Intela Global Performance-Based Marketing and Lead Generation Blog

As stated in one of my previous posts, Spamhaus was planning on launching their domain block list on March 1, 2010. In order to fight against spam more efficiently, Spamhaus decided to add this new feature to their arsenal (already composed of SBL the Spamhaus Block List, XBL the Exploits Block List, PBL the Policy Block List). This list is now available for system administrators all around the globe and will be used as a uri blocklist as well as a RHSBL (right hand side block list). In other words, this will trap everything on the right hand side of the @ sign. Spamhaus officials stated that even though this list is primarily destined to trap URI inside the body of the email, it can also be used for checks at the SMTP level such as: HELO, connecting IP or DNS domain, From & Reply-To domains, Message-ID domain. This list is considered as a “zero false positive list” according to Spamhaus and there are serious implications for marketers.

First of all, it is important to understand the concept of “false positive”. Every spam filter out there is bound to generate false positives and always need tweaking to reduce them to a minimum. A false positive is (in spam filter terms) an email or a characteristic related to an email being trapped as malicious or spammy by mistake. To simplify things, one could describe it as an email which has been trapped by a glitch in the filter when it should have been delivered. By considering this list as a “zero false positive list” Spamhaus certainly implies that the margin for mediation for marketers flagged on that list is next to zero. Indeed, based on their statement, anybody appearing on that list will be there for a good reason: spamming activity. It is important for marketers to keep this in mind and make sure that their domains don’t appear on this list. Maintaining a limited number of well monitored domains is key.

Additionally, list hygiene and a strong opt-in process are essential to eliminate the possibility of emailing spam traps (main source of information for spam filters).  Thus far in 2010, we are witnessing a big shift from IP reputation and blacklists to domain based reputation and blacklists. In order to comply to ISPs’ standards and maintain high deliverability and ROI, marketers must adapt.

By:

Martin Ebongue, European Email Delivery Manager

What is DKIM?

DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is an authentication protocol developed in order to address the security problem of spoofing, phishing, forged e-mail messages, and other fraudulent practices for underlying email sending technology. DKIM is an enhanced protocol of DomainKeys with the adoption of certain aspects of Identified Internet Mail. DKIM is the result of combined efforts from Yahoo! and Cisco amongst other supporters.

Why has DKIM become essential?

DKIM authentication technology allows supporting Internet Service Providers (ISP) to confirm the identity of the sender. If the identity of the sender cannot be authenticated, email messages will result in additional anti-spam filtering to determine if messages should be delivered to inbox, bulk or rejected. Without DKIM authentication, sender’s chances of being filtered or blocked by major ISPs are greatly increased.

As previously mentioned, DKIM authentication is important because it allows ISPs to verify the originating source; preventing phishing scams, domain forgery, and other fraudulent practices. DKIM authentication plays a key role in the emerging reputation and accreditation systems that will drive the future of email. As a legitimate business, authentication is not optional; rather it is essential to securing your brand and online reputation.

DKIM is now the key component of the newly developed domain reputation systems allowing senders like Intela to benefit from the numerous advantages of domain reputation: domain whitelist / enhanced whitelist and more importantly reputation portability from one IP to the other.

How does the DKIM authentication protocol work?

Generally, ISPs utilize two primary methods of authentication: IP and cryptographic.

1. The IP solution ties a responsible sending domain back to a set of permitted IP addresses, which requires publishing text (TXT) records in the Domain Name System (DNS) record for each of your domains. Essentially, this solution validates the origin of e-mail messages by verifying the IP address of the sender against the alleged owner of the sending domain.

Examples of an IP-based solution are SPF (Sender Policy Framework) and Sender ID, which has been adopted by over 10 million domain holders worldwide.

2. Cryptographic authentication signs each message in a way that is difficult to forge and designed to verify the DNS domain of an e-mail sender and the message integrity, proving that the message came from the indicated sending domain and provides senders with a consistent reputation across their domain regardless of what IPs mail it’s sent from.

Examples of a cryptographic solution are Yahoo! DomainKeys and DKIM.

• AOL supports SPF (IP solution) and DKIM (Cryptographic authentication).

• Microsoft (Hotmail, MSN, and Exchange) supports Sender ID (IP solution) which provides additional input to their SmartScreen junk email filtering process.

• Yahoo! supports DomainKeys (Cryptographic authentication) and DKIM (Cryptographic authentication).

• Gmail supports DomainKeys (Cryptographic authentication), DKIM (Cryptographic authentication), and SPF (IP solution).

Presently, there is no single method accepted by all ISPs. However, a consensus seems to grow around DKIM and there are more and more adopters of this protocol.

The majority of smaller ISPs are relying on some or all of these methods to authenticate email senders. In addition, businesses must broadly adopt authentication across all their domains, not just those associated with large volume commercial email.

This means domains used for corporate email, customer support and other services. While most online fraud is associated with high-profile marketing domains, without authentication it is possible for any of your domains to be spoofed — and compromise critical business functions.

DKIM: The ultimate solution to all deliverability problems?

It’s important to note that DKIM and other authentication protocols will not fully resolve deliverability problems. Validating a domain does not reflect positively upon the content or value of the message, only to the identity of the responsible sender.

DKIM and other authentications will make it harder for your domains to be forged and it is critical to your deliverability since most ISPs make authentication a requirement for inclusion on a white list. However, authentication will not compensate for weak sender email practices pertaining to content, permission standards, bounce handling, complaints, or filter triggers.

By: Martin Ebongue, European Email Delivery Manager