Email remains the predominant communication channel for businesses worldwide. However, serious threats like phishing, spoofing, and brand impersonation continue to plague enterprise email inboxes.
That’s where verified mark certificates (VMCs) 
come in. VMCs are a special type of digital certificate that verifies the email sender’s identity. They prove to recipients that emails genuinely come from your brand, not an impersonator.
The Rising Threat of Email Fraud
Email fraud comes in many forms:
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Phishing uses messages disguised as trusted brands to steal data and credentials.
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Spoofing involves masking the sender’s address to appear like someone else, often a C-level executive. Spoofed emails can lead to financial losses.
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Impersonation is faking an email from a known brand, such as partners, vendors, or clients.
These issues are related to sender legitimacy and difficulty differentiating emails. Every day employees delete many legitimate emails while still opening some phishing emails.
Without visibility into sender validity, recipients doubt every message. Engagement and response rates plunge while losses from fraud rise.
Email open and delivery rates directly impact your campaign results. Ensure success by understanding how VMCs establish email integrity. Contact our support team for more information.
How VMCs Establish Email Integrity
VMCs flip the script by establishing email integrity from the start. Here’s how they work:
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VMCs (Verified Mark Certificates) are digital certificates issued by trusted certificate authorities. They are used to authenticate and display brand logos in emails as part of the initiative. While they share some similarities with S/MIME certificates in terms of issuance, they serve different purposes. S/MIME certificates are used for email encryption and digital signing, whereas VMCs verify the association between a brand logo and the sending domain.
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Senders install the VMC into their email infrastructure through simple API integration. Emails are then digitally signed as they’re sent.
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Recipients can validate the VMC signature by clicking indicators in the email client. This proves the email came from the expected sender without tampering or spoofing.
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If the signature doesn’t match, the recipient knows it’s a fraudulent email claiming to be someone it’s not.
VMCs give recipients the power to verify email integrity themselves quickly. Every message becomes an individually verifiable source of truth.
Key Benefits of VMCs for Enterprises
VMCs can offer numerous advantages to companies looking to elevate their email security and engagement. Here are some of the main benefits:
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VMCs Enhance Brand Protection
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Using VMCs can significantly reduce the chances of email spoofing by associating an encrypted digital signature with your brand’s emails. While no system is completely foolproof, VMCs provide robust protection against impersonation.
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Employees have greater confidence in emails they receive, especially from internal senders or partners, knowing there’s a mechanism to verify their legitimacy.
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Potential for Improved Email Engagement
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The current landscape sees many emails ignored or unopened due to concerns over authenticity. VMCs could give recipients more confidence to open and interact with emails, especially those from unfamiliar addresses.
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Preliminary findings suggest that VMC-backed emails may have better open and .
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VMCs May Offer Enhanced Email Analytics
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Implementing VMCs could allow tracking of detailed metrics, such as open rates, link interactions, forwarded emails, and client information. These insights can be invaluable for refining email strategies and campaigns.
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It’s important to note that the level of analytics and the data points captured would vary based on the VMC system and integrated tools used. Furthermore, all tracking should be done respecting privacy regulations and obtaining necessary permissions.
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