DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) and SPF (Sender Policy Framework) are both email authentication methods used to verify the authenticity of an email message.
DKIM adds a digital signature to the email message, which verifies that the email was sent from a trusted source and hasn’t been tampered with during transit. DKIM works by utilizing a private key to sign outgoing emails, and a public key on the receiving end to verify the digital signature.
SPF, on the other hand, works by validating the sender’s IP address against a list of authorized IP addresses that are allowed to send emails on behalf of a domain. SPF records are added to the domain’s DNS settings, which specify which IP addresses are authorized to send email for that domain.
In summary, while both DKIM and SPF authenticate email messages, DKIM uses digital signature verification while SPF relies on IP address validation. Being different in their implementation, both can be used together to provide a more robust email authentication system.
