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3 email security protocols that help prevent address spoofing

It is vital for every user to use the global email standards like Sender Policy Framework (SPF), Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) and Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), etc. Millions of users have been using these standards to prevent address spoofing.

The sender’s email domain administrator enables these protocols in the DNS through TXT records, TXT records are a type of DNS records. After the protocol is enabled, the email server and client can check the additional information to verify whether the email is sent from the email domain from which it claims to be sent.

The sender uses these protocols so that no one else could claim to be them. The sender enables the protocol in their system so that receivers can verify that emails. The receivers use these protocols to confirm that the emails are from the right person. It is beneficial for both the receiver and sender.

SPF prevents spoofing of a legitimate email real return address. An email real return address is the one which is used to send a reply to the domain. It is usually known as 5321address and it defines a simple mail transfer protocol. The sender name is not visible on the email.

DKIM prevents the spoofing of the Display From an email address. The display form address is always visible to the end-users.

DMARC is an extra standard that is used to teach the one relying on your SPF and DMARC, how to deal with spoofing emails.

Benefits of using these protocols

  • They prevent the emails send out from being bannered as spam.
  • They reduce the attempts by a spammer to spoof your domain.
  • They make the domain less attractive to the spammers because it identifies the server or host you use to authorize the email.
  • They help in preventing your domain to be blacklisted by spam filters.
  • They protect people from spam, fraud, phishing, etc as they do not allow the unauthorized use of an email domain.
  • They provide visibility, who and what across the internet is using your email domain to send emails.
  • These protocols use the same plumbing which is used by mega-firms to deliver email.
  • These protocols make your email easy to identify across the growing footprint of DMARC.