Email was designed without security considerations, but these top email security protocols add mechanisms to keep messaging safe from threats. Show
Not long after the first internet email protocols were developed, computer scientist Andrew S. Tanenbaum wrote, "The nice thing about standards is that you have so many to choose from." He wasn't wrong. Although the original internet application protocols rarely addressed security, many email security protocol choices now exist. The reason for this is that there are many aspects of email security, from encrypting data in motion to preventing domain spoofing to authenticating that messages have been sent from valid domains and more. Let's explore the following email security protocols and the role they play in keeping email safe:
Email -- but not email security -- protocolsBasic, insecure email depends on just a handful of protocols. It is important to note that these are not email security protocols. The following control how email is transmitted, formatted and retrieved:
1. SSL/TLS for HTTPSSecure Sockets Layer (SSL) was introduced in 1995. After experiencing vulnerabilities, SSLv3 was succeeded by the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol in 1999 and eventually deprecated in 2015. Many still refer to TLS as its predecessor, SSL. While SSL/TLS does not play an inherent role in email security, it is used for HTTPS, which is used for almost all email exchanges between servers and users. HTTPS uses TLS to encrypt streams of network traffic between clients and servers. It is not invoked directly in email, but is used for web traffic and thus is used to encrypt webmail messages. 2. SMTPSSMTP Secure (SMTPS) works like HTTPS for SMTP. It uses TLS to encrypt message exchanges between clients and servers. Encrypted TLS traffic is decrypted at its destination, however, so cleartext messages may be accessible on email servers as messages are routed unless another encryption protocol, such as STARTTLS, is in use.
3. STARTTLSSTARTTLS is a service extension for SMTP that supports opportunistic encryption between mail servers and clients. When the STARTTLS extension is in use, communicating mail systems negotiate the use of encryption and authentication algorithms to protect exchanges. All message content and message metadata can be encrypted. Once the transmissions are received, the data will be decrypted. 4. SMTP MTA-STSThe SMTP Mail Transfer Agent Strict Transport Security (MTA-STS) protocol helps secure emails by enabling SMTP servers to add encryption via TLS. It also gives enterprises a mechanism to enable servers to refuse to connect with servers that do not offer TLS connections with a trusted certificate. By requiring a trusted certificate and rejecting connections from unauthenticated servers, email providers can prevent attackers from using fraudulent domains to send phishing or spam email. 5. SPFSender Policy Framework (SPF) provides a protocol that enables domain owners to identify which hosts are authorized to use their domain names when sending email and defines how that authorization can be verified. It provides a way for domain owners to announce which IP addresses are authorized to send email on behalf of the domain. It also reduces the likelihood that spam or phishing emails can be sent with that domain spoofed as the source of the messages, even though SPF is usually enabled with additional email security protocols that provide stronger assurances that email originated from the proper domain. 6. DKIMDomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) builds on SPF and enables the entity that owns the signing domain to link itself with a digital signature that authenticates that entity.  7. DMARCDomain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) provides mechanisms for notification and mandating actions when messages fail authentication under SPF and DKIM. While SPF and DKIM can flag messages as being spoofed, DMARC enables domain owners to advertise what actions should be taken when spoofed addresses are detected and for recipients to determine the appropriate response action. 8. S/MIMESecure/MIME (S/MIME) is the standard that defines how to encrypt and authenticate MIME-formatted data. While S/MIME content can be encrypted, the email headers are not, so an attacker would be able to see who is sending the message and who the intended recipient is. 9. OpenPGPOpenPGP is a standard for encryption and authentication of data, including email messages, based on the Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) framework. OpenPGP is interoperable with S/MIME, and while data can be protected, the metadata around encrypted messages is not. 10. Digital certificatesDigital certificates are electronic documents that prove public key ownership, verifying senders are who they claim to be. A digital certificate can also be used to sign and encrypt emails. While they are not protocols per se, there are protocols that define how digital certificates can be created and shared. Next StepsBrowse 9 email security gateway options for your enterprise Top 11 email security best practices for 2022 Use these 6 user authentication types to secure networks How to create a company password policy, with template This was last published in November 2021 Dig Deeper on Data security and privacy
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Which email protocol allows an email client to read mail stores on the mail server?There are two primary protocols used by email client applications to retrieve email from mail servers: the Post Office Protocol (POP) and the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP).
Which two of the following are common protocols used to access emails stored on a remote mail server select all answers that apply?There are three common protocols used to deliver email over the Internet: the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), the Post Office Protocol (POP), and the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP). All three use TCP, and the last two are used for accessing electronic mailboxes.
Are two protocols that would allow an administrator to access files on a remote system?Two common modern protocols providing for remote access to a desktop are Virtual Network Computing (VNC), which typically runs on TCP 5900 and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), which typically runs on TCP port 3389.
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Which two encryption protocols might be used to provide secure transmissions for email services?
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