If you are a business owner and want to protect your email domain, there are several steps you will need to take which are outlined in this article. This guide is for beginners who want to set up their domain's email, DMARC, DKIM and SPF records. It will show you how to do this with free tools. The purpose of this guide is to keep it simple for your understanding.
It can be difficult for beginners to understand how these concepts work together, so the following example may help:
Let's say you own a large company with multiple domains. You want to protect your company name and brand from email fraud by signing all outgoing messages with DKIM and SPF. However, this will only prevent spoofing if the internal email server is also configured to use DMARC. This means that as soon as the messages are sent, they will be checked by the quarantine policy of your mail server. If the messages are spam, they will be blocked and sent to the spam folder. If they're not spam, then DMARC can help prevent people from forging your company's signature onto email that is actually a phishing scam. In this example, DKIM and SPF would protect your company name and brand, while DMARC would prevent your company's email address from being spoofed.
TIP: You might want to contact your service provider or your technical team if you're not interested in doing it on your own.
First, let's analyze with a Domain Health Checker if you need to work on all three records.
Definitions:
What is DKIM?
What is SPF?
What is DMARC?
Domain Name System and Mail Servers
Setting up a domain name is not difficult, but it does take time and patience. We covered this topic previously, but it is worth mentioning again. If you have to purchase a domain, there are many options available. Most hosting companies will include this service as part of their package, so you won't have to worry about the cost directly.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a system that translates the website address you type into your browser, for example 'google.com', into the numerical IP address that your computer uses to connect to the website's servers. It's a necessary part of the Internet and without it, you wouldn't be able to access websites.
Mail servers are used to send email messages over the internet. The Mail Server handles email delivery, storage and retrieval and provides an interface for sending mail messages between computers on a network. Domain Name System or DNS is a service that translates domain names into IP addresses.
You can set up your own mail server for use with your domain name, or you can use a third party mail server such as Gmail, Yahoo, or Hotmail. When you set up your own mail server, you'll need to use the domain name that corresponds with your email address. If you are using Gmail, for example, your domain name would be something like "yourname@gmail.com" and not yahoo.com.
Setting an SPF Record for Receiving Emails
SPF, or Sender Policy Framework, is a type of firewall that checks incoming emails to see if they are from a trusted sender.
It's important for your domain to have an SPF record set up properly in order to receive emails. There are many different types of SPF records and it's important to choose one that matches your needs. You can also set up a free SPF record at any time with the help of Google Domains.
Google Domains offers free SPF records for all domains registered with them. To get started, you'll need to go into your account Search for Domain Settings and click on "DNS Settings."
Steps for Setting an SPF Record requires three steps.
First, you'll need to add the domain name that will be used in the 'TXT' field to your DNS records.
Second, you should use a tool like SPF Record Checker to confirm that it was properly added.
Finally, you'll have to wait for the change to propagate before using this domain as an Sender Policy Framework (SPF) record.
Setting Up a DMARC record
The DMARC protocol is a way to prevent email spoofing. It is also a way to send authenticated emails from your domain. The DMARC protocol is not very complicated, but it does require some work to set up and maintain.
Steps for Setting Up Your Own DMARC Record
1. Identify your operating company or company name
2. Obtain a domain registrar account
3. Set up DNS records for your domain at the registrar's website, with the subdomain of "dmarc" under "Domain Name Protection" settings in the DNS Admin Console
4. Configure an SPF record for your email domain (if you haven't already)
5. Set up a DMARC record link to generate record
6. Verify your DMARC settings by sending an email from your domain to the SPF and DMARC validation service
Setting Up a DKIM Record for Sending Emails
A DKIM record is a type of email security that authenticates the sender of an email. If a message has a valid DKIM signature, the receiving mail server can verify that the message was sent by an approved source. Let's walk you through setting up your DKIM record for sending emails.
To set up a DKIM record for sending emails, you'll need to follow these steps:
- Gather your domain name and public key information
- Create a TXT record with your domain name and public key
- Add the TXT record to your DNS records
- Check validity again, it might take up to 48 hours.
Where do I generate my public key for DKIM record setup?
It is a type of email authentication system that helps to protect against email spoofing. Visit your email service provider's Support page. to find instructions on how to generate your public key.
Conclusion
Finally, you can check again with the Domain Health Checker to make sure everything is working well. This article has given you a brief overview of the email account setup process and how to secure your email account.
To conclude, It is crucial to take precautions when using email. You should always use a strong password and never share your login credentials with anyone. You should also always be aware of what links you click on to avoid phishing attacks.
