Facebook hosted a DMARC interoperability event earlier this week. In terms of protocol development, interoperability events are a sign that the protocol is ready for more widespread use.
DMARC is a layer built on email authentication (SPF and DKIM) that provides brands with the ability to control use of their domains in email.
I’ve seen some mentions recently of ESPs suggesting that if you use your own domain in the From: of mail you send through an ESP then that ESP can’t “do email authentication” properly unless they require you to edit your domains DNS settings. That’s not really so, but there is a kernel of truth in there.
The real situation is, unsurprisingly, a bit more complicated.
What authentication features should you look for in an ESP?
Today Return Path announced a partnership with Symantec to improve their anti-phishing product. Return Path is incorporating the Symantec Trusted Domain List into their authentication and filtering product to help customers protect their brands. Press Release
Phishing scams affect everyone, and having a brand that is used in phishing can reduce consumer trust in that brand. Protecting brands in email has been one of the more difficult challenges facing the email community. With the adoption of DKIM and DMARC by major brands and ISPs it has become easier to track and address phishing.
I was hoping to have a detailed post up today about the conditions where gmail presents the user with a “via” but time seems to have gotten away from me. But I can give you the conclusions.
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