DKIM (Domain Keys Identified mail) is an email authentication method that lets the recipient verify that an email was actually sent and approved through the owner the domain. This is done by providing the email an electronic signature. The DKIM signature is an additional header to the message and secured by encryption.
When the an email receiver (or the system that receives) is able to determine that the email has been authentically signed by a DKIM signature and confirms that all the parts of the message, such as the body of the message and attachments aren't changed. Most of the time, DKIM signatures are not accessible to users, and the verification is performed at the server level.
Incorporating the DKIM standard will increase the delivery of emails. If you utilize DKIM record along with DMARC (and even SPF) you will also safeguard your domain from harmful emails being sent on behalf your domains. However, in reality, this is more efficiently if you employ DKIM record in conjunction with DMARC (and even SPF). DMARC along with DMARC Analyzer utilize the two SPF and DKIM. Together they offer synergy, and provide the best results for security of email and deliverability.
Cisco’s Identified Internet Mail and Yahoo’s Domain Keys combined and created DKIM in 2004.
It evolved into a brand new widely used authentication method that was recognized in the form of an RFC by the IETF. All major ISP's (like Google, Microsoft and Yahoo) examine the mail they receive to verify DKIM signatures.
A domain owner can add the DKIM record that is a modified TXT records in the DNS records of the domain that is sending. This record is comprised of an encrypted public key used by the mail servers receiving your mail to verify the authenticity of an email message. The key is usually supplied directly to the company who is sending your mail, like Postmark, SendGrid, Postmark as well as Google Apps.
DKIM offers emails the signature header, which adds to emails, and is secured by encryption. Each DKIM signature has all the data required by an email service to prove that the signature is authentic and is secured through a pair DKIM keys. The email server that originated the signature uses what's called"the "private DKIM key," which is confirmed by the email server or ISP using the other part of the keypair known as"the "public DKIM key."
These signatures travel along with the emails and are confirmed throughout the process by servers for email that forward the emails to their destination.
It is accomplished by adding digital signatures to the headers of emails. This signature can be verified against a cryptographic key that is public within the company's Domain Name System (DNS) records. The way to describe it is that the procedure operates as follows:
Domain owners publish the cryptographic public key in an TXT file that is specially formatted in the DNS records of the domain.
If a mail message is sent out by one of the mail servers outbound the server creates and adds an distinct DKIM signature header on the mail message. This header consists of two cryptographic hashes: one of the headers specified, and one for the body of the message (or the body of the message body). The header provides information on the method of generating the signature.
If an outbound email server gets an email inbox it searches for the email sender's publicly accessible DKIM signature in DNS. The server that receives the email utilizes this key to decode the signature, and then compare it to a fresh calculated version. When the values are identical then the message can be confirmed to be authentic and has not been altered while in the process of.
DKIM, SPF, and DMARC are all standards that allow for various aspects of email authentication. They tackle complementary issues.
SPF allows mailers to specify which IP addresses are eligible to forward mail for the specified domain.
DKIM offers an encryption key and digital signature which confirms that the email message was not altered or faked.
DMARC consolidates two of the SPF as well as DKIM's authentication systems into a single framework that allows domain owners to specify how they want email from their domain treated in the event that it is rejected for authorization.
If you're a company sending transactional or commercial email You must use one or more types or authenticating emails to ensure the email actually comes coming from your company or you. Configuring the correct email authentication standard is among the most crucial actions you can take to enhance the delivery of your emails. But, on its own, it's only going so far; SparkPost and other email experts suggest applying the SPF protocol and DMARC to create an even more comprehensive email security policy.
If DKIM alignment fails, or when it is determined that the value of d of the Header From doesn't match the value of d= in the DKIM signature, it can adversely affect delivery as mailbox providers might forward this message directly to spam, or stop it completely.
It is crucial to look over all messages that fail to find the sources that are legitimate or not. If you are able to identify an entity as legitimate, you are able to examine it and set up DKIM properly. If a source isn't acknowledged, you must investigate it as this may signal attempts to send malicious emails on behalf your domain.
