germany telegram data performing this action, they confirm that they have access to this email address. If the user does not complete this authentication step, certain services or features may be restricted. This mechanism prevents fraudulent registrations and ensures effective communication between the service and the user.
Why is it important for email marketers to know about email authentication?
Consumers who purchase products promoted through emails pay 138% more than those who do not receive email offers. This means that email marketing is a key player in a company. But then, the efforts of email marketing in creating valuable emails are useless if they will never reach their destination. This is why an email marketing specialist must be well-versed in email authentication protocols to ensure that a company’s email campaign will be successful.
Eighty to ninety percent of emails on the web are spam. The prevalence of spam has made service providers aggressive in filtering messages which can cause a genuine email to be labeled as spam. An email marketer must be aware of the standards for email authentication to avoid false positives and email blocking. Here are three of the email authentication standards explained in detail.
Mail Authentication Standards
How to authenticate an email? ActiveTrail supports SPF and Domain Keys standards for email authentication. We have relationships with all major ISPs to ensure unbeatable email deliverability rates. To do this, our advanced system performs extensive testing, automatically performed on each campaign.
1. DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail ( DKIM ) is a DNS-based method for detecting whether a message has been tampered with during sending. It uses cryptographic text to verify the authenticity of an email by checking that the domain name has not been spoofed.
When creating an email, this method creates a hash that allows an encrypted signature to be added to the header of the email or to the entire message sent using a private key that is specific to your domain. The public key is added to your domain in a DNS.
The public key, corresponding to the private counterpart, is published on a particular subdomain used during encryption. Because only the authorized domain owner can publish the DNS verification for the subdomain, this links the public key to the domain holder.
When an ISP receives a DKIM-stamped email, it receives the DNS public key. The server then uses the public key to decode the signature embedded in the message. After that, the mail server calculates whether the hash of the incoming mail has an identical algorithm to that of the sender's email. If the calculated hash matches the encoded signature, the message is verified. Otherwise, it will be rejected or sent as spam.
DKIM
2. SPF
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is another DNS mail verification protocol that allows ISPs to verify that a message reaching them was sent from an authorized server.
Based on the IP address used when sending the message and the DNS records of your domain name, these services can determine whether the server that contacted them is authorized to do so. If the message comes from an unauthorized server, it will be marked as spam so as not to fool the recipient!
SPF
3. DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance also called DMARC , is an authentication protocol based on SPF and DKIM. It was created in order to limit the abusive use of emails, spam, phishing. This protocol is mainly used in order to prevent fake emails and for this there are additional features (reporting, policy used, identity configuration) allowing increased monitoring on problems related to email authentication.
DMARC
Here is a tutorial to see how to integrate SPF, DMARC and DKIM keys on your host's DNS zone .
Conclusion
ISPs use email authentication to protect users from unwanted and unsecured emails. However, even genuine messages are sometimes filtered. That’s why email marketers need to know how these protocols work so they can take steps to ensure that most, if not all, messages are received by subscribers.
ActiveTrail takes email authentication seriously, to ensure the delivery of your email campaigns. We support currently accepted industry delivery standards, such as DKIM, SPF and Domain Keys, to ensure that we are identified as your delivery platform, ensuring that your emails reach your recipients' inboxes and never get bounced to spam.
Validation
Also feel free to check out the articles below:
SMTP: Definition and what is it for?
Want to learn how to create an effective newsletter?
8 tips for better email deliverability