DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, is a system for checking the authenticity of an email message by using an electronic signature. When DomainKeys Identified Mail is enabled for a certain domain, a public key is published to the global DNS database and a private one is stored on the mail server. If a new email is sent, a signature is generated using the private key and when the email is delivered, that signature is authenticated by the POP3/IMAP server using the public key. Thus, the receiver can easily recognize if the email message is authentic or if the sender’s email address has been forged. A discrepancy will occur if the content of the email message has been modified in the meantime as well, so DKIM can also be used to ensure that the sent and the delivered email messages are identical and that nothing has been attached or erased. This validation system will boost your email safety, as you can confirm the legitimacy of the important emails that you get and your associates can do likewise with the emails that you send them. Based on the given email service provider’s policy, an email that fails the check may be erased or may end up in the receiver’s mailbox with a warning alert.
