Microsoft estimates that as many as 20 million emails a day fail its authentication protocol Sender ID and consequently are not delivered to Windows Live Hotmail users. Designed to catch forged emails before they get to recipients, authentication is a process by which ISPs verify that messages actually originate from the Internet domain from which they claim to have been sent.
Protecting users from phishing, spoofing and other devious methods for data-mining and theft has become increasingly important. Industry-wide adoption of email authentication programs can be worth the effort to sustain the delicate relationship between email senders and receivers.
Current email authentication platforms include:
- DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM). Translates domain names (i.e. "xyzcompany.com") into Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Provides a means of associating a verifiable identity with a message. Given the presence of that identity, a receiver can make decisions about further handling of the message (e.g., delivery to inbox or rejection).
- Sender ID Framework (SIDF). Compares the address of the server sending the mail with the pre-registered servers associated with that domain name.
Organizations that implement authentication schemes can realize the following benefits:
- Protecting your good name. No legitimate company wants to have spammers impersonate them, but that's just what happens when safeguards aren't put into place. Authentication helps ensure your messages reach your customers, and are not the messages of some nefarious organization pretending to be you.
- Protecting your customers. Microsoft estimates that over 90 percent of phishing and virus laden emails forge the "from" line or sender's address to deceive users into thinking the email is from a legitimate source.
- Improving deliverability rates. Authentication and reputation are proven methods to improve deliverability rates.
To learn more about ensuring your messages reach their intended recipients, download a free white paper from Microsoft on Sender ID.
