DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, is a method for validating the authenticity of an email message using an electronic signature. When DomainKeys Identified Mail is activated for a certain domain name, a public encryption key is published to the global DNS system and a private one is stored on the email server. If a new email message is sent, a signature is issued using the private key and when the email is delivered, the signature is verified by the incoming POP3/IMAP email server using the public key. In this way, the recipient can easily know if the email message is genuine or if the sender’s address has been spoofed. A mismatch will occur if the content of the email message has been edited in the meantime as well, so DKIM can also be used to ensure that the sent and the delivered messages are identical and that nothing has been added or removed. This validation system will heighten your email safety, since you can confirm the authenticity of the important email messages that you get and your associates can do likewise with the messages that you send them. Depending on the given email service provider’s adopted policy, an email that fails to pass the check may be erased or may enter the receiver’s mailbox with a warning flag.
