glossary.categories.securityAcronym
DKIM
DomainKeys Identified Mail
An email authentication method that uses cryptographic signatures to verify message integrity.
Definition
DomainKeys Identified Mail (DKIM) is an email authentication method that uses public-key cryptography to verify that an email message was sent by an authorized sender and hasn't been modified in transit. The sending server signs the message with a private key, and the receiving server verifies the signature using a public key published in DNS.
Examples
DKIM DNS Record
A DKIM public key published in DNS.
; DKIM DNS Record (TXT)
selector._domainkey.example.com. IN TXT "v=DKIM1; k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQC..."
; Header in signed email:
DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; d=example.com; s=selector;
c=relaxed/relaxed; q=dns/txt; h=from:to:subject:date;
bh=2jUSOH9NhtVGCQWNr9BrIAPreKQjO6Sn7XIkfJVOzv8=;
b=AuUoFEfDxTDkHlLXSZEpZj79LICEps6eda7W3deTVFOk4yAUoqOB...Use Cases
Email message integrity verification
Preventing email tampering in transit
Part of DMARC authentication
Brand protection
Best Practices
- Use 2048-bit RSA keys minimum
- Rotate DKIM keys periodically
- Sign important headers (From, To, Subject, Date)
- Test DKIM configuration after setup
- Monitor DKIM failures in DMARC reports
FAQ
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