Email, like the procedure of verifying email domains, is crucial to all internet organizations. For marketing, cold sales pitches, product releases, client communications, newsletters and more, SaaS firms rely extensively on email. But how do you ensure that spoofers aren't utilizing your brand name and reputation if you work for a SaaS company? That's why, having a solid SaaS email authentication system is so important.
More than 306.4 billion emails were exchanged in 2020, according to Statista, with that number predicted to rise to 376.4 billion by 2025. Meanwhile, according to Deloitte, 91% of all cybercrime starts with impersonating an unwitting victim.
Authenticating your email channels is no longer a luxury. Protecting your business, brand reputation, and trust relationships with partners and clients have become critical. You'll lose more than just time and money if you ignore email authentication. Continue reading to find out more.
Also Read: Fight BEC using Email Authentication
What is email authentication, and how does it work?
Email authentication is a technological solution for SaaS organizations that ensures that an email originates from the specified sender only. As a result, harmful and fraudulent behaviors such as phishing and spamming are blocked and prevented.
The three most prevalent email authentication protocols are Sender Policy Framework (SPF), DomainKeys Identified Email (DKIM), and Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC).
We'll concentrate on learning the fundamentals. Before we go any further, here are some reasons why SaaS organizations should engage in these services:
- Improves the brand's image
- Keeps your customers safe from crooks
- Reduces the likelihood of data leak
- Increases the trustworthiness of your brand
- Enhances email deliverability
The flow of email authentication
Basic email authentication entails authenticating the origin of the email domain ownership of Message Transfer Agents (MTAs). MTAs are programs that transport emails between a sender's and a recipient's computers. As a result, they are extremely effective at detecting spam or fake emails.
To put it another way, the domain name system (DNS) contains the email authentication protocols for all domains and subdomains. The sender's and receiver's servers interact with each other to authenticate the legitimacy of an email. This verifies the authenticity of an email’s sender.
3 popular email authentication protocols for SaaS
As previously stated, the three most often used SaaS email authentication techniques are SPF, DKIM, and DMARC. Despite the fact that we've discussed them extensively on our site, let's take a brief look at each.
SPF
The Sender Policy Framework (SPF) informs the DNS of the domain owner's shared hostnames and IP addresses for sending emails. As a result, emails from unknown hostnames or IP addresses are marked as inauthentic since they do not match the DNS record.
DKIM
Along with the email, a DKIM encrypted signature is sent to the recipient's server. It is checked for validity.
The technique involves two keys in total. To begin, the administrator registers a public key with the DNS. Second, the email servers make use of a private key. The encrypted digital signature enables the server of the recipient to get the key for basic email authentication.
Between 2020 and 2021, the number of keys on DKIM quadrupled. The 1024-bit keys rose by double, while the 2048-bit keys increased by 4.5 times. This merely adds to the growing confidence of clients searching for workplace email security.
DMARC
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) is not a direct email authentication technique for SaaS. Rather, it indicates that the sender domain has SPF, DKIM, or both implemented for email authentication. It's gaining a lot of traction and support since it uses SPF and DKIM to create a common foundation, which improves the system's defenses against cyber thieves.
A valid email may fail the SPF or DKIM methods used for SaaS email authentication. Despite this, mailbox providers will allow it to pass through if it appears to be from a legitimate and authentic source. In this case, DMARC outlines the appropriate action.
Bottom Line
Nobody on the planet wants hackers to target their websites. Investing in the right tools to validate your email domain is the best way to secure your SaaS business. Use EmailAuth’s free DMARC checker to verify your DMARC records!
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Original source: https://www.reddit.com/user/emailauth-io/comments/tyzvhe/email_authentication_know_hows_for_saas_teams/
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