DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, is a system for validating the authenticity of an email by using an electronic signature. When DomainKeys Identified Mail is enabled for a particular domain, a public cryptographic key is published to the global DNS database and a private one is stored on the mail server. If a new email message is sent, a signature is issued using the private key and when the message is delivered, that signature is validated by the incoming server using the public key. In this way, the recipient can easily tell if the email message is genuine or if the sender’s address has been spoofed. A mismatch will appear if the content of the email has been modified on its way 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 authentication system will strengthen your email safety, since you can validate the authenticity of the important emails that you get and your colleagues can do the same with the emails that you send them. Based on the given email service provider’s policies, an email that fails to pass the check may be removed or may emerge in the receiver’s mailbox with a warning flag.
