Email is an inseparable part of the modern business, and many organizations send out hundreds if not thousands of emails daily. Unfortunately, email happens to also be one of the most common tools bad actors use to distribute phishing scams and engage in social engineering. This means that at any given moment, thousands of emails containing malicious links or documents are hitting individuals' inboxes every day. To better protect users, email authentication methods including DMARC and DKIM are implemented. In 2024, Google and Yahoo plan to institute changes that will better secure users but will also change how organizations use and secure their emails.
What's Changing?
In early 2024, both Gmail and Yahoo Mail will require all bulk email senders to strongly authenticate their emails in accordance with best security practices such as DMARC, SPF, and DKIM. These senders will also have to enable easy unsubscription so that recipients can opt out of any emails they don't wish to receive. Gmail and Yahoo will also require that organizations ensure they are only sending email to consenting parties and aren't engaging in spam tactics. These new requirements seek to decrease the amount of phishing emails sent to individuals and organizations alike. Implementing email verification processes will also combat business email compromise (BEC), a form of social engineering that sends out messages claiming to come from a legitimate business source.
Implementing Email Security
In order to comply with the upcoming requirements, set by Gmail and Yahoo Mail, bulk email senders are being asked to implement secure email protocols including DMARC, DKIM, and SPF. What do these terms actually mean?
SPF
SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is an email protocol that secures your DNS server in order to restrict who can send emails from your domain. What does DNS mean? Domain Name System (DNS) maps IP addresses to domain names, making it easy for users to navigate the internet. Think of the DNS protocol as a phone book or contact list of the internet. Instead of memorizing dozens of unique phone numbers, your smart phone attributes these numbers to a name. When you try to call John Smith, your phone knows to dial a certain number. Similarly, when you enter "www.amazon.com" your web browser translates this domain name to the IP address associated with Amazon. If you decided to email jsmith@example.com, your email will find its way to the desired inbox. SPF ensures that bad actors aren't able to replicate or send their own malicious emails from your domain name.
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is another email security protocol that is used to confirm the integrity of your emails' content. It ensures that during transit, the content of the email hasn't been altered or tampered with.
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) combines the techniques of both SPF and DKIM. This policy checks to ensure that both SPF and DKIM have been confirmed before sending through the email to its recipient.
Let CorpInfoTech Help
Many organizations may find implementing SPF, DKIM, and DMARC frustrating and complex. CorpInfoTech offers email protection and security services that ensure that your inboxes are protected from malicious emails, and your domain isn't be hijacked by bad actors. Let CorpInfoTech protect your emails and let you focus on providing your expert services to your customers!
CorpInfoTech (Corporate Information Technologies) provides small to mid-market organizations with expert I.T. services, including security assessment, cybersecurity penetration tests, managed services (MSP), firewall management, and vulnerability management. CorpInfoTech can help organizations, quantify, create, refine, and mitigate the risks presented by business threatening disasters in whatever form they may be disguised.
