United States, 1st Aug 2024 – The number of cyberattacks has been increasing worldwide despite security advancements. This surge in cyberattacks is causing data breaches, leading to large-scale business losses.
The percentage of spam emails in 2023 reaches 45.6 percent. It has been rising recently even after strong security measures.
The root of these security breaches lies in email communication, which despite regular security updates, is still facing major threats.
Managed Service Providers know that their security stack is insufficient to tackle security threats. They still have to offer security as a service via Email authentication. This article explains the importance of adding email authentication to the MSP security stack.
Why Email Authentication is Mandatory
In the rapidly evolving AI-driven cybercrimes, Email authentication is a must-have for all businesses. It enhances the delivery of emails by validating the sending and receiving sources. Email service providers use email authentication tools to identify and confirm the sender through their IP addresses.
Currently, a few Email authentication tools including DKIM, SPF, and DMARC come to rescue the infrastructures through Email spammers and scammers. These frameworks don’t only protect emails from phishing but also protect the brand’s identity.
Key Components of MSP Security Stack
An MSP security stack should include the essential tools to protect clients’ information.
DNS Filtering, and Firewall Network Security
To add Network security, DNS Filtering, and Firewall Network security are two essential tools. They block access to the malicious sites. They also act as barriers to external threats.
Anti-Virus Software
The second important security tool to add to the security stack is Anti-Virus software. The detection methods of anti-virus software detect malware and prevent damage to the system.
Email Security Tools
Email security tools are also important against email security threats like phishing, scam emails, and AI-based threats. These tools help detect fake emails keeping your account protected.
Backup and Disaster Recovery Tools
Backup and Disaster Recovery tools should be a part of the MSP security stack. These tools ensure the recovery of lost data and automated backups to prevent data losses.
Why Email Authentication Matters for MSPs
MSP Email security presents a variety of ways MSPs can use to protect user’s email accounts. They can block unauthorized access to smoothen the flow. If the account is not secured from both the user’s end or from MSPs, it will be too easy for the hackers to breach data.
Unencrypted emails give cybercriminals the ease to access sensitive data without any expert strategies. Therefore, malicious content with zip bomb attachments in spam emails can significantly affect the deliverability of emails. MSPs can prevent this from happening with the use of authentication protocols.
Implementing SPF in Your MSP Security Stack
Sender Policy Framework is an email validation system. It detects emails from spoofing by providing a threat detection mechanism. It tells if the incoming email is coming from an authorized source. The prepared list of authorized senders is then added to the DNS in the form of a TXT record.
Steps to Implement SPF
Here is how to implement SPF to boost Email authentication.
Identify all mail servers that send emails from your domain.
You can use DMARC Reports to check to identify legitimate email servers.
After making a list, create SPF records for every domain.
Authorize legitimate senders using the v=spf1 tag. It is then followed by your designated IPs.
For third-party authorization, include their IP address in your SPF record.
End your SPF record with an -all tag for a strict SPF fail.
Use an ~all tag for a soft SPF fail.
Publish the SPF record to your domain with the help of a DNS administrator.
Implementing DKIM in Your MSP Security Stack
DomainKeys Identified Mail is based on a cryptographic key, used to verify the sender domain. It adds a signature to the sent email to confirm that the sent message was received from the legitimate sender.
Steps to Implement DKIM
The first step is to list all the domains and subdomains from which you send emails.
Add third-party addresses to the list too if you use any of them.
Then install a DKIM package on your email server. MSP’s operation server decided which DKIM package needed to be used.
Create a public-private key pair. Specify the selector names for key pairs.
Publish the public DKIM key on DNS and add a TXT record with the selector name.
Private keys produced by DKIM should be stored based on the DKIM package
Configure your Email server with the additional instructions provided by your Email service provider.
Lastly, you can use a DKIM record checker to confirm that the received emails can locate your public key.
Implementing DMARC in Your MSP Security Stack
Implementing DMARC is an essential component of email authentication. It combines both SPF and DKIM to enhance email security. Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting up DMARC on your domain.
Steps to Implement DMARC
Before running DMARC, prepare your domain by setting up SPF and DKIM by following the mentioned steps.
Select a DMARC policy for your domain. Three policies are recognized including None, Quarantine, and Reject.
To check the flow of authentication, apply any of the mentioned policies first on a small percentage of our messages using pct=5.
After updating the policy, publish your TXT record by uploading the domain name in the domain host’s DNS settings.
Enter your DMARC record and save it.
Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for Additional Security
MFA is an authentication method in which the user collectively provides two or more verification methods. With MFA, the user enables two or more verification factors to access the email account. It benefits users by enhancing organizational security.
It is easier for hackers to steal usernames and passwords but the MFA factor adds a thumbprint to increase security. Therefore, MSPs should add it to the Email security stack to prevent data breaches. As it adds extra layers to the identification process, making hacking difficult.
Conclusion
For MSPs, it is important to elevate internal Email security with the right email authentication protocols. These measures help stay ahead of cybercriminals and potential businesses.
Other than this, authentic security protocols can differentiate MSPs from their competitors. PowerDMARC provides a thorough guide to essential email authentication methods. You can book a free demo to learn how it can protect your organization.
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