What is BIMI?

Introduction

Email has become an integral part of our personal and professional communication, but it is also a common channel for phishing attacks and fraudulent activities. To combat these challenges and establish trust in email communication, industry experts have introduced BIMI (Brand Indicators for Message Identification). BIMI is an emerging email authentication standard that not only enhances security but also enhances brand recognition and customer trust. In this article, we will explore BIMI, how it works, and its significance in bolstering email authenticity and brand reputation.

What is BIMI?

BIMI, short for Brand Indicators for Message Identification, is an email authentication standard that allows organizations to display their brand logos alongside authenticated email messages. It builds upon existing email authentication protocols like DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) and leverages the Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) system to validate the ownership and authenticity of a brand's logo.

The primary goal of BIMI is to provide recipients with a visual indicator that an email comes from a trusted source. By displaying a brand logo consistently across authenticated emails, BIMI helps combat phishing attacks, enhances email deliverability, and strengthens brand recognition.

How Does BIMI Work?

Implementing BIMI involves several steps and requires collaboration between the sending domain, the email service provider (ESP), and a certificate authority:

How do we implement DMARC?

Before enabling BIMI, the organization must first implement DMARC, a widely adopted email authentication protocol. DMARC ensures that only authorized servers can send emails on behalf of a specific domain, reducing the risk of domain spoofing and phishing attacks.

Obtain a Verified Mark Certificate (VMC)

To display the brand logo, organizations need to obtain a VMC, which is issued by a trusted certificate authority. The VMC serves as proof of ownership and authenticity of the brand logo. To obtain a VMC, organizations must meet specific requirements set by the certificate authority, ensuring that only legitimate and trusted brands can display their logos.

Publish BIMI Record

Once the organization has obtained a VMC, it must publish a BIMI record in its DNS (Domain Name System). The BIMI record specifies the location of the brand's logo image and contains information about the VMC, such as the certificate's serial number and the associated certificate authority.

Authentication and Logo Display

When an email is sent from the organization's domain, the receiving email server performs DMARC authentication checks. If the email passes DMARC validation, the server looks for a BIMI record in the DNS. If a BIMI record is found, the server retrieves the brand logo image from the specified location and displays it alongside the email in supported email clients.

Benefits of BIMI

• Improved Email Trust and Brand Recognition: By displaying a brand logo alongside authenticated emails, BIMI reinforces trust and legitimacy. Recipients can quickly identify emails from trusted sources, reducing the risk of falling victim to phishing attacks or fraudulent emails. Moreover, consistent brand logo visibility enhances brand recognition and reinforces the organization's identity.
• Enhanced Email Deliverability: Implementing BIMI can positively impact email deliverability. Email service providers and receiving servers often prioritize authenticated emails with displayed brand logos, as they signal trust and legitimacy. This can lead to higher inbox placement rates and lower chances of legitimate emails being flagged as spam.
• Mitigation of Phishing Attacks: Phishing attacks often rely on impersonation tactics, where cybercriminals forge emails to mimic trusted brands or organizations. BIMI helps mitigate such attacks by visually authenticating the sender's brand. Recipients can easily spot discrepancies and identify potential phishing attempts.
• Industry Collaboration and Standardization: BIMI promotes collaboration between organizations, email service providers, and certificate authorities. It encourages the adoption of email authentication standards like DMARC and helps establish industry-wide best practices for email security. This collaboration and standardization contribute to a more secure and trustworthy email ecosystem.

Conclusion

As email continues to be a primary mode of communication, establishing trust and authenticity is crucial. BIMI provides an effective solution to bolster email security and brand recognition. By displaying brand logos alongside authenticated emails, BIMI enhances trust, reduces the risk of phishing attacks, and improves email deliverability. Embracing BIMI demonstrates an organization's commitment to email authenticity, brand integrity, and customer trust. As BIMI gains traction as an industry standard, it has the potential to transform the email landscape, providing a more secure and reliable communication channel for individuals and businesses alike.