Keeping your business email secure is essential for protecting your reputation and ensuring that your messages reach clients without being marked as spam. Cybercriminals often try to impersonate businesses through email fraud, but you can prevent this with three key email authentication tools: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC.
While these terms may seem technical at first, they are straightforward once you understand their purpose. We’ll explain their function in a clear and practical way, making it easier to see how they protect your business email.
Without these security protocols in place, email servers have no reason to trust that your messages are legitimate. This means your emails are more likely to end up in spam folders, especially when reaching out to new clients. Implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC helps establish trust, ensuring your emails land in inboxes instead of getting lost in spam.
SFP (Server Policy Framework)
SPF is a security measure that helps email servers verify whether an email was sent from an authorized source. It works by listing approved mail servers in a special record stored in your domain settings. When an email arrives, the receiving server checks this list to see if the email came from a trusted sender.
What does this mean?
Imagine you run a delivery service. SPF is like having an official list of drivers who are allowed to deliver packages for your business. If someone who isn’t on the list tries to deliver a package claiming it’s from you, the recipient can check the list and reject it if the driver isn’t authorized.
What happens without it?
If you don’t have SPF set up, other email servers don’t know which senders are legitimate, so they might treat your emails as suspicious and send them to spam. Or worse, illegitimate senders might send with your domain with no checks available, causing problems for recipients, and impact to your reputation
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails, proving that they were sent by your domain and haven’t been altered in transit. This signature is like a seal of authenticity that email servers use to verify that the message hasn’t been tampered with.
What does this mean?
Going back to the delivery analogy, DKIM is like placing a tamper-proof seal on every package you send. If the seal is broken when the package arrives, the recipient knows something is wrong and might not trust it.
What happens without it?
Without DKIM, your emails could be altered during transmission, making them look suspicious to email providers. As a result, they could be marked as spam or rejected altogether.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance)
DMARC is a policy that tells email servers how to handle messages that fail SPF or DKIM checks. You can set it to allow, quarantine, or reject emails that don’t pass authentication. DMARC also provides reports, so you can monitor any attempts to send unauthorized emails from your domain.
What does this mean?
Think of DMARC as your security manager. If someone tries to deliver a package that doesn’t have an approved driver (SPF) or a proper seal (DKIM), DMARC decides what to do—reject it, hold it for further inspection, or let it through with a warning. Plus, it keeps a log of all deliveries so you can track any suspicious activity.
What happens without it?
Without DMARC, there’s no enforcement of SPF or DKIM, meaning fraudulent emails pretending to be from your business might still get through. This can harm your reputation and cause email servers to distrust messages from your domain.
How implementing these protocols builds trust.
When your business email is properly authenticated with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC:
- Other mail servers recognize your emails as legitimate, reducing the chances of them being marked as spam.
- Your clients and potential clients are less likely to receive phishing emails pretending to be from your company.
- You protect your brand’s reputation by preventing fraudsters from impersonating your domain.
- Your email deliverability improves, meaning your important communications are more likely to reach inboxes instead of spam folders.
By implementing these security measures, you create a more secure and professional email experience, reinforcing trust with your clients and prospects.
Contact Us for Expert Help with Your Email Security
Securing your email can be complex, but you don’t have to do it alone. At New England Business Technology, we specialize in setting up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC to keep your business email secure and trusted.
Contact us today to ensure your emails are protected and always reach the right inboxes!
