DomainKeys Identified Mail, or DKIM, is a system for checking the legitimacy of an email message using an e-signature. When DomainKeys Identified Mail is activated for a certain domain, a public key is published to the global DNS database and a private one is stored on the email server. When a new message is sent, a signature is generated using the private key and when the message is received, that signature is checked by the POP3/IMAP email server using the public key. In this way, the recipient can easily recognize if the email is legitimate or if the sender’s address has been spoofed. A discrepancy will appear if the content of the email message has been modified in the meantime as well, so DKIM can also be used to make sure that the sent and the received email messages are identical and that nothing has been attached or removed. This validation system will enhance your email security, since you can confirm the legitimacy of the important email messages that you get and your associates can do the same with the messages that you send them. Depending on the particular email service provider’s policy, an email message that fails to pass the check may be deleted or may emerge in the receiver’s mailbox with a warning.

DomainKeys Identified Mail in Shared Web Hosting

In case you host a domain in a shared web hosting account with us, all the mandatory records for using the DomainKeys Identified Mail feature will be added by default. This will happen the moment you add the domain name in the Control Panel’s Hosted Domains section, on the condition that the domain also uses our NS records. A private encryption key will be generated on our mail servers, while a public key will be published to the global DNS system automatically by using the TXT record. In this way, you won’t need to do anything manually and you’ll be able to make use of all the benefits of this email validation system – your email messages will reach any target audience without being disallowed and no one will be able to send out messages forging your email addresses. The latter is rather important if the type of your web presence involves sending out regular offers or newsletters via email to prospective and existing customers.