What is DKIM?

DKIM stands for DomainKeys Identified Mail. It is an e-mail authentication protocol used to verify the integrity of the sender and content of the e-mail. DKIM was developed to reduce spam and phishing and to prevent emails from being forged. In this article, we will discuss what DKIM is, why you should have DKIM, how DKIM works, and the pros and cons of DKIM.

Why you should have DKIM

DKIM is important because it helps email recipients determine if the email is coming from a legitimate sender. This is because DKIM adds a digital signature to the e-mail that allows the sender to prove that the e-mail actually came from them. This allows recipients to be confident that the e-mail they receive is legitimate and not spam or phishing.

In addition, companies that use DKIM can deliver their e-mails better, as e-mail providers such as Gmail and Yahoo give higher priority to e-mails that have DKIM activated. This is because emails with DKIM are less likely to be seen as spam.

How does DKIM work?

DKIM works by adding a digital signature to the e-mail, allowing the recipient to verify the authenticity of the e-mail. This digital signature is created by using a public and private key. The public key is published in the DNS records of the sender’s domain. The private key is used to create the digital signature and is stored on the sender’s mail server.

When an e-mail is sent, the sender’s mail server creates the digital signature using the private key. The recipient can then verify the digital signature by finding the public key in the DNS records of the sender’s domain and comparing the digital signature to the contents of the e-mail. If the digital signature matches the content of the email, the recipient knows that the email came from a legitimate sender.

Advantages and disadvantages of DKIM

Advantages

• Reduces spam and phishing
• Increases email deliverability
• Provides an additional layer of security for emails
• Can help build trust with recipients

Disadvantages

• Requires some technical knowledge to set up
• Not all email providers support DKIM
• Can slow down the sender’s email server

A handy tool: Dmarcify

DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) is another email authentication protocol that works in conjunction with DKIM and SPF (Sender Policy Framework) to verify the authenticity of emails and prevent email forgery. DMARC requires both DKIM and SPF to be configured correctly before it works. It also uses reporting to inform senders of the performance of their authentication protocols.

A useful tool that can help configure DMARC is Dmarcify. This tool is designed to make it easier to implement and manage DMARC. It provides a user-friendly interface to set up the DMARC record and also offers detailed reporting on the performance of the DMARC policy.

In a nutshell

DKIM is an important email authentication protocol that helps businesses make their emails more secure and increase deliverability. Although it requires some technical knowledge to set up, it can help reduce spam and phishing and build recipient trust. Moreover, using a tool such as Dmarcify can make it easier to implement and manage DMARC.