DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, is a method for validating the authenticity of an email message by using an e-signature. When DomainKeys Identified Mail is activated for a given domain, a public encryption key is published to the global DNS database and a private one is kept on the mail server. When a new email is sent, a signature is issued using the private key and when the email is delivered, the signature is checked by the receiving server using the public key. Thus, the recipient can easily discern if the email message is legitimate or if the sender’s address has been forged. A mismatch will occur if the content of the email has been edited in the meantime as well, so DKIM can also be used to ensure that the sent and the received emails are identical and that nothing has been added or erased. This email validation system will boost your email safety, as you can confirm the genuineness of the important email messages that you receive and your colleagues can do likewise with the messages that you send them. Based on the particular email provider’s adopted policy, a message that fails the test may be deleted or may reach the receiver’s mailbox with a warning notification.
