New Requirements for bulk senders
Starting this February, Google and Yahoo, who account for around 35% of email clients, are rolling out requirements for bulk email senders, to increase email security and stop potential cyber threats.
These rules emphasise authenticating outgoing emails through SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. These may seem daunting, but understanding their differences and how they work to protect your inbox is essential for email security.
SPF (Sender Policy Framework), is an email authentication protocol to check if mail servers are authorised to send emails for your domain. This occurs when a malicious sender forges the sender’s address to make it appear that the email is from a trusted source -SPF helps prevent this by allowing domain owners to specify which mail servers are authorised to send emails on behalf of their domain.
When an email is sent, the receiving mail server checks the SPF record of the sender’s domain. The SPF record contains a list of authorised mail servers. The email is legitimate if the sender’s mail server matches one of the authorised servers listed in the SPF record. Otherwise, it may be marked as potentially fraudulent.
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail), is another email authentication protocol that verifies the integrity of the email’s content and the sender’s authenticity. Unlike SPF, DKIM focuses on the sender’s email’s content.
When an email is sent, the sender’s mail server adds a digital signature to the email’s header using the private key associated with the sender’s domain. The receiving mail server then verifies the signature using the public key published in the sender’s domain’s DNS records. The email is considered genuine if the signature is valid and the message has not been altered in transit.
DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance), is an authentication protocol that builds upon SPF and DKIM, allowing domain owners to instruct receiving mail servers on handling emails that fail SPF or DKIM checks.
When a receiving mail server encounters an email claiming to be from a domain that has implemented DMARC, it first checks for SPF and DKIM authentication. If either SPF or DKIM passes, the email is considered legitimate. However, if both SPF and DKIM fail, the DMARC policy comes into play. The DMARC policy instructs the receiving mail server whether to quarantine, reject, or accept the email, depending on the domain owner’s configuration.
Cloud Scalability in Cybersecurity:
Here at VMhosts we emphasise the security benefits of scalable cloud solutions —The ability to adjust IT resources dynamically allows businesses to manage traffic effectively without compromising security. Cloud scalability provides a cost-effective and flexible solution for businesses.
Compliance and Scalability:
Compliance with new bulk email rules and the adoption of scalable cloud solutions provide tangible benefits. Enhanced email authentication creates a more secure communication environment, lowering the risk of phishing attacks and unauthorised access. Keeping reported spam rates low not only complies with regulations, but it also protects business reputation and user trust.
By understanding the security rationale behind the new bulk email rules from Google and Yahoo, and actively incorporating them into security strategies, businesses can not only comply with regulations but also reap the benefits of a more secure and resilient communication environment. For cybersecurity insights tailored to your business needs, reach out to our team of experts at VMhosts.