DomainKeys Identified Mail

DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, is a system for checking the genuineness of an email by using an electronic signature. When DomainKeys Identified Mail is enabled for a specific domain, a public cryptographic key is published to the global Domain Name System and a private one is kept on the email server. If a new email message is sent, a signature is generated using the private key and when the message is received, the signature is verified by the POP3/IMAP mail server using the public key. In this way, the receiver can easily tell if the email message is legitimate or if the sender’s email address has been spoofed. A discrepancy will occur if the content of the email message has been edited in the meantime as well, so DKIM can also be used to make sure that the sent and the delivered messages are identical and that nothing has been added or deleted. This validation system will strengthen your email security, as you can validate the genuineness of the important emails that you receive and your colleagues can do the same with the email messages that you send them. Based on the particular email provider’s policy, an email message that fails the test may be removed or may be delivered to the receiver’s mailbox with a warning symbol.