What is an e-mail?
Electronic mail, commonly known as e-mail, is an online service that enables individuals and digital services to exchange electronic messages over the Internet. To be able to send and receive e-mails, users or services must have an e-mail address, typically in the format of user@example.com. E-mails are a dependable, swift, and cost-effective means of communication, both in personal and business settings.
What are e-mail headers?
E-mail headers are metadata information attached with every email sent or receive across the internet, email headers contain important information required for delivery of emails. E-mail headers contain information such as: sender’s IP address, server the email came through, domain the email originated from, SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DKIM, DMARC, time of sending receiving email message, other important information required to validate the authenticity of the email received.
Metadata
Metadata is kind of data which provides information about the other data. For example: Email headers provide information about email communication. SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is a DNS record used for authentication mechanism in email addresses. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) is a cryptographic method that uses a digital signature to sign and verify emails. DMARC (Domain based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance) is an email standard used for protecting email senders and recipients from spam, spoofing and spamming. Message ID is a unique mail identifier for each email received; every email will have a unique Message ID.
Conclusion
E-mail header analysis has been used in criminal investigations to track down suspects and in civil litigation to prove the authenticity of emails. It’s also used by business to combat modern day email attacks like email spoofing. There are various tools available for email header analysis, however, free tools may have limited capabilities. By understanding the contents of an email header, users can identify if an e-mail is legitimate or a scam.
Key Points
- E-mail headers contain important information required for delivery of emails.
- SPF is a DNS record used for authentication mechanism in email addresses.
- DKIM is a cryptographic method that uses a digital signature to sign and verify emails.
- DMARC is an email standard used for protecting email senders and recipients from spam, spoofing and spamming.
- Message ID is a unique mail identifier for each email received; every email will have a unique Message ID.
- E-mail header analysis can be used to identify if an e-mail is legitimate or a scam.