DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, is a method for confirming the legitimacy of an email by using an e-signature. When DomainKeys Identified Mail is activated for a specific domain name, a public encryption key is published to the global Domain Name System and a private one is stored on the email server. If a new email is sent, a signature is generated using the private key and when the message is received, that signature is checked by the incoming server using the public key. In this way, the recipient can easily recognize if the email message is legitimate or if the sender’s email address has been forged. A discrepancy will appear if the content of the email has been modified in the meantime as well, so DKIM can also be used to make sure that the sent and the delivered emails are identical and that nothing has been attached or removed. This email authentication system will boost your email security, since you can confirm the authenticity of the important email messages that you receive and your partners can do likewise with the email messages that you send them. Based on the particular email provider’s policy, a message that fails to pass the check may be deleted or may show up in the receiver’s inbox with a warning notification.
