How To Check & Authenticate Emails: Ultimate Guide To Email Authentication

Today, email is a popular way of communication between corporate and customers. So it has become the most preferred way for cyber criminals to attack organizations. Research says, most of the of all cyberattacks use this way to harm companies. Email authentication is an effective way to differentiate between real and fake emails. 

Email authentication solutions like DMARC, SPF, and DKIM are becoming more popular to increase deliverability and avoiding spam like this these days 

This email authentication guide highlights the importance of email authentication and methods of email authentication. 

What is Email Authentication? 

Email authentication is a process that confirms the identity of email senders and checks the authenticity of emails to ensure security. Email authentication is an important way for businesses that are based on emails. Email authentication helps users to differentiate legitimate email and suspicious emails that reduce the chances of potential risk of cyberattacks on the companies.

Why Email Authentication is Required?

Email authentication for all domains is the highly recommended way by the cybersecurity specialists. Because attackers know several ways to harm authentication domain names Unauthenticated domain names can be used for:

• Stealing login credentials
• Spoofing and impersonating
• Spreading ransomware
• Carrying out illegal activities

Three Commonly Used Email Authentication Protocols

1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) Email Authentication Process

SPF protocol is used for publishing an authorized list of senders. For example, if “1.12.1.11” is an authentic IP for your emails, it can be added to your SPF record. 

This protocol helps servers to recognize emails received from this legitimate IP and your domain. Afterward, an email sent from an IP address that is not listed in your SPF record, will be marked as suspicious IP.

In the SPF email authentication process, domain owners create an SPF record in their DNS that contains IPs for all authorized email senders, enabling the SPF protocol. The recipient’s email server checks this SPF record and confirms that the mail server is authorized for the sending domain. 

If it is authorized, SPF passes, otherwise it fails to pass the mail.

2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) Email Authentication Process

In the DKIM email authentication process digital signatures are used to sign emails, ensuring that it is not altered during the delivery. DKIM stops the attack where attackers alter the emails during the email communication and delivery process. This process is used when the SPF method does not work well.

In this email authentication process two pairs are created by the domain owner. The Public key is published on the DNS. Private key is shared with the email service provider, who can only sign the outgoing emails.  

Once you send an email from your domain, your signing authority uses the private key to create a difficult value that gets appended to your message header. This signature can then be verified by the receiving server by matching it against your public key. A match suggests DKIM pass for your email. 

3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance) Email Authentication Process

DMARC is also an email authentication protocol that is used to control unauthorized messages. With DMARC you can authenticate the emails that break SPF or DKIM authentication methods. 

To configure DMARC you need to use either SPF or DKIM. If you configure both, for your emails to pass DMARC, it should pass either of the two protocol checks. 

If you configure a policy of “none” no action will be taken. If you configure the “quarantine” policy, your email will be lodged in the recipient’s quarantine folder. If you choose “reject”, emails failing authentication will be discarded. 

How to Check Email Authentication Manually? 

To check manually if your emails are authenticated, you need to send a test mail from your domain to an account you have access to.

• Click on the 3 dots in the top right corner, and select “Show original”.

• In a new tab the original message headers will appear. You can check the message summary for SPF, DKIM and DMARC

• Scroll down to view detailed headers and search for “dkim=”, “spf=” and “dmarc=” fields.

This confirms that your emails are authenticated. 

How to Authenticate Your Email?

To start email authentication, you need to configure email authentication protocols. 

Let’s explore the steps: 

Step 1: Set Up SPF or DKIM Records

• To start email authentication you can configure either SPF or DKIM. 
• You can manually create DNS records and publish the records on your DNS. 
• Or you can use SPF record generator and DKIM record generator tools for this step.

Step 2: Set Up DMARC for Emails

To configure DMARC, you can sign up with PowerDMARC for free. 

Then create a custom record for your domain. 

Make sure you select a DMARC policy before hitting the “Generate” button. 

This record needs to be published on your DNS as well.

Step 3: Verify Your Email Authentication Setup

• Once you have finished configuring your email authentication protocols, you should check them. 
• Incorrect records can invalidate your email authentication efforts. 
• To check your email authentication setup, you can either check your email headers. 
• Just enter your domain name and click on “lookup” to check if your record is valid.

Get Started with email authentication with LeasePacket

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• Expert Support: Our dedicated support team is available 24/7 to assist you with any technical issues or queries.

Conclusion

Email authentication is your go-to choice for secure and reliable email communications. By implementing DMARC, SPF, and DKIM, you ensure your emails are authenticated and protected against phishing and spoofing attacks. 

Choose LeasePacket for a secure, reliable, and authenticated email server solution, and safeguard your business communications today.