Nothing is more frustrating than sending an important proposal or client update only to find out it landed straight in the junk folder. With spam filters becoming increasingly strict, simply typing out a message and hitting send is no longer enough to guarantee delivery.
Major email providers like Google and Microsoft have tightened their security rules. If your business email is not configured correctly, your messages could be filtered into junk folders or rejected completely.
For businesses, this can mean missed opportunities, delayed responses and important communications never reaching the people who need them. And while there are several reasons why business emails end up in spam, poor email authentication is one issue that’s often overlooked.
The good news is that improving your email deliverability and strengthening your email security often starts with three behind-the-scenes settings that help email providers recognise your messages as legitimate.
What Are SPF, DKIM and DMARC? Meet Your Three Email Bodyguards
When you send a business email, how does the receiving email provider know it’s really coming from you and not someone pretending to be your business?
That’s where email authentication comes in. Three important settings work behind the scenes to help verify legitimate messages, protect your domain against impersonation and reduce the risk of your emails being flagged as spam.
These settings live in your domain’s DNS records. Think of them as a security system for your digital mail, with each playing a different role in keeping your business communications secure.
SPF: The Guest List
Sender Policy Framework (SPF) acts like an exclusive guest list for your domain. It tells receiving email servers which systems and software are authorised to send emails on your behalf. If a system isn’t on the list, its messages may fail authentication checks and be flagged as suspicious.
DKIM: The Wax Seal
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) adds an invisible digital signature to outgoing messages. It acts like a traditional wax seal on an envelope, helping the receiving server verify which domain signed the message and that it hasn’t been tampered with along the way.
DMARC: The Bouncer
Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) brings the first two together. It checks whether SPF or DKIM authentication matches the domain shown in the sender’s email address and tells receiving email providers how to handle messages that fail these checks, such as sending them to quarantine or rejecting them outright. It can also provide reports that help businesses identify unauthorised senders attempting to use their domain.
Together, these settings help receiving email providers recognise legitimate messages, reduce the risk of emails ending up in junk folders and protect your business against impersonation attempts. But their importance goes beyond email deliverability.
Why Is Email Authentication Important for Cyber Security?
These settings are not just about reliable communication anymore. They’re now considered a fundamental cyber security requirement, helping protect against phishing, email impersonation and other cyber threats.
Cybercriminals can attempt to impersonate legitimate businesses, sending fraudulent invoices, payment requests or malicious links that appear to come from a trusted sender. Properly configured email authentication makes it harder for attackers to impersonate your domain and helps receiving email providers identify suspicious messages.
In fact, the updated SMB1001 cyber security framework has made email authentication a certification requirement. Under the SMB1001standard, achieving Level 2 (Silver) requires a valid SPF record. Moving up to Level 3 (Gold) requires DKIM signing and a DMARC policy that instructs receiving providers to quarantine or reject messages that fail authentication.
Adopting these settings is a proven way to improve your overall cyber security posture, protect your reputation and build greater trust in your business communications.
How Can You Check Your Business Email Health?
You don’t need to be a technical expert to see if your email domain is set up correctly. You can use a fantastic free website called MxToolbox, which provides tools to check your email authentication and identify potential deliverability issues.
MxToolbox has an Email Deliverability tool that makes testing simple. It provides you with a unique email address, which you can send a normal test email to from your business account. MxToolbox then analyses your message and generates a report showing which authentication checks are passing or failing.
This free tool is a great starting point for identifying configuration issues that could be causing legitimate business emails to land in junk folders. However, passing authentication checks doesn’t guarantee inbox delivery. Other factors, such as sender reputation and spam complaints, can also affect where your messages end up.
It’s also worth noting that marketing emails sent through CRM or email marketing platforms like HubSpot may use different sending infrastructure and require separate authentication settings. So, even if your everyday business emails pass these checks, it doesn’t necessarily mean your marketing emails will too.
Why Should You Talk to Your IT Provider?
While understanding these concepts is great, actually setting up SPF, DKIM and DMARC requires editing your domain’s DNS records. This is delicate work. One incorrect entry could prevent legitimate emails from reaching their intended recipients or cause important messages to be rejected.
This is exactly where an IT provider like Ever Nimble can step in. Our team can run a full health check on your domain, untangle messy legacy settings, help you meet relevant SMB1001 email security requirements and configure these authentication protocols correctly.
Beyond fixing immediate email deliverability issues, getting these settings right helps strengthen your wider cyber security posture and protect your business against email impersonation.
Stop guessing whether your clients are receiving your invoices and updates. Reach out to the Ever Nimble team today and let us help keep your business communications secure and improve your chances of reaching the inbox.
FAQs
How can I tell if my email domain has security issues?
Start by using a free tool like MxToolbox to check whether your email authentication settings are configured correctly. However, these checks won’t identify every security risk. Your IT provider can carry out a more thorough assessment to identify potential vulnerabilities and recommend improvements to your email security.
Does my small business need SPF, DKIM and DMARC?
Yes, businesses of all sizes should have SPF, DKIM and DMARC configured to help protect their email domains against impersonation and improve email deliverability. These settings also support recognised cyber security standards, including SMB1001, which introduces specific email authentication requirements at different certification levels.
How does email authentication protect my business against cyber threats?
Email authentication helps protect your business against phishing and email impersonation by making it harder for cybercriminals to send messages pretending to come from your domain. SPF, DKIM and DMARC help receiving email providers identify suspicious messages, reducing the risk of fraudulent emails reaching your customers, employees or business partners.
Do SPF, DKIM and DMARC also apply to marketing emails?
Yes, email authentication is just as important for marketing emails sent through platforms like HubSpot. However, these platforms may use different sending infrastructure and require separate authentication settings. Even if your everyday business emails are configured correctly, you should check that your marketing sending domain is properly authenticated within your chosen platform.
When should I contact my IT provider about email delivery issues?
If your business is experiencing email delivery issues or needs help strengthening its email security, your IT provider is a good place to start. They can handle the technical configuration of SPF, DKIM and DMARC, identify gaps in your existing settings and ensure these controls are implemented correctly to improve email deliverability and strengthen your overall cyber security posture.